Professor Gilbert joins a cohort of just over 100 Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Honorary Fellows, including Nobel Prize winners, former RSC Presidents, executives from leading global businesses, and other leading chemists.
The Honorary Fellowship was awarded to Professor Gilbert for her outstanding work in co-developing the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine, which was made available on a non-profit basis to low-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, saved more than 6 million lives during its first year of rollout alone.
Professor Gilbert received the Honorary Fellowship alongside three other scientists: University of York’s Sir John Holman, renowned climate scientist Professor Susan Solomon and Professor Zhong-Qun Tian from Xiamen University, China. The award will be officially presented to her at the RSC Summer Party later this year.
Commenting on the award, Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, Saïd Professor of Vaccinology and Principal Investigator at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford said: “Making a vaccine to protect people in a pandemic needs a huge team of expert, interdisciplinary researchers – including chemists, biologists, and medical scientists – to work together.
“This Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Society of Chemistry is recognition for the team of scientists in Oxford – and our partners globally – who worked tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure we made a vaccine for the world.”
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Medicine website.