Three leading researchers from the University of Nottingham and the University of Leicester have been elected to join the prestigious Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Professor Ian Hall from Nottingham and Professors Melanie Davies CBE and Martin Tobin from Leicester are among 48 of the UK’s world leading researchers to receive the distinction.
Professors Hall and Tobin have collaborated successfully for many years resulting in breakthroughs in genetics of lung health and disease - including new industry partnerships in 2018. Professors Hall and Davies also work closely together as leads of their respective NIHR Biomedical Research Centres.
The new Fellows have been elected for their outstanding contributions to biomedical and health science, leading research discoveries, and translating developments into benefits for patients and the wider society.
Professor Hall, Director of the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, said: “I am delighted to have been elected to the Academy, which is a real honour for me. The Academy has played an important role in supporting academic medicine in the UK and beyond, and I look forward to contributing to its work. It is also particularly pleasing to be elected at the same time as colleagues in Leicester with whom I have been collaborating on both specific research projects and more generally on trying to make the East Midlands a great place to undertake clinical research.”
Martin Tobin, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Leicester, said: “I am honoured to have been elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences. This honour recognises the outstanding team science we undertake together in the East Midlands and the success of our collaborations throughout Europe. I look forward to contributing to the Academy’s work, including its vision for future partnerships in European Research and Innovation that address such important UK and global health challenges.”
Melanie Davies, Professor of Diabetes Medicine at the University of Leicester and diabetes consultant at Leicester’s Hospitals, said: “I am honoured to have been recognised by the Academy is this way. I’m delighted that Ian Hall and Martin Tobin , key academics in the East Midlands have also been awarded these prestigious fellowships . This is great news at a time we are wanting to raise awareness of the high quality research and scientific endeavour in our hospitals across the East Midlands and as we bring together our work under the banner of the Midlands Health Alliance which we hope to launch soon.”
This year's elected Fellows have expertise that spans sleep research, infectious and tropical diseases, diabetes medicine, parasite biology and ultrasound research and technology among many other fields.
Professor Sir Robert Lechler PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences said: “The Academy simply could not tackle major health and policy challenges without our dynamic and diligent brain trust of Fellows. I extend my warmest congratulations to all who are joining us this year, each of whom has earnt this prestige by advancing their own field of biomedical science.
“Later this year the Academy will celebrate 20 years of supporting the translation of biomedical and health research into benefits for society. As we celebrate this special anniversary we stand at a crossroads of both enormous health challenges and great opportunity for medical sciences. So I am delighted to see the remarkable breadth and depth of the expertise within our 48 new Fellows. We look forward to these experts joining us in addressing the health challenges we face head on and exploiting opportunities to improve health in the UK and internationally.”
Professor Philippa Saunders FMedSci, Registrar of the Academy of Medical Sciences said: "The Academy is working hard to make sure that we represent the true diversity of UK medical science in our Fellowship. We are pleased to have a retained a high proportion of women Fellows in this year’s intake, but will continue our work to increase diversity in all its forms within our Fellowship in coming years.”
16 of the new Fellows are women, representing 33% of the total elected in 2018. The total women in the pool of candidates was 28%, a 2% increase from last year.
The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a ceremony on 27 June 2018.
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