Professor Stephen Holgate, the College of Medicine’s Head of Scientific Advisory Council, has revealed that he’s “absolutely thrilled” to have received a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s list 2020.
Currently Professor of Immunopharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine at Southampton University, Professor Holgate said the honour – for services to medical research – was “one of the endpoints of 45 years of investment in a career that’s been incredibly rewarding.”
The professor said he was “still amazed and in shock” to receive the honour, telling the University of Southampton: “This is a celebration of 45 years, hundreds of people’s work has contributed to this journey so the fact that it’s come to me, I feel priviledged and honoured.”
He added: “This is the icing on the cake, I’m really quite blown away.”
College of Medicine Chair, Dr Michael Dixon, said of the honour: “Given Stephen’s incredible reputation, the only surprise is that it didn’t come sooner.”
During a long and distinguished career, Professor Sir Stephen has utilised many approaches to study asthma including epidemiology, genetics, pathology, microbiology and immunology, pharmacology and experimental medicine. This research has informed guidelines on asthma management and has identified and validated novel therapeutic targets.
He is a Past President of the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and British Thoracic Society, was Chair of the MRC Population and Systems Medicine Board (PSMB) and then the MRC Translational Research Group.
- Study on NHS staff further proves Vitamin D deficiency could heighten risk of catching COVID-19
- Brushing your teeth properly reduces risk of oral cancer, scientists say
- Losing weight cuts risk of a raft of obesity-related health problems, new study finds
For three years until 2016, he chaired the European Respiratory Society Science Council and the ERS Scientific Congress Programme Committee, was Treasurer of the World Allergy Organization, Member of the Medical Science Committee of Science Europe and is a Member of the Horizon 2020 Science Panel for Health (SPH).
He is a Trustee of Cancer Research UK, the Kennedy Trust and the British Lung Foundation, was founder member of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences and has established a new clinical and veterinary section of the Acadamie Europea. In 2011, he was appointed Commander of the British Empire in the Queen’s New Year Honours list for services to clinical science.
To hear Professor Sir Stephen speak at a forthcoming University of Southampton Spark Intellectual lecture ‘Understanding and living with COVID-19 – past present and future’ taking place on Thursday 15th October, register your interest here, tickets are free.
