Sir Chris Whitty becomes member of the Royal Society

Eighty outstanding researchers, innovators and communicators from around the world have been elected as the newest Fellows of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences and the oldest science academy in continuous existence. 

Amongst the 80 elected is the UK’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty, who delivered the Haldane Lecture at Wolfson in February 2022 and was elected as an Honorary Fellow at Wolfson in May of the same year. As a graduate student he read for a BM BCh in Clinical Medicine (1988) at Wolfson and was Chair of General Meeting (1990-91). He also represents the UK on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization, is a practising NHS Consultant Physician at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, and is a visiting professor at Gresham College. 

Professor Whitty is a clinical epidemiologist and his early research work was into infectious diseases and their prevention and treatment in several countries in Africa and Asia. His work focused on malaria but also other serious infections and syndromes in adults and children. He was Professor of Public and International Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and director of the Malaria Centre. 

Speaking about the newly elected members Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society said: “I am delighted to welcome our newest cohort of Fellows.  These individuals have pushed forward the boundaries of their respective fields and had a beneficial influence on the world beyond.   

“Among this year’s intake are individuals who were at the forefront of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and those working on global challenges, from TB to climate change. They are pioneering scientists and innovators from around the world who have confounded expectations and transformed our thinking.” 

You can watch Sir Chris Whitty’s Haldane Lecture on our YouTube Channel.