King’s Birthday Honours: top accolades for data science pioneers

Two academics known for their pioneering work in data science are among those receiving the highest accolades in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours list.

Statistician Sheila Bird, made OBE in 2011, is to become a dame. The honorary professor at the University of Edinburgh is known for her work championing the use of statistical methods in evaluating public policies.

Her assessment of the misuse of statistics in the British Medical Journal led to statistical guidelines for contributors to medical journals. She is also former programme leader at the University of Cambridge’s Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit.

Alongside Bird on this year’s list is Andrew Morris, founding director of Health Data Research UK.

Vice-principal of data science at the University of Edinburgh, Morris receives his knighthood for services to medical sciences, public health and patient care.

Morris, also president of the Academy of Medical Sciences since April 2024, is known for his research that focuses on improving healthcare systems via data analysis.

They join several academics and university administrators being honoured this year.

Parveen Kumar, professor emeritus of medicine and education at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, receives the highest honour in the form of a dame grand cross for her contributions to global medical education and health.

Leading dementia researcher Carol Brayne, already CBE, is also granted a damehood, along with the University of Leicester’s professor of diabetes medicine, Melanie Davies.

Sarah Hackman, a forensic anthropologist at the University of Dundee, is made a dame for her work improving disaster victim identification, while those to receive knighthoods include Carlos Silvestre Frank of Durham University, for services to astrophysics and cosmology, and Steve Munby, visiting professor and educationalist at UCL.

Overall, the King’s Birthday Honours names nearly 1,200 recipients, including Taraneh Dean, provost and executive director of London South Bank University, appointed CBE for services to higher education.

Sarah Munby, a civil servant and former permanent secretary at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, is made CBE for public service.

Among others appointed CBE are the Courtauld Institute of Art’s professor emerita Joanna Cannon;David Abrahams, Cambridge professor of applied mathematics; and University of Bristol professor David Gunnell, for his work on suicide prevention.

Graham Baldwin, vice-chancellor at the University of Lancashire; and art and design school leader Martin Raby are both appointed OBE for services to higher education.

Raby has served as principal and chief executive of the Northern School of Art since May 2018.

Another OBE appointee for services to higher education is Alison Johns, founding chief executive of Advance HE. Johns led the charity, which runs leadership and diversity initiatives for the sector, from 2018 to 2025.

Hilary Ranson, pro vice-chancellor at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, is appointed CBE for services to global health and equity in science. Luke Georghiou, deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Manchester, is made OBE for services to science and innovation, and Ann Jordan, deputy vice-chancellor and provost at the University of Worcester, is appointed MBE for services to education.

Nigel Coates, meanwhile, is appointed MBE for services to business and higher education, having founded Northumbria University’s Business Clinic in 2013.

The scheme connects students to businesses seeking consultants, helping undergraduates gain practical experience while supporting enterprises with bespoke recommendations and advice.

Also appointed MBE for services to higher education is Peter Scobie, head chef at Queen’s University Belfast.

Notable academics appointed OBE among the King’s overseas honorees include inventor and entrepreneur Ronjon Nag, an adjunct professor at Stanford University recognised in part for his contribution to artificial intelligence, and Harvard Medical School’s Mark Poznansky.

Poznansky joins the list for services to biomedical research and collaboration between the US and UK.

georgia.luckhurst@timeshighereducation.com