Francis Wells is a Cardiothoracic surgeon based at the Royal Papworth Hospital, part of the University of Cambridge group of specialist hospitals.

Francis trained in London, Cambridge and the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was senior Research Fellow to Professor John Kirklin, a founding father of modern cardiac surgical practice. His specialist area of interest has been heart valve reconstruction, cardiopulmonary transplantation and the surgical management of intra-thoracic malignancy, with more than 250 published papers and several books on the subjects.

In parallel with his clinical practice, Francis has had a lifelong interest in the arts and a specific interest in the Renaissance, having studied in depth the work of Leonardo da Vinci. This work led recently to the publication of his book The Heart of Leonardo.

He has sponsored several artists-in-residence within his clinical practice, which has led to several pieces appearing in major shows, including the 2006 Royal Academy summer exhibition. Himself a recipient of the Sir Hugh Casson prize for drawing, shared with Paola Rego and Frank Auerbach, Francis enjoys drawing, painting and playing the piano ‘very amateurishly but with gusto’.