Lord Darzi becomes foreign associate of the Institute of Medicine

Professor Lord Ara Darzi has been elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the health arm of the US National Academy of Sciences.

Membership of the IOM is one of the highest honours in the field of health and medicine.

Professor Darzi, the Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial, is one of 70 new members and 10 foreign associates elected for their "outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service," the IOM announced today.

“It is a great honour to be elected as a foreign associate of the Institute of Medicine,” Professor Darzi said. “It is a rare privilege and reflects the hard work of the team that I work with.”

Established in 1970, the Institute of Medicine is one of the National Academies — along with the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council — and serves as a resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues.

"It is an honour to welcome our highly distinguished colleagues to the Institute of Medicine," said IOM President Harvey V. Fineberg.  "These individuals have inspired us through their achievements in research, teaching, clinical work, and other contributions to the medical field.  Their knowledge and skills will deeply enrich the IOM."

Professor Darzi holds the Paul Hamlyn Chair of Surgery at Imperial College London, the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research. He is an Honorary Consultant Surgeon at Imperial College Hospital NHS Trust.

Professor Darzi’s research is directed towards achieving best surgical practice through innovation in surgery, enhancing patient safety and the quality of healthcare. He has publishing over 800 peer-reviewed research papers in these fields.

In recognition of his achievements in the research and development of surgical technologies, Professor Darzi has been elected as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He was knighted for his services in medicine and surgery in 2002.

In 2007, he became a member of the House of Lords and was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health.  After leaving his role in central government in 2009, Professor Darzi sat as the UK’s Global Ambassador for Health and Life Sciences until March 2013.

Professor Darzi was appointed a member of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council since June 2009. In September 2013 he was appointed to lead a new clinically-led London Health Commission, which will conduct an evidence-based investigation into healthcare provision and resources for Londoners.