Prominent figures in science and technology have been acknowledged in the Queen’s New Year Honours, alongside sportspeople, entrepreneurs and philanthropists.
The 2017 New Year's Honours List has been billed as the most diverse and inclusive so far, with more than half of the honours going to women and more ethnic minority appointees than ever before.
Sir Cyril Chantler, the paediatric kidney specialist who has held numerous leading roles in healthcare, has been appointed Knight Grand Cross of the British Empire. He is the former chair of Great Ormond Street Hospital, former pro vice-chancellor of the University of London and is now emeritus professor of Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’s Medical School. He is known for having led an influential independent review into tobacco packaging.
The “founding father of genetic profiling”, Sir Alec Jeffreys, has been appointed a Companion of Honour. Currently emeritus professor at the University of Leicester, he is celebrated for having developed DNA fingerprinting and investigating how DNA is affected by environment impacts.
Among those appointed Knight or Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George are Jane Francis, who has been director of the British Antarctic Survey since 2013, and Nicholas White, chairman of the Wellcome Trust and professor of tropical medicine at the University of Oxford and Mahidol University, Thailand. His achievements include leading clinical trials that established the most effective treatment yet for malaria; work that has saved hundreds of thousands of lives.
The list also includes a damehood for Ottoline Leyser, director of the Sainsbury Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, and knighthoods for James Smith, director of research at the Francis Crick Institute; Barry Ife, principal of Guildhall School of Music and Drama; Antony Beevor, author and visiting professor of history at Birkbeck, University of London; and Nicholas Black, professor of health services research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Steve West, vice-chancellor of the University of the West of England, was appointed CBE. Janice Kay, provost of the University of Exeter, and Cecilia Anim, president of the Royal College of Nursing, received the same honour.
Among those appointed OBE was Joe Baden, an academic at Goldsmiths, University of London who left school at 13 with no qualifications and faced a prison sentence before becoming determined to go to university. At Goldsmiths he founded the Open Book project, which works with people with addictions or from criminal backgrounds to encourage them to take up education.
New Year Honours 2017
Among those appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire:
- Sir Cyril Chantler, emeritus professor of Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’s Medical School. For services to leadership in healthcare.
Among those awarded Order of the Companion of Honour:
- Sir Alec Jeffreys, emeritus professor, University of Leicester. For services to medical research and society.
Among those appointed Knight/ Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George:
- Professor Jane Francis, director, British Antarctic Survey. For services to UK polar science and diplomacy.
- Professor Nicholas White, chairman, Wellcome Trust and professor of tropical medicine, University of Oxford. For services to tropical medicine and global health.
Among those appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George:
- Professor William Aspinall, Cabot professor in natural hazards and risk science, University of Bristol. For services to the government and community in Montserrat.
Among those given knighthoods:
- Professor Shankar Balasubramanian, Herchel Smith professor of medicinal chemistry, University of Cambridge. For services to science and medicine.
- Antony Beevor, visiting professor of history at Birkbeck, University of London. For services in support of armed forces professional development.
- Professor Nicholas Black, professor of health services research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. For services to healthcare research.
- Professor Barry Ife, former principal, Guildhall School of Music and Drama. For services to performing arts education.
- Professor John McCanny, professor of microelectronics engineering, Queen’s University Belfast. For services to higher education and economic development.
- Dr James Smith, director of research, Francis Crick Institute. For services to medical research and science education.
Among those made dames:
- Professor Elizabeth Anionwu, emeritus professor of nursing, University of West London. For services to nursing and the Mary Seacole Statue Appeal.
- Professor Amanda Fisher, director of the Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College London. For services to medical research and public understanding of science.
- Professor Ottoline Leyser, director, the Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge. For services to plant science, science in society and equality and diversity in science.
- Professor Caroline Watkins, professor of stroke and older people’s care, University of Central Lancashire. For services to nursing and older people’s care.
Among those appointed CBE:
- Cecilia Anim, president of the Royal College of Nursing. For services to women’s health.
- Professor Polina Bayvel, professor of optical communications and networks, University College London. For services to engineering.
- Professor Kamaldeep Bhui, professor of cultural psychiatry and epidemiology, Queen Mary University of London. For services to mental health research.
- Professor Richard Burdett, professor of architecture and urban studies, London School of Economics. For services to urban planning and design.
- Professor Jack Cuzick, director, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine and head, Centre for Cancer Prevention. For services to cancer prevention and screening.
- Professor Susan Deacon, chair, Institute of Directors in Scotland and assistant principle external relations, University of Edinburgh. For services to business, education and public service.
- Professor Michael Depledge, chair of environment and human health, University of Exeter. For services to the environment and human health.
- Professor Peter Goodhew, emeritus professor of engineering, University of Liverpool. For services to engineering and education.
- Professor Christopher Haslett, Sir John Crofton professor of respiratory medicine and director, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh. For services to medical research.
- Professor Stephen Inglis, former director, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control. For services to health protection.
- Professor Janice Kay, provost and senior deputy vice-chancellor, University of Exeter. For services to higher education.
- Professor Nicola Lacey, professor of law, gender and social policy, London School of Economics. For services to law, justice and gender politics.
- Professor Paul Martin, depute principal, University of the West of Scotland. For services to healthcare and education.
- Professor Jill Pell, Henry Mechan professor of public health, University of Glasgow. For services to public health research.
- Professor John Pyle, professor of chemistry, University of Cambridge. For services to atmospheric chemistry and environmental science.
- Luke Rittner, chief executive, Royal Academy of Dance. For services to the arts, particularly dance.
- Professor Emeritus Carol Smart, professor of sociology, University of Manchester, and co-director, Morgan Centre for the Study of Relationships and Personal Life. For services to the social sciences.
- Professor John Spencer, professor emeritus of law, University of Cambridge. For services to the reform of law concerning child witnesses.
- Professor Anita Thapar, clinical professor, Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University. For services to child and adolescent psychiatry.
- Professor Steven West, vice-chancellor, University of the West of England. For services to higher education.
- Professor Guang-Zhong Yang, director, Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery. For services to biomedical engineering.
Among those appointed OBE:
- Joe Baden, founder, Open Book Project. For services to higher education.
- Professor Claire Callender, professor of higher education policy, Birkbeck, University of London, and professor of higher education, UCL Institute of Education. For services to education.
- Christine Craik, director of occupational therapy, Brunel University. For services to occupational therapy, particularly mental health services and education.
- Professor Valentine Cunningham, former professor of English language and literature, University of Oxford. For services to scholarship and understanding of the humanities.
- Professor Mary Dunning, former governor, Tyne Metropolitan College. For services to further and higher education and the community in the North East of England.
- Professor Aminatta Forna, professor of creative writing at Bath Spa University. For services to literature.
- Professor Simon Frith, Tovey professor of music, University of Edinburgh. For services to higher education and popular music.
- Professor John Furlong, emeritus professor of education, University of Oxford. For services to research in education and government.
- Professor Susan Hunston, professor of English language, University of Birmingham. For services to higher education and applied linguistics.
- Professor Mary Lumsden, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, University of Glasgow. For services to women’s health.
- Professor Ghulam Mufti, professor of haemato-oncology, King’s College London. For services to haematological medicine.
- Professor James Neil, professor of virology and molecular oncology, University of Glasgow. For services to the advancement of biomedical sciences.
- Professor Susan Rhind, professor and chair of veterinary education, the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. For services to veterinary education.
- Professor Rosalind Richards, head of the International Study and Language Institute, University of Reading. For services to language support for international education.
- Professor Tess Ridge, professor of social policy, University of Bath. For services to the social sciences.
- Professor Robin Sengupta, chairman, Institute of Neuroscience, Kolkata. For services to people with neurological disease in the UK and India; and to the UK-India relationship.
- Professor David Vaughan, glaciologist, British Antarctic Survey. For services to glaciology.
- Professor Sally Wheeler, professor of law and head of the School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast. For services to higher education in Northern Ireland.
Among those appointed MBE:
- Professor Deborah Bowman, professor of medical ethics, St George’s University of London. For services to medical ethics.
- Martin Devenish, alumni support, University of Birmingham. For services to higher education and voluntary service to educational development overseas.
- Professor Andrew George, chair, Hammersmith Hospital Research Ethics Committee. For services to research participants and the ethical governance of clinical research.
- Steven Grant, assistant director HR, University of Manchester. For services to unemployed people in greater Manchester.
- Professor Kamila Hawthorne, clinical professor of medical education and associate dean for medicine, University of Surrey. For services to general practice.
- Kathleen Hood, former head of widening participation, University of Edinburgh. For services to widening participation.
- Professor Wen Guo Jiang, professor of medicine, Cardiff University. For services to international cancer research.
- Sara Kibel, governor, Westminster Adult Education Service. For services to adult education.
- Michael McAlister, deputy director and head of curriculum and business development, South West College. For services to further education in Northern Ireland.
- Sarah Murray, senior lecturer in dentistry, Queen Mary University of London. For services to oral health.
- Dr Terence Pennington, honorary research fellow, Kew. For voluntary service to plant sciences and conservation, particularly in Latin America.
- Professor Jonathan Stephens, former director of music and music education, University of Aberdeen. For services to music education.
- Denise Tully, bequeathal officer, University of Liverpool. For services to medical education and research.
- Willie Walters, programme director for fashion, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. For services to higher education, fashion and the creative industries.
- Dr Premila Webster, director of public health education and training, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford. For services to public health.
Among those awarded the British Empire Medal:
- David Emley, former technician, Keele University. For services to higher education and natural history in Staffordshire.
- Professor Peter Heasman, volunteer member, NHS Research Ethics Committees. For services to providing ethical review and support to researchers.
- Ellen Scott, former senior administrator, University of Edinburgh. For services to research and the community in Gorebridge, Midlothian.