Academy of Medical Sciences

Academy of Medical Sciences
Name	Academy of Medical Sciences
Formation	1998
Headquarters	London
Purpose	Promoting medical science and translating research into benefits for National Health Service and public health
Region served	United Kingdom
Membership	Fellows
Leader title	President

Contents

Academy of Medical Sciences The Academy of Medical Sciences is an independent UK-based institution that advances biomedical and health research and its translation into improvements for patient care. It engages with stakeholders including Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, World Health Organization, and policymakers across Westminster, Holyrood, Stormont, and Cardiff Bay. The Academy links basic science exemplars such as Francis Crick Institute and Sanger Institute with clinical centres like Great Ormond Street Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Brompton Hospital and universities including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London and King's College London.

History

The Academy was established following recommendations from inquiries involving figures associated with Royal Society, Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, and advisory bodies connected to the Department of Health and Social Care and the former Office for Science and Technology. Early initiatives drew on expertise from clinicians and scientists linked to Lord Walton of Detchant, Sir David Weatherall, Dame Sally Davies, Sir John Bell, and institutions such as Addenbrooke's Hospital, Moorfields Eye Hospital, Royal Free Hospital, and St George's Hospital. Throughout the 2000s it responded to policy events including debates around the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, the NHS Modernisation Plan, and the UK response to outbreaks like Severe acute respiratory syndrome and later COVID-19 pandemic, collaborating with agencies like Public Health England and European Medicines Agency.

Governance draws on trustees and officers with backgrounds from universities (e.g. University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester), research funders (e.g. Cancer Research UK), clinical sponsors (e.g. NHS England), and charities (e.g. British Heart Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support). The Academy's leadership model mirrors governance found at Royal Society and Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, with committees for audit, nominations, and scientific strategy. Strategic partnerships have been formed with bodies such as National Institute for Health and Care Research, European Research Council, US National Institutes of Health, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and international NGOs like Gavi.

Fellowship comprises clinicians and biomedical scientists with appointments at institutions including Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic, Karolinska Institutet, Max Planck Society institutes, University of Tokyo, Peking University, University of Sydney, and national academies such as National Academy of Sciences (United States), Royal Society of Canada, and Australian Academy of Science. Election processes are competitive and analogous to those at Royal Academy of Engineering and British Academy, with oversight from committees populated by experts in specialties ranging from oncology (linked to Royal Marsden Hospital) to neuroscience (linked to Francis Crick Institute), and public health figures from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

The Academy produces evidence syntheses and policy reports on topics intersecting with institutions like NICE, Food Standards Agency, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, and Genetics and Genomics Ireland. Reports have addressed antimicrobial resistance alongside stakeholders such as World Bank and Global Fund, genomics alongside 100,000 Genomes Project partners, and data governance alongside General Medical Council and Health Research Authority. It convenes consultations with regulators including Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and research funders like European Molecular Biology Laboratory, engages with think tanks such as The King's Fund and Nesta, and briefs parliamentary committees including the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee.

The Academy supports career development schemes and mentoring linked to training providers and universities such as University of Glasgow, University of Bristol, University of Leeds, and professional colleges like Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Surgeons, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Programmes include leadership courses modelled on offerings from NIHR Academy, workshops with collaborators like European Society of Cardiology, and fellowships in translational research akin to awards by Wellcome Trust and CRUK Clinical Trials Unit partners.

The Academy awards prizes, fellowships, and training grants comparable to honours granted by Royal Society, Lasker Foundation, Gairdner Foundation, and national medals like the Copley Medal in profile. It recognises contributions spanning clinical innovation at Royal Papworth Hospital to basic discovery at institutes such as Babraham Institute and publishes reports that have influenced award policies at bodies like Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust.

International engagement includes memoranda and joint programmes with European Academy of Sciences, Academia Sinica, Indian Council of Medical Research, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Health Assembly delegations, and multicentre collaborations involving WHO Regional Office for Europe, African Academy of Sciences, and bilateral links with institutions such as Seoul National University Hospital and Sao Paulo University. The Academy participates in global fora with representatives from UNESCO, G7 Science Ministers' meetings, Global Health Security Agenda, and partners in consortia like Horizon Europe.

Category:Medical organisations based in the United Kingdom