Academy of Medical Sciences
Encyclopedia
The Academy of Medical Sciences is the United Kingdom
's national academy
of medical sciences. It was established in 1998 on the recommendation of a group that was chaired by Michael Atiyah
. Its president is John Irving Bell
.
The Academy promotes advances in medical science and campaigns to ensure these are converted into healthcare benefits for society. Its mission is to ensure better healthcare through the rapid application of research to the practice of medicine. This is achieved by providing expert, evidenced based information and advice on the latest developments in medical science, supporting the development of a first class medical science workforce and championing the UK's research strengths in academia, in the NHS
and in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
, veterinary science, dentistry
, medical and nursing
care and other professions allied to health science including social science and the law
.
Fellows are elected to the Academy for their outstanding contribution to the advancement of medical science, for their application of existing scientific knowledge to innovative health interventions, or for their conspicuous service to medical science and healthcare.
40 new Fellows are elected to the Academy each year.
Honorary Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences is offered to those of the highest distinction in the field of medical science who would not necessarily be expected to participate in the affairs of the Academy but whose fellowship brings distinction to the organisation.
Honorary Fellows include:
Chen Zhu
Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, China;
Sydney Brenner
, Distinguished Professor, Salk Institute;
Francois Gros, Permanent Secretary of ‘Académie des Sciences’, Institute de France;
William Castell
LVO FCA, President & CEO, GE Healthcare
.
, Past President of the Royal Society
. The establishment of the Academy of Medical Sciences brought together biomedical scientists and clinical academics within a single national organisation with the express purpose of promoting the translation of advances in medical science into benefits for patients and the population at large. The Academy of Medical Sciences is one of the five learned academies in the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Society
, Royal Academy of Engineering
, the British Academy
and, in Scotland, the Royal Society of Edinburgh
.
The formation of the Academy of Medical Sciences reversed a UK trend of increasing fragmentation and specialisation within the medical profession and the propensity of the professions to focus on education, training and research within the confines of their individual profession. The Academy established an integrated, national resource, outside the framework of Government, with the expertise and authority to deal with public policy issues in healthcare in their wide scientific and societal context.
In November 2008 the Academy celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a special dinner held at the Wellcome Trust
.
Following a merger with the Novartis Foundation in 2008 the Academy moved to its first dedicated headquarters building at 41 Portland Place in October 2010.
The Academy's headquarters provides office space for its 25 members of staff and several modern and period rooms that are available for public hire for events and conferences.
Professor Sir John Irving Bell
FRS PMedSci, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University (President)
Professor Ronald Laskey FRS FMedSci, Honorary Director MRC Cancer Cell Unit, University of Cambridge (Vice President)
Professor Patrick Sissons FMedSci, Regius Professor of Physic, University of Cambridge (Vice President)
Professor Patrick Maxwell FMedSci, Professor of Nephrology, University College London (Registrar)
Professor Robert Souhami CBE FMedSci, Former Director of Clinical Research and Training, CRUK (Foreign Secretary)
Professor Sue Iversen CBE FMedSci, Emeritus Professor of Psychology and PVC Special Projects, University of Oxford (Treasurer)
The Academy’s policy work addresses issues of medical science and healthcare in their wide scientific and societal context. Areas of policy work originate from within the Academy Council and wider Fellowship, as well as in response to consultations from Government
, Parliament
and other relevant bodies. Recent work includes reports on ageing, brain science, addiction
and drugs, inter-species embryos, the use of data in medical research and the use of non human primates in research.
Developing the leaders of tomorrow
The Academy's National Mentoring and Outreach Scheme was established in 2002 and is supported by the Department of Health, the National Institute for Health Research and NHS
Education for Scotland. The programme provides one-to-one mentoring by Academy Fellows for Clinical Lecturers and Clinician Scientist Fellows. It also offers a range of outreach activities for Academic Clinical Fellows, Clinical Training Fellows and MB PhD students.
Funding first class research
The Academy’s funding schemes focus on areas of specific and specialist need. It targets efforts to address shortages within key specialty areas, international collaboration and career development. Schemes include Clinician Scientist Fellowships, Starter Grants for Clinical Lecturers and UK/Middle East Exchange Fellowships.
Celebrating medical science
The Academy’s public lecture programme has provided opportunities to highlight major scientific and public health issues. Lectures focus on cutting edge research and provide a platform for discussion of the latest science.
Linking academia and industry
The Academy has a FORUM with industry that brings together biomedical scientists from academia and industry to provide a place for debate on key issues at the industry-academe interface.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's national academy
National academy
A national academy is an organizational body, usually operating with state financial support and approval, that co-ordinates scholarly research activities and standards for academic disciplines, most frequently in the sciences but also the humanities. Typically the country's learned societies in...
of medical sciences. It was established in 1998 on the recommendation of a group that was chaired by Michael Atiyah
Michael Atiyah
Sir Michael Francis Atiyah, OM, FRS, FRSE is a British mathematician working in geometry.Atiyah grew up in Sudan and Egypt but spent most of his academic life in the United Kingdom at Oxford and Cambridge, and in the United States at the Institute for Advanced Study...
. Its president is John Irving Bell
John Irving Bell
Sir John Irving Bell, FRS, PMedSci is a Canadian immunologist and geneticist who resides in the UK. As of 2008, he is President of the Academy of Medical Sciences and holds the Regius Chair of Medicine at Oxford University, UK....
.
The Academy promotes advances in medical science and campaigns to ensure these are converted into healthcare benefits for society. Its mission is to ensure better healthcare through the rapid application of research to the practice of medicine. This is achieved by providing expert, evidenced based information and advice on the latest developments in medical science, supporting the development of a first class medical science workforce and championing the UK's research strengths in academia, in the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
and in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
Fellowship
As at February 2011, the Academy has a membership of 983 Fellows who are drawn from clinical academic medicine, biomedical researchBiomedical research
Biomedical research , in general simply known as medical research, is the basic research, applied research, or translational research conducted to aid and support the body of knowledge in the field of medicine...
, veterinary science, dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
, medical and nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
care and other professions allied to health science including social science and the law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
.
Fellows are elected to the Academy for their outstanding contribution to the advancement of medical science, for their application of existing scientific knowledge to innovative health interventions, or for their conspicuous service to medical science and healthcare.
40 new Fellows are elected to the Academy each year.
Honorary Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences is offered to those of the highest distinction in the field of medical science who would not necessarily be expected to participate in the affairs of the Academy but whose fellowship brings distinction to the organisation.
Honorary Fellows include:
Chen Zhu
Chen Zhu
Chen Zhu , is a Chinese hematologist, molecular biologist, and current Minister of Health of P.R.China...
Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, China;
Sydney Brenner
Sydney Brenner
Sydney Brenner, CH FRS is a South African biologist and a 2002 Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate, shared with H...
, Distinguished Professor, Salk Institute;
Francois Gros, Permanent Secretary of ‘Académie des Sciences’, Institute de France;
William Castell
William Castell
Sir William Castell LVO is Chairman of the Wellcome Trust and a Director of General Electric and BP. He was CEO of Amersham plc from 1989 until it was acquired by GE in April 2004 and then became CEO of GE Healthcare and a Vice-Chairman of GE.He was born on 10 April 1947 and educated at St....
LVO FCA, President & CEO, GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare is a division of GE Technology Infrastructure, which is itself a division of General Electric . It employs more than 46,000 people worldwide and is headquartered in Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. GE Healthcare is the first GE business segment to be headquartered...
.
History
The Academy of Medical Sciences was established in 1998 following the recommendations of a working group chaired by Michael AtiyahMichael Atiyah
Sir Michael Francis Atiyah, OM, FRS, FRSE is a British mathematician working in geometry.Atiyah grew up in Sudan and Egypt but spent most of his academic life in the United Kingdom at Oxford and Cambridge, and in the United States at the Institute for Advanced Study...
, Past President of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. The establishment of the Academy of Medical Sciences brought together biomedical scientists and clinical academics within a single national organisation with the express purpose of promoting the translation of advances in medical science into benefits for patients and the population at large. The Academy of Medical Sciences is one of the five learned academies in the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
, Royal Academy of Engineering
Royal Academy of Engineering
-Overview: is the UK’s national academy of engineering. The Academy brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering....
, the British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
and, in Scotland, the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
.
The formation of the Academy of Medical Sciences reversed a UK trend of increasing fragmentation and specialisation within the medical profession and the propensity of the professions to focus on education, training and research within the confines of their individual profession. The Academy established an integrated, national resource, outside the framework of Government, with the expertise and authority to deal with public policy issues in healthcare in their wide scientific and societal context.
In November 2008 the Academy celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a special dinner held at the Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust was established in 1936 as an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. With an endowment of around £13.9 billion, it is the United Kingdom's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research...
.
Following a merger with the Novartis Foundation in 2008 the Academy moved to its first dedicated headquarters building at 41 Portland Place in October 2010.
The Academy's headquarters provides office space for its 25 members of staff and several modern and period rooms that are available for public hire for events and conferences.
List of Presidents of the Academy of Medical Sciences
- 1998–2002 Peter LachmannPeter LachmannProfessor Sir Peter Julius Lachmann, ScD, FRS, FMedSci is a British immunologist, specifically a complementologist. He is emeritus Sheila Joan Smith Professor of Immunology at Cambridge University, a fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge and honorary fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge and of...
(University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
) - 2002–2006 Keith PetersKeith Peters (medicine)Sir David Keith Peters FRS FMedSci FRCP FRCPE FRCPath FLSW was Regius Professor of Physic at the University of Cambridge from 1987 to 2005, where he was also head of the School of Clinical Medicine.- Career :...
(University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
) - 2006–2011 John Irving BellJohn Irving BellSir John Irving Bell, FRS, PMedSci is a Canadian immunologist and geneticist who resides in the UK. As of 2008, he is President of the Academy of Medical Sciences and holds the Regius Chair of Medicine at Oxford University, UK....
(University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
) - 2011- John TookeJohn TookeProfessor Sir John Edward Tooke FRCP FMedSci is the Inaugural Dean of the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, and of the Peninsula Medical School which was its first constituent...
(University College, London)
Governance
The Academy is governed by a Council of 24 Fellows including six Honorary Officers whose role is to provide strategic advice to the Academy. The Academy's Honorary Officers are:Professor Sir John Irving Bell
John Irving Bell
Sir John Irving Bell, FRS, PMedSci is a Canadian immunologist and geneticist who resides in the UK. As of 2008, he is President of the Academy of Medical Sciences and holds the Regius Chair of Medicine at Oxford University, UK....
FRS PMedSci, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford University (President)
Professor Ronald Laskey FRS FMedSci, Honorary Director MRC Cancer Cell Unit, University of Cambridge (Vice President)
Professor Patrick Sissons FMedSci, Regius Professor of Physic, University of Cambridge (Vice President)
Professor Patrick Maxwell FMedSci, Professor of Nephrology, University College London (Registrar)
Professor Robert Souhami CBE FMedSci, Former Director of Clinical Research and Training, CRUK (Foreign Secretary)
Professor Sue Iversen CBE FMedSci, Emeritus Professor of Psychology and PVC Special Projects, University of Oxford (Treasurer)
Activities
Policy adviceThe Academy’s policy work addresses issues of medical science and healthcare in their wide scientific and societal context. Areas of policy work originate from within the Academy Council and wider Fellowship, as well as in response to consultations from Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
, Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
and other relevant bodies. Recent work includes reports on ageing, brain science, addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
and drugs, inter-species embryos, the use of data in medical research and the use of non human primates in research.
Developing the leaders of tomorrow
The Academy's National Mentoring and Outreach Scheme was established in 2002 and is supported by the Department of Health, the National Institute for Health Research and NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
Education for Scotland. The programme provides one-to-one mentoring by Academy Fellows for Clinical Lecturers and Clinician Scientist Fellows. It also offers a range of outreach activities for Academic Clinical Fellows, Clinical Training Fellows and MB PhD students.
Funding first class research
The Academy’s funding schemes focus on areas of specific and specialist need. It targets efforts to address shortages within key specialty areas, international collaboration and career development. Schemes include Clinician Scientist Fellowships, Starter Grants for Clinical Lecturers and UK/Middle East Exchange Fellowships.
Celebrating medical science
The Academy’s public lecture programme has provided opportunities to highlight major scientific and public health issues. Lectures focus on cutting edge research and provide a platform for discussion of the latest science.
Linking academia and industry
The Academy has a FORUM with industry that brings together biomedical scientists from academia and industry to provide a place for debate on key issues at the industry-academe interface.