Professor Paolo De Coppi elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences

Great Ormond Street Hospital  (GOSH) surgeon Professor Paolo De Coppi has been elected to the prestigious Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Professor De Coppi is NIHR Professor of Paediatric Surgery and Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at GOSH, and Head of the Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine Section at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (ICH).  Professor De Coppi has been chosen by the Academy for his exceptional contributions to advancing biomedical science via world-leading research discoveries and translating scientific advances into benefits for patients and the public. Professor De Coppi has led innovative research in the fields of regenerative medicine and pre and postnatal treatment of congenital malformations.

Professor Paolo De Coppi said:

"I am honoured to have been elected. I feel very privileged to work in an amazing environment like GOSH and I would like to thank all my colleagues, particularly those in the Specialist Neonatal and Paediatric Surgery team for being so supportive. In the last 15 years working in the hospital I have been inspired by colleagues, children and their families all dedicated to advancing care.

"Thanks to the work achieved in collaboration with family associations I have been able to appreciate the direct impact that research has on our patients. GOSH, the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and the ICH with invaluable support from GOSH Charity offers a unique environment which is second to none in driving innovation. I will dedicate my future work to help junior colleagues to combine research and clinical work for the benefit of patients."

Professor Sir Robert Lechler PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences said:

“I am delighted to welcome Professor De Coppi as one of 50 new Fellows into the Academy’s Fellowship. Each one has made their own outstanding contribution to biomedical science, and together they are advancing the health of our society in the UK and internationally. Their work affects us all, from the way we keep healthy through our lifestyle, to how we are treated if we become ill, to the way we receive information about health.

“Never has there been a more important time to recognise and celebrate the people behind ground-breaking biomedical and health research, working harder than ever to further knowledge and protect patients and the public.

“It brings me great pleasure to congratulate the new Fellows, and see our Fellowship grow to even greater heights of evidence-based advice, leadership and expertise.”

Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity has supported Professor De Coppi's ground-breaking research, supporting projects involving the engineering of rejection free organs and developing new functional ones.

Professor De Coppi  will be formally admitted as a Fellow to the Academy on 25 June 2020.