The New Year Honours List for 2026 recognises the achievements and service of extraordinary people across the UK. This year’s list includes many life scientists working across healthcare, genetics, pharmaceuticals and more.
Among those recognised was BPS Honorary Fellow, Professor Alan Boyd, CEO of Boyd Consultants Ltd, who received the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to Gene Therapy and to Medical Education. He said,
It is an absolute honour to receive this prestigious recognition for my services to gene therapy and to medical education. My career has always been led by an unwavering commitment to bring benefit for patients through the work I do.
Professor Boyd is a Pharmaceutical Physician who has made leading contributions to the development of medicines in industry, facilitated numerous drug development programmes with academics, and driven the recognition of the new specialty of Pharmaceutical Medicine. His industry work has resulted in the development of multiple medicinal products that are now approved medicines. To date, he has been closely involved in bringing over 20 prescription products to market for a wide range of indications. He is also globally recognised as a pioneer in gene-based therapies, having led the development of the first gene therapy submitted for regulatory approval to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and has subsequently been involved in 10 of the 26 advanced therapies that are now approved medicines. As a Fellow of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, he helped establish a postgraduate speciality programme in Pharmaceutical Medicine, which has resulted in the General Medical Council (GMC) accreditation on the Specialty Register of over 600 doctors, thereby enhancing the profile and impact of the speciality.
The BPS awarded Professor Alan Boyd with an Honorary Fellowship in 2024.
Other life scientists recognised in the New Years Honours list include:
- Professor Meena Upadhyaya OBE – awarded DBE for services to Community Cohesion in Wales and to Medical Genetics.
- Professor Suzanne Farid FREng, Professor of Bioprocess Systems Engineering and Head of Biochemical Engineering, University College London – awarded CBE for services to Biochemical Engineering.
- Dr Luisa Maria Freitas dos Santos FREng, Vice-President, Global Clinical Supply Chain, GlaxoSmithKline – awarded CBE for services to Pharmaceutical Engineering.
- Professor Gideon Mark Henderson FRS, Professor of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford and lately Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – awarded CBE for services to Science.
- Dr Edward James Baker, Chair, Health Services Safety Investigations Body – awarded CBE for services to Healthcare.
- Professor Jill Jannette Freda Belch OBE FRSE, Professor of Vascular Medicine and Consultant Physician, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, NHS Tayside – awarded CBE for services to Medicine and Public Health.
- Professor Ann Denise McNeill, Professor of Tobacco Addiction, King's College London – awarded CBE for services to Research into Addiction and Mental Health.
- Professor David Thomas Kemp FRS, Emeritus Professor of Auditory Biophysics, University College London – awarded CBE for services to Auditory Sciences and Public Health.
- Professor Martin James Humphries FMedSci, Professor of Biochemistry, University of Manchester – awarded OBE for services to Bioscience.
- Dr Suzannah Claire Lishman CBE, Lately President, The Association of Clinical Pathologists and Senior Advisor on Medical Examiners, Royal College of Pathologists – awarded DBE for services to the Medical Examiner System and to Patient Safety.
- Amanda Kate Pritchard CBE, Lately Chief Executive, NHS England – awarded DBE for services to the NHS.
The British Pharmacological Society congratulates all those who have been named in the Honours List.
