Dr Shanker Pasupathy was an ASEAN Scholar at Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College from 1984-1989. He obtained his medical degree from the National University of Singapore, graduating in 1995. After completing his training in general, gastro-intestinal and vascular surgery in Singapore, Germany and the UK, he spent a year in France acquiring skills in advanced keyhole surgery techniques (laparoscopy and robotic surgery). On his return to Singapore he pioneered the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and laparoscopic gastric bypass at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) in 2008.

Dr Shanker believes firmly in collaboration and started the comprehensive metabolic-bariatric surgery service at SGH with support from the Department of Endocrinology, eventually rising to become director of the LIFE Centre. During this period, the Obesity and Metabolic Unit at SGH grew rapidly, receiving approximately 1,000 referrals annually. Dr Shanker has given numerous press, television and radio interviews regarding obesity and metabolic disease intervention.

Hernia Specialist, Dr Shanker is the current president of the Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society of Singapore (OMSSS) and a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). He is the past president of the Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia (Singapore chapter). He is invited to teach and conduct workshops in keyhole surgery locally and overseas. Dr Shanker is an international faculty member at the Asian Institute of Telesurgery (AITS), Taiwan.