Tom Potokar

Professor Thomas Stephen Potokar OBE^[1] (born January 1964) is chair of the Centre for Global Burn Injury Policy & Research at Swansea University. He is the founder and director of the charity Interburns. Potokar has been the chief surgeon of the ICRC since 2021. During the Gaza war, Potokar shared his experiences while he was working in the European Hospital in southern Gaza, describing an over-capacity hospital with Palestinian civilians who had suffered shrapnel wounds.^[2][3][4][5]

Born

Thomas Stephen Potokar

January 1964 (age 62)

Education

• University of Birmingham (MBChB)
• Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (DTM&H)

OccupationsPlastic surgeon, professor

Knownfor

• Global burn injury research and policy
• Founder and director of Interburns
• Chief surgeon of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Quick facts ProfessorOBE, FRCS, Born ...

Professor Tom Potokar OBE, FRCS
Potokar in 2025
Born	Thomas Stephen Potokar January 1964 (age 62)
Education	University of Birmingham (MBChB) Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (DTM&H)
Occupations	Plastic surgeon, professor
Known for	Global burn injury research and policy Founder and director of Interburns Chief surgeon of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Board member of	Chair, Centre for Global Burn Injury Policy & Research
Medical career
Field	Plastic surgery Burn care Reconstructive surgery
Institutions	Morriston Hospital (former consultant) Swansea University International Committee of the Red Cross (since 2021)
Research	Burn epidemiology, prevention, global health

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