RSE honours Iain McInnes and Tiziana Lembo
Published: 18 May 2016
The Sir James Black Prize Medal has been awarded to Professor Iain McInnes and Dr Tiziana Lembo has won the Patrick Neill Medal.
The Royal Society of Edinburgh recently awarded prestigious medals to two researchers in the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences.
Professor Iain McInnes won the Sir James Black Prize Medal and Dr Tiziana Lembo received the Patrick Neill Medal.
Professor Iain McInnes
Professor McInnes, the Muirhead Professor of Medicine and Director of the Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, has been recognised "for his outstanding contribution to the field of immunology".
In what was a double celebration of Professor McInnes’ world-leading research and impact in his specialist field, the Sir James Black Prize Medal was presented to him at the Royal Society of Edinburgh following a lecture he gave to a large and influential audience on "Cures and Curiosities in arthritis – towards a brighter future".
Professor McInnes said: “This is an unexpected but highly appreciated honour from the Royal Society of Edinburgh. It reflects the work of many friends and colleagues in the University of Glasgow and beyond who have worked tirelessly over the years as we have sought to understand and treat better the myriad diseases that can arise from the immune system in disorder.
"The Sir James Black Prize Medal is one of the very top awards that can be given in medicine. I feel honoured and humbled in equal measure.”
One of the leading figures in global research into rheumatoid arthritis, Professor McInnes has been widely published and his work has been hugely influential in new approaches and treatments to inflammatory disease.
Professor Anna Dominiczak, Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, paid tribute to her colleague. “Iain McInnes is a truly inspirational figure and I am absolutely delighted that he has been recognised in this way. Sir James Black was awarded the Nobel Prize for the advances he championed in medicine, and to be given this honour is testament to the regard in which Professor McInnes is held, not just here in the UK but across the world."
Dr Tiziana Lembo
Dr Tiziana Lembo, a Research Fellow in the Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, was awarded the medal for her breadth of expertise in veterinary medicine, data analysis, epidemiology of zoonotic disease, and public and animal health in the developing world.
This prize recognises those who are showing great potential in the early stages of their career.
Dr Lembo said: “It is a great honour to have our work recognised by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This award raises the profile of forgotten diseases of poverty in developing countries that do not typically receive the priority that they should."
Dr Lembo’s research into rabies in the Serengeti revealed that wildlife do not act as independent rabies reservoirs, and paved the way for implementation of strategies to eliminate canine rabies in Africa
She said: “This award is a reflection of the commitment of several different groups I am lucky to work with. We have an outstanding array of talented scientists at the University of Glasgow who create a vibrant multi-disciplinary environment with a diversity of approaches to disease, reflecting exactly the collaborative effort needed to tackle these complex problems."
First published: 18 May 2016
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