In the Queen’s New Year Honours for 2021, two prominent academics in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton have been awarded MBEs for services to Medicine and Public Health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Nisreen Alwan, Associate Professor in Public Health, is recognised for her persistent scientific and public advocacy towards the recognition of post-COVID syndrome (otherwise known as ‘long COVID’), early proposals for universal weekly testing, and the necessity of morbidity statistics and intersectionality in addressing the pandemic, acknowledging racial and socioeconomic inequalities. Professor Keith Godfrey, Professor of Epidemiology and Human Development in the Southampton-based Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, led in conceiving, developing and successfully piloting the transformative saliva testing programme in Southampton, evolving testing as a key factor in the wider nation’s exit strategy. Both academics also serve as Honorary Consultants within the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.
Professor Diana Eccles, Dean of Medicine at the University, comments on both accolades, beginning with Godfrey. ‘I am truly delighted that Keith is being recognised in this way for his incredible and tireless work to devise, develop and deliver the amazing Saliva testing programme that has been such an important part of our University, hospital and city response to COVID-19.’
‘This award for Nisreen is also richly deserved as she has made an outstanding contribution to the COVID-19 response. She was a key driver in the Southampton city saliva testing programme and more recently has been one of the key opinion leaders in the international debate around long COVID.’
Read the full story on their contributions here.
