Dr. Thakkar earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Temple University and went on to complete his Internal Medicine training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and his Gastroenterology Fellowship at Allegheny General Hospital, Drexel College of Medicine. He then went on to complete a specialized Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. Along with his clinical work, Dr. Thakkar has served as the principal investigator on numerous studies, with his most recent research focusing on natural orifice surgery and optimizing colonoscopy using artificial intelligence.

Dr. Thakkar has served as faculty at numerous national and international conferences, including serving as Ambassador to Vietnam for the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. He has been recognized for his innovation, research, and contributions to the community by the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, American College of Gastroenterology, and the National Pancreas Foundation. He currently serves as Director of Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy at West Virginia University Medicine in Morgantown, West Virginia.