Professor John Simpson at Newcastle University was elected to The Academy of Medical Sciences prestigious Fellowship, it was announced today.

He is among 58 leading biomedical and health scientists to be admitted this year, with the new Fellows being recognised for their significant contributions to advancing biomedical and health sciences, innovative research discoveries, and turning developments into benefits for patients and wider society.

Professor Simpson leads the Respiratory and Critical Care Research Group in Newcastle. He is the Programme Director for the MRC/NIHR Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme, an NIHR Senior Investigator, and Co-Director of the NIHR Healthtech Research Centre in Diagnostic and Technology Evaluation.

His research interests include the ability to recognise why the immune system fails during critical illness, with a view to designing new treatments to prevent infections in intensive care units without using excessive antibiotics. 

'Proudest achievement of my career'

Speaking on the announcement of his Fellowship, Professor Simpson said: “I am absolutely delighted to be elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences.

“This is the proudest achievement of my career and has only been achieved through the work of my research group and clinical colleagues over the years, along with the support of my collaborators, for which I am hugely thankful. 

"I look forward to working with the Academy and continuing to champion the importance of research in Respiratory Medicine and Critical Care Medicine.” 

'Fellowship of over 1,400 researchers'

The expertise of Fellows elected this year covers a wide range of clinical and non-clinical disciplines, from midwifery to cancer stem cell biology. Professor Simpson will join an esteemed Fellowship of over 1,400 researchers, including many others at Newcastle University, who are at the heart of the Academy's work, which includes developing the next generation of researchers, and shaping research and health policy in the UK.

Professor Andrew Morris, PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “It is an honour to welcome these brilliant minds to our Fellowship. Our new Fellows lead pioneering work in biomedical research and are driving remarkable improvements in healthcare.

“We look forward to working with them, and learning from them, in our quest to foster an open and progressive research environment that improves the health of people everywhere through excellence in medical science.”

The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a ceremony on Wednesday, 18 September 2024.