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The pioneering work of members of the University, including research into tackling the Coronavirus pandemic, has been recognised in The Queen's Birthday Honours List.

View of Oxford skyline © Greg Smolonski

The honorands include researchers that have played key roles in leading the University’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic, from the development of new vaccines to the discovery of new drug treatments.

Recognised for their research and contributions to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic:

Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology, who becomes a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE), for services to Science and Public Health. She is the Oxford Project Leader for ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, a vaccine against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which is now in use in many countries around the world.

Adrian Hill, Director of the Jenner Institute and Lakshmi Mittal and Family Professor of Vaccinology, who becomes an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE), for services to Science and Public Health. He has been a key member of the team that designed and developed the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at the University’s Jenner Institute with the Oxford Vaccine Group.

Peter Horby, Director of the Pandemic Sciences Institute, and Professor of Emerging and Infectious Diseases and Global Health, who becomes a Knight Bachelor for services to Medical Research. He co-leads the UK Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 therapy (RECOVERY) trial, the largest randomised controlled trial of COVID-19 treatments in the world.

Martin Landray, Deputy Director of the Big Data Institute, and Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, who becomes a Knight Bachelor for services to Science and Public Health. With Peter Horby, he co-leads the RECOVERY trial, the largest randomised controlled trial of COVID-19 treatments in the world.

Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, and Professor of Paediatric Infection and Immunity, who becomes a Knight Bachelor for services to Public Health, particularly during the COVID-19 Pandemic. He has led the global clinical trials of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine, with the first doses given on 23 April 2020.

Derrick Crook, Professor of Microbiology in the Nuffield Department of Medicine, is appointed as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to microbiology during the pandemic. Amongst several contributions, Professor Crook led the Oxford University team that standardised testing for new diagnostics kits in the UK. 

Catherine Green, Head of the Nuffield Department of Medicine's Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility and Associate Professor at the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, who is appointed as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE), for services to Science and Public Health. Her team at the Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility has been an integral part of the University’s development of a ChAdOx1 vectored vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, in partnership with AstraZeneca.

Teresa Lambe, Associate Professor at the Jenner Institute, who is appointed as an honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE), for services to Science and Public Health. She is one of the Principal Investigators overseeing the University’s Covid-19 vaccine programme.

In addition to those recognised for their work on the COVID-19 pandemic, other memebers of Medical Sciences were also honoured for their research including:

Guy Thwaites, Professor of Infectious Diseases, is appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to public health and UK/Vietnam relations. Professor Thwaites is Director of the Oxford Clinical Research Unit/Wellcome Programme in Vietnam, which studies emerging viral infections as well as conditions including malaria, tuberculosis and antimicrobial drug resistance. His personal research focuses on severe bacterial infections. 

Christopher Fairburn, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, is appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Psychological Treatments and the Treatment of Eating Disorders. In 1986, Professor Fairburn founded the Centre for Research on Eating Disorders at Oxford. 

Keith Willett, National Director for Emergency Planning and Incident Response to NHS England and NHS Improvement, Honorary Consultant at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery at the University of Oxford, becomes a Knight Bachelor for services to the NHS. As Strategic Incident Director for COVID-19, he has led the NHS England response and ensured the NHS has been fully prepared for the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Congratulations to all our academics recognised in the Queen's birthday honours.

Read the full story on the University of Oxford website