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1 May 2009

New Fellows elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences

Three academics from the University of Dundee are among forty of the United Kingdom's leading doctors and medical researchers who have been recognised for excellence in medical science by their election to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Academy Fellows are elected for outstanding contributions to the advancement of medical science, for innovative application of scientific knowledge or for their conspicuous service to healthcare.

The new Fellows to be elected from Dundee are:

  • Professor Irwin McLean, Professor of Human Genetics
  • Professor Andrew Morris, Director, Biomedical Research Institute
  • Professor Colin Watts, Professor of Immunobiology

Commenting on the new Fellowships, Professor Pete Downes, Acting Principal of the University of Dundee, said, 'It is no surprise that three senior academic staff in the University who are renowned for their contributions to translational medicine have been honoured by being elected Fellows of the prestigious Academy of Medical Sciences in London.'

'Professor Colin Watts of the Division of Cell Biology and Immunology in the College of Life Sciences has made major contributions to understanding mechanisms of antigen processing and how these processes may be manipulated to treat diseases of the adaptive immune system.'

'Professor Irwin McLean is Head of the Division of Molecular Medicine which is the first joint research division linking the College of Life Sciences and the School of Medicine. He discovered defects in the filaggrin gene which contribute to the development of atopic eczema and associated allergic conditions including asthma and hay fever.'

'Finally, Andrew Morris is Director of the Biomedical Research Institute and leads ground breaking research on the genetics of type 2 diabetes which is set to reach epidemic proportions in many parts of the developed and developing world in the very near future.'

'All three new Fellows have therefore dedicated their careers to understanding the causes of major diseases and this most recent recognition of their achievements is richly deserved.'

Professor Sir John Bell, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences said, 'Our new Fellows illustrate the wealth of experience and diversity of talent amongst the UK's research community. Changes in global financial markets, and the promise of medical research to deliver both benefits to health and economic growth, mean it is more important than ever that these assets are recognised and supported. I look forward to working with these skilled scientists to ensure their strengths across academia and industry are used to promote basic science discoveries, innovative healthcare and the rapid translation of research into patient benefits.'

The expertise of the new Fellows spans reproductive medicine, orthopaedic surgery, immunology, health economics, psychiatry, complementary and alternative medicine and mental health.

Notes for Editors

The independent Academy of Medical Sciences promotes advances in medical science and campaigns to ensure these are translated into benefits for patients. The Academy's nine hundred Fellows are the United Kingdom's leading medical scientists from hospitals, academia, industry and the public service. Further details may be obtained from The Academy of Medical Sciences, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH. Tel: 020 7969 5288; Fax: 020 7969 5298; website: http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk.

This year Fellows were chosen from 369 candidates. The seven Sectional Committees met in March to consider potential Fellows for 2009 entry to the Academy. Three nominators from within the Fellowship much back each candidate. The Academy Registrar Professor Patrick Maxwell, Professor of Medicine, University College London, oversees the election. The election brings the number of Fellows to 947.

Full list of Fellows elected in 2009

  • Professor Stephan Beck, Professor for Medical Genomics, University College London
  • Professor Marina Botto, Professor of Rheumatology, Imperial College London
  • Professor Neil Burgess, MRC Senior non-clinical Research Fellow, University College London
  • Professor Andrew Carr, Nuffield Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Oxford
  • Professor Keith Channon, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Oxford<
  • Professor Patrick Chinnery, Professor of Neurogenetics, Newcastle University
  • Professor Hilary Critchley, Professor of Reproductive Medicine, University of Edinburgh
  • Professor Michael Curtis, Director, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and the London, Queen Mary's
  • Professor Jenny Donovan, Head of Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol
  • Dr Julian Downward, Associate Director, Cancer Research UK, London Research Institute
  • Professor William Earnshaw, Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh
  • Professor Edzard Ernst, Director of Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School
  • Dr Francois Guillemot, Molecular Neurobiology Programme Leader, National Institute for Medical Research
  • Professor Richard Hayes, Professor of Epidemiology and International Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • Professor V Craig Jordan, Alfred G. Knudson Chair of Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center
  • Professor Shitij Kapur, Professor of Schizophrenia, King's College London
  • Professor Michael Kopelman, Professor of Neuropsychiatry, King's College London
  • Professor Andrew Lees, Professor of Cerebrovascular Medicine, University College London
  • Professor John Marshall, Frost Professor of Ophthalmology, King's College London
  • Professor Irwin McLean, Professor of Human Genetics, University of Dundee
  • Professor Matthias Merkenschlager, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre
  • Professor Anne Mills, Professor of Health Economics and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • Professor Andrew Morris, Director, Biomedical Research Institute, University of Dundee
  • Professor Kim Nasmyth, Whitley Chair & Head of Dept of Biochemistry, University of Oxford
  • Professor Julian Parkhill, Head of Sequencing and Pathogen Genomics, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
  • Professor Vikram Patel, Professor of International Mental Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • Professor Andrew Pickles, Professor of Epidemiological and Social Statistics, University of Manchester
  • Professor Lucilla Poston, Professor of Maternal and Fetal Health, King's College London
  • Professor Neil Poulter, Professor of Preventive Cardiovascular, Imperial College London
  • Professor Elio Riboli, Professor of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, Imperial College London
  • Professor Carol Robinson, Royal Society Research Professor, University of Cambridge
  • Professor Helen Saibil, Bernal Professor of Structural Biology, Birkbeck College
  • Professor Jack Satsangi, Professor of Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology Unit, University of Edinburgh
  • Professor Michael Schneider, Head of Cardiovascular Science, Imperial College London
  • Professor Morgan Sheng, Vice President, Neuroscience, Genentech
  • Professor Peter St George-Hyslop, Professor of Experimental Neuroscience, University of Cambridge
  • Professor Simon Tavaré, Professor of Cancer Research (Bioinformatics), University of Cambridge
  • Professor Ian Tomlinson, Head of Molecular & Population Genetics Laboratory, University of Oxford
  • Professor Colin Watts, Professor of Immunobiology, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee
  • Professor John Wood, Professor of Molecular Neurobiology, University College London

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
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University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
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