The prize, awarded by the Hessian State Capital Wiesbaden, Germany, is based on outstanding innovate research activities in the field of rheumatology. This prestigious award is the highest international honour a rheumatologist can receive; Professor Buckley shares this year's award with Professor Dirk Elewaut from Ghent University.
Professor Buckley directs the Arthritis Therapy Acceleration Programme (A-TAP), an initiative led by the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham, which is funded by the Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research, and is supported by the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre.
A-TAP aims to deliver 'stratified pathology; the right drug for the right disease indication' in a range of immune mediated inflammatory diseases.