Alongside leading the Be Free Campaign, Dr Shantanu Kundu is an Innovation Fellow at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, one of Europe’s leading centres for paediatric healthcare and innovation.
In this role, Shantanu combines his medical training, lived experience, and entrepreneurial background to explore new approaches to improving young people’s health and wellbeing. His work focuses on applying technology, design thinking, and co-production with patients and families to create solutions that are both clinically effective and meaningful in practice.
As both an NHS doctor and a social entrepreneur, Shantanu brings a unique perspective that bridges the gap between frontline healthcare and community need. From integrating AI and digital tools into healthcare, to shaping creative mental health resources, to influencing system-wide innovation, his approach ensures that new ideas lead to real-world change.
At the heart of his fellowship is a clear belief: innovation should reduce inequalities, empower communities, and ensure that healthcare works for everyone, not just those already able to access it.
