Professor Sir Research Articles

Arabia Felix: Fookes in the Desert

Peter Fookes' background in chemistry, allied with his understanding of geo-materials and desert terrain allowed him to make an important contribution in the development of hot salty desert concrete technology from the 1970s onwards. Through his consultancy work across the Middle East, Peter recognised that the widespread premature concrete deterioration was found, at least in part, to be associated with the presence of chloride salts, either introduced by contaminated aggregates or mix water or due to salt weathering. In 1992 Peter was made an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Concrete Technology. In the 1970s he was instrumental in setting up the Bahrain Surface Materials Resources Survey, opening the door for a generation of desert geomorphologists to contribute to the development boom that followed in the Middle East. On the award of Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Geographical Society in 2003 he was described by Professor Sir Ron Cooke as “a true father of engineering geomorphology”. In later years he helped the oil and gas industry address the geohazard challenges posed by routing major pipelines through deserts across the Sahara and in Arabia.

Why Britain needs a national mathematics discovery centre

On the 3rd of January 2023, the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, first advocated that Mathematics should be a compulsory subject for all students to the age of 18. He was supported in principle by the following statement from the President of the Royal Society, Professor Sir Adrian Smith, issued on the 4th of January 2023: “Maths, data, statistics and numeracy are essential skills for a modern world, whether for the workplace or for playing an active role in society. If we want our economy to thrive and young people to be prepared for well paid jobs, we need a radical overhaul of our education system that will include all young people doing some level of maths to 18 years of age. The PM understands this and today’s announcement is welcome.

Professor Sir Anthony K. Cheetham: A half-century of transformative materials science

Professor Sir Anthony K. Cheetham: A half-century of transformative materials science

Professor Sir Peter Gluckman appointed Chief Science Adviser to Prime Minister

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Emeritus Professor Sir James Stewart

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Are We Finally Ready for Total Joint Replacement of the Spine? An Extension of Charnley's Vision.

Professor Sir John Charnley has been rightfully hailed as a visionary innovator for conceiving, designing, and validating the Operation of the Century-the total hip arthroplasty. His groundbreaking achievement forever changed the orthopedic management of chronically painful and dysfunctional arthritic joints. However, the well-accepted surgical approach of completely removing the diseased joint and replacing it with a durable and anatomically based implant never translated to the treatment of the degenerated spine. Instead, decompression coupled with fusion evolved into the workhorse intervention. In this commentary, the authors explore the reasons why arthrodesis has remained the mainstay over arthroplasty in the field of spine surgery as well as discuss the potential shift in the paradigm when it comes to treating degenerative lumbar disease.

The evolution of pharmacovigilance: the contributions of Michael D Rawlins

Summary In the last 175 years, pharmacovigilance has evolved, albeit sometimes in response to serious incidents. The late Professor Sir Michael D Rawlins made major contributions to pharmacovigilance internationally. He proposed a widely used classification of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). He highlighted the importance of post-marketing surveillance immediately after a medicine's launch, and the strengths and weaknesses of existing spontaneous suspected ADR reporting systems. He encouraged the broadening of pharmacovigilance to involve all health professional groups, as well as patients. He highlighted the value of all sources of evidence and of judgement in making risk-benefit assessments. He was a strong early advocate of greater use of databases and registries, and of continuing surveillance throughout the lifespan of medicines as therapeutic agents.

Scientific contributions of Professor Sir Ian Wilmut.

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Obituary: Professor Sir Peter Morris

Obituary: Professor Sir Peter Morris

Briefing: British civil engineering biography – 10 years on

Biography illuminates the lives of past generations of engineers and puts their engineering achievements in human context. It joins the dots between the design and construction of works by individuals and teams. Recognising that the civil engineering profession lacked a reference source on the lives and achievements of previous generations, the Institution of Civil Engineers’ Archives Panel established an editorial board under the initial chairmanship of Professor Sir Alec Skempton to create a biographical dictionary in 1995. Work on the project resulted in three published volumes, the last of which appeared in 2014. This paper reflects on what has happened in the world of civil engineering biography in the following decade and what more can be done to ensure the lives and achievements of civil engineers can be adequately recorded for posterity.

Memories for Professor Sir David R. Cox FRS

Memories for Professor Sir David R. Cox FRS

Sir Partha Dasgupta: Meeting the Challenges of Environmental and Development Economics

The Annual Review of Resource Economics presents Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta in conversation with economist Dr. David Zilberman. In the conversation, we follow Sir Partha's life from his childhood in Bangladesh, where his father was a distinguished economist, to his childhood and undergraduate studies in India, his graduate studies in England, and his fascinating academic career, mostly in Cambridge, UK. We discuss Sir Partha's seminal contributions to multiple fields. He was among the founders of modern resource economics and the emerging multidisciplinary field of ecological economics. He also played a fundamental role in establishing the venues and agenda for research on the environment and development, led initiatives to incorporate nature into national accounting, and pioneered analysis of the economics of population growth and the foundation of a just society. We also learn about Sir Partha's family and life, his collaboration and perspective on leading scholars, and his vision for economics, science, and humanity.

C.L.R. James’ Beyond A Boundary

C.L.R. James’ <i>Beyond A Boundary</i>

Reflections on the life and career of Professor Dame Valerie Beral AC DBE FRS FRCOG FMedSci (1943–2022)

Reflections on the life and career of Professor Dame Valerie Beral <scp>AC DBE FRS FRCOG FMedSci</scp> (1943–2022)

Redefining Social Determinants of Health: The Social Realities of Health

The social determinants of health, often used interchangeably as wider determinants of health, can be understood as the conditions in which people are born, grow, play, live, work, and age. These determinants are significant drivers of illness and disease, and the experience of it within global public health.1 It has been nearly 15 years since the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its commission on the social determinants of health, led by Professor Sir Michael Marmot.2 Since then, a large body of research has emerged indicating that these determinants are often the underlying cause of health disparities and should be the focus in our approaches to addressing health inequalities and inequities. Unfortunately, the term has lost its meaning within systems of care because of misuse and lack of context, especially pertaining to the people they impact the most.

Successes and Opportunities during the Pandemic: Reflections and Revelations from a Vaccine Development Perspective.

The Centre of Regulatory Excellence (CoRE) launched an annual lecture series in 2021 in Singapore to honor the memory of the late Professor Sir Alasdair Breckenridge, CoRE's founding Chair, and foster dialogue on global biomedical and regulatory perspectives, challenges, and advances. The 2022 Sir Alasdair Breckenridge Lecture "Success and Opportunities in the Pandemic" was delivered by Dr Penny M Heaton, former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Research Institute and current Global Therapeutics Lead for Vaccines at Johnson & Johnson. Dr Heaton highlighted key lessons on the importance of trust, collaboration, and transparency in the context of health care and vaccine production.

Professor Sir Michael David Rawlins, 1941–2023

Michael Rawlins – a highly intelligent and greatly admired clinical pharmacologist, and a lifelong champion of evidence‐based medicine.

Professor Sir Michael David Rawlins, 1941–2023

Professor Sir Michael David Rawlins, 1941–2023

Celebrating the life and research of BNA Past-President Colin Blakemore.

Professor Sir Colin Blakemore was a remarkable neuroscientist, persuasive communicator, and brave advocate for animal research who, sadly, passed away in June 2022 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. His work helped establish the concept of neuronal plasticity, which was fundamental to our understanding of the postnatal brain and continues to impact our outlook on neurodegenerative disorders. The BNA2023 Festival of Neuroscience dedicated its last plenary session in his honour, bringing together five prominent neuroscientists whose careers were shaped by Professor Blakemore. Here, we summarise the speakers' reflections on how Colin's support, generosity, and foresight influenced their academic paths, inspired their research, and changed their outlook on life.

In Memoriam: Professor Sir Eldryd Hugh Owen Parry. KCMG OBE (1930–2022)

In Memoriam: Professor Sir Eldryd Hugh Owen Parry. KCMG OBE (1930–2022)