Sir John Bell expresses delight upon being named a Companion of Honour, having served as the previous Covid testing tsar.
Sir John Bell, the eminent scientist who served as Boris Johnson’s Covid-19 testing advisor throughout the pandemic, expresses his “delight” upon being appointed a Companion of Honour for his contributions to medication and life sciences.
This distinguished award, established in 1917 by George V, is bestowed upon people who’ve made important contributions to the humanities, science, medication, or authorities. The Order of the Companions of Honour is restricted to solely 65 individuals at a time.
Sir John joins the ranks of Dame Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue journal, and novelist Sir Ian McEwan in receiving this particular recognition.
In a press release to the PA information company, Sir John, a Canadian-born immunologist and regius professor of medication on the College of Oxford, shares, “I used to be overjoyed to be taught that my work in medication and life sciences has been acknowledged with a prestigious honour. This recognition is a testomony to the collective efforts of quite a few people throughout the sector, making it one of many UK’s most formidable disciplines.”
Sir John performed pivotal roles in shaping the UK Authorities’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. His contributions embody facilitating the event of testing platforms for lateral movement exams and initiating the nationwide Covid-19 PCR testing program. Moreover, he served as a member of the skilled advisory group to the Authorities’s Vaccine Taskforce, which expedited analysis to provide a coronavirus vaccine.
Amongst his accomplishments, Sir John performed a vital position in brokering the take care of pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca to fabricate the Oxford vaccine. Estimates recommend that this vaccine has saved over six million lives worldwide inside its first yr of deployment.
All through the pandemic, Sir John emerged as a well-recognized face and a voice of motive, wanted for his medical experience. When information broke in November 2020 concerning the impending arrival of the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine, developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, Sir John was requested on BBC Radio 4 if life would return to regular by spring 2021. His emphatic response of “sure, sure, sure” reverberated globally and lifted spirits.
Sir John’s upbringing in a household of scientists in Edmonton, Alberta, had a profound impression on his profession. He pursued his medical research in Canada, and later it was the celebrated Rhodes scholarship that introduced him to Oxford. Immediately, he holds the esteemed place of regius professor of medication on the college.
Past his involvement in tackling Covid-19, Sir John has participated in varied analysis applications and serves on advisory panels for private and non-private sector organizations within the UK and overseas. He’s the founding father of the Wellcome Belief Centre for Human Genetics, a famend analysis institute exploring the position of genetics in human ailments. Moreover, he chairs the Invoice and Melinda Gates Basis World Well being Advisory Board.
In 2011, then Prime Minister David Cameron appointed Sir John as one of many two UK Life Sciences Champions. His contributions to medication earned him a knighthood in 2009 and the title of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in 2015.
Sir John, who holds twin citizenship, at present resides in Wallingford close to Oxford together with his spouse.
