The Academy of Medical Sciences has elected the chief investigators of the RECOVERY trial to its respected and influential Fellowship. Professor Martin Landray and Professor Peter Horby have been selected for their exceptional contributions to the advancement of medical science.
The Academy of Medical Sciences is the independent body in the UK representing the diversity of medical science. Elected Fellows are the UK’s leading medical scientists from hospitals, academia, and industry. They are recognised for their innovative research discoveries and for translating scientific developments into benefits for patients and wider society. This year, 50 Fellows were chosen from 384 candidates.
The Academy’s new Fellows include experts who have spearheaded the COVID-19 response. Professor Martin Landray and Professor Peter Horby, have been at the forefront of the search for COVID-19 treatments, as the chief investigators of the RECOVERY trial, the world's largest trial of COVID-19 treatments.
Professor Horby said ‘I feel honoured to have been elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Research is a team effort and any achievements were possible only with the support of colleagues in the many countries where I have been privileged to work. I would like to express my deep gratitude for their expertise, guidance, and generosity.’
Professor Landray added ‘I am delighted to have been elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. While it is nice to get this personal recognition, science requires teamwork and collaboration. I would like to thank the many people – scientists, clinicians, patients, and family – who have provided mentorship, guidance, support, and inspiration over many years. I hope that they feel able to share in this recognition and encouraged about the value of our work together in the future.’
Professor Marian Knight has also been elected as a Fellow. Her work has enabled the RECOVERY trial team to collect information on pregnant women taking part in RECOVERY through the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS). Professor Knight said ‘I am delighted and honoured to be elected as a Fellow, and by this recognition by the Academy of Medical Sciences of the importance of maternal and child health research. This award reflects the work of a very wide collaborative group including clinicians, research midwives, researchers and study administrative staff, all of whom play a vital role in improving outcomes for women and children.
‘Over the past year in particular, all those contributing to both UKOSS and the MBRRACE-UK Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths have been pivotal in ensuring we have world-leading evidence to guide care for pregnant women and their babies in the context of COVID-19.’
Professor Dame Anne Johnson, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said ‘I am truly delighted to welcome these 50 new Fellows to the Academy’s Fellowship, and I offer my congratulations to each of them on their exceptional contribution to biomedical and health science. The knowledge, skill and influence that each brings to the Fellowship is the Academy’s most powerful asset.
‘The last year has clearly demonstrated the power and prowess of UK biomedical science, and I am proud of how many Fellows, new and old, have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 response in the UK and globally. Although it is hard to look beyond the pandemic right now, I want to stress how important it is that the Academy Fellowship represents the widest diversity of biomedical and health sciences. The greatest health advances rely on the findings of many types of research, and on multidisciplinary teams and cross-sector and global collaboration.’
Professor Philippa Saunders, Registrar of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said ‘The pandemic has highlighted the global nature of health and the immense power that the scientific community can have when it works together. I am delighted to welcome the 50 new Fellows and look forward to working with them through the Academy.’
The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy on 1 July 2021. For details of the other Fellows elected this year, please visit the Academy of Medical Sciences website.