Sir Patrick Vallance to deliver 2022 SCI Lister Memorial Lecture on 24 November

‘It is this joint effort by thousands of scientists and innovators across the world that I was privileged to be a part of.’

• UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick will deliver the Lister Memorial Lecture
• He will be awarded The Lister Medal, which has only been awarded 16 times since its establishment in 1944

UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance is the latest recipient of the SCI (Society of Chemical Industry) Lister Medal. The Medal is awarded to prominent leaders working on important advancements for society in the medicinal field. The Medal has only been awarded 16 times in its 78-year history.

In a collaboration between SCI and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Sir Patrick is being honoured for his leadership on the Covid-19 vaccine rollout during the pandemic. He will receive the award at a special invitational reception, where he will deliver the 17^th Lister Memorial Lecture, entitled ‘Government, Science and Industry: from Covid to Climate’.

The Medal is named after Sir Joseph Lister, the British surgeon who first introduced antisepsis into hospital routine and pioneered the field of bacteriology in the late 19^th Century. It was first awarded in 1944 to Sir Alexander Fleming, whose discovery of penicillin led to the development of antibiotics, and was most recently awarded to Dame Sally Davies in 2016 for her work on addressing antimicrobial challenges.

On receiving news of the award, Sir Patrick Vallance said:

‘I am honoured to receive this award which was established by scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs in 1944 and is associated with such key scientific figures as Lister and Fleming. Science was central to the global response to the Covid pandemic, from understanding the spread of the virus and identifying those most at risk, to developing diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines. It is this joint effort by thousands of scientists and innovators across the world that I was privileged to be a part of.’

SCI CEO Sharon Todd said:

‘Addressing the global Covid pandemic through rapid vaccine development was critical to protecting society. Through the most challenging of times scientific innovation and global collaboration delivered effective vaccines in unprecedented timescales. SCI is delighted to be presenting the Lister Medal to Sir Patrick Vallance, recognising his leadership through the Covid pandemic and his important role in highlighting again the criticality of science to society.’

Dr Sarah Walker, Chair of SCI Scotland said:

‘The event will provide an excellent forum in which to showcase Scotland’s next generation scientists. It also provides excellent networking opportunities which may lead to collaborations and innovation of the future.’

ENDS

For more information, please contact Maxine Boersma on 07771 563373 or Maxine.Boersma@soci.org