Imperial College Health Partners are delighted to congratulate our partner, Brunel University and individually, Professor Andrew George who was named in the Queen’s New Year Honours List 2017 for his outstanding life-time work in healthcare.
Professor George receives New Year honour for dedication to research ethics
Professor Andrew George has been recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours List for his outstanding commitment to ethics in research.
Receiving an MBE for nearly 20 years’ service to research participants and ethical governance of clinical research, Prof George, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Brunel University London, said he was proud to be part of a system that has made a difference to patients’ lives.
He added: “I am pleased and delighted to have received this honour, not least for the recognition it brings to the many volunteers that support the research ethics system across the country.
“Their dedication and hard work – which is not often recognised or known about – is key to protecting research subjects while ensuring that good quality, ethical research can take place. This award is as much for them as it is for me personally.”
NHS Research Ethics Committees are made up of members with a mix of medical, scientific and lay experience. They safeguard the rights, safety, dignity and wellbeing of research participants, reviewing applications for research and giving an opinion about the proposed participant involvement.
There are currently more than 80 NHS research ethics committees across the UK. Each year they review around 6,000 research applications.
Prof George was a member of the Hammersmith, Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea and Acton Hospitals Research Ethics Committee from 1998 to 2010, a committee which he also chaired for 10 years.
He currently chairs the National Research Ethics Advisors’ Panel (NREAP), a national panel that helps research ethics committees deliver robust, consistent and fair decisions.
Prof George said: ‘’I have really enjoyed my time as part of the research ethics service, as a member and chair of a REC and as Chair of NREAP. I have made many friends and learned a lot from the different backgrounds and approaches that people bring to knotty and complex problems. I have enjoyed the intellectual and ethical challenges that are raised in ethical review, and have also taken pride in seeing ethical research that we have facilitated make a difference to patients.”
Vice-Chancellor and President of Brunel University London, Professor Julia Buckingham, said: “This honour is testament to Andrew’s great dedication to ensuring research is ethically sound, which is an incredibly important role but not one that is widely known. I’m delighted Andrew has been given the recognition he so clearly deserves.”
Author: Brunel University
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