UCL Scholars Granted Membership in Academy of Medical Sciences
Professors Christopher Denton (UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation), Roberto Mayor (UCL Biosciences), Sergio Quezada (UCL Cancer Institute) and Alison Rodger (UCL Institute for Global Health) are among the 58 biomedical and health scientists to be elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowship this year.
The new Fellows, who were chosen from 365 candidates by eight selection committees, join a Fellowship of over 1,400 world leading researchers at the Academy of Medical Sciences, an independent, expert body which aims to advance biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society.
With research interests spanning everything from the wellbeing of people living with HIV to the development of new cancer immunotherapy treatments, the new UCL Fellows have each made outstanding contributions to their respective fields.
The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a ceremony on 18 September 2024.
Professor Christopher Denton (UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation)
Professor Denton is a Professor of Experimental Rheumatology at UCL’s Institute of Immunity and Transplantation as well as Consultant Rheumatologist and Head of the Centre for Rheumatology at London’s Royal Free Hospital.
His research focuses on systemic sclerosis, a severe autoimmune rheumatic disease that leads to fibrosis and vascular damage in the skin and internal organs.
Professor Denton chairs The UK scleroderma study group (UKSSG) and leads a large clinical programme in scleroderma at the Royal Free Hospital, where he co-ordinates multidisciplinary care for more than 1400 patients.
Professor Alison Rodger (UCL Institute for Global Health)
Professor Alison Rodger is Professor of Infectious Diseases at UCL’s Institute for Global Health and Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
Professor Rodger’s research focuses on HIV and AIDS, having led a landmark study finding that people on effective HIV treatment, where the virus is suppressed, have no chance of infecting their partners* and she is currently Principal Investigator of a five-year research programme aimed at improving the mental and physical wellbeing in people living with HIV.
Professor Roberto Mayor (UCL Biosciences)
Professor Mayor is founder and president of the Latin American Society of Developmental Biology (LASDB), Editor-in-Chief of Cells & Development and Professor of Developmental and Cellular Neurobiology in UCL Cell & Developmental Biology, in the Division of Biosciences.
Throughout his career Professor Mayor has pioneered research into morphogenesis, the biological process that causes a cell, tissue or organism to develop its shape, to better understand the process during embryonic development. His pioneering research into the neural crest, the embryonic tissue that develops into the face and head, has made seminal advances into the causes of cleft lip and palate in showing how genetic and environmental factors combine to cause a birth defect.
Professor Sergio Quezada (UCL Cancer Institute)
Professor Quezada is Professor of Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy at the UCL Cancer Institute and Group Leader of the Immune Regulation and Tumour Immunotherapy Group.
Since joining UCL in 2011, Professor Quezada’s research has focused largely on cancer immunology, tumour microenvironment, regulatory T cells and immune checkpoint blockade. More recently he co-led the development of a first in class antibody with TUSK Therapeutics which is being developed as a new immunotherapy.
Professor Geraint Rees, UCL Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement) said: “I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Professors Christopher Denton, Roberto Mayor, Sergio Quezada and Alison Rodger on their election to the Academy of Medical Sciences.
“Their outstanding work exemplifies the high quality, high impact biomedical research undertaken every day at UCL. They each thoroughly deserve this prestigious accolade.”
Professor Andrew Morris, 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.”