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RVC HONOURS

The RVC has been privileged to award a Fellowship, an Honorary Fellowship
and an Honorary Degree in Science (Honoris Causa) this year.
The awards were presented to the recipients by RVC President and Principal, Stuart Reid.

working in Thailand and Cambodia. She which antibiotic-resistant organisms can
is currently Professor of Public Health spread between humans, livestock and
and Microbiology in the Department the environment.
of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Over her career, Sharon has raised
Director of the Covid-19 Genomics more than £60m in science funding,
UK (COG-UK) consortium, and a published more than 500 peer-reviewed
Non-Executive Director on the board of papers, and has trained a generation of
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS scientists in the UK and elsewhere. She
Foundation Trust.
is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical
Sharon has built her scientific expertise Sciences, a Fellow of the American
around pathogen genomics, antimicrobial Academy of Microbiology, and an elected
resistance, and a range of tropical Member of the European Molecular
diseases. She is the founding director Biology Organization (EMBO). In 2015,
of COG-UK, which was formed in April Sharon received a CBE for services to
2020 to provide SARS-CoV-2 genomes medical microbiology, and in 2018 she
Professor Sharon Peacock to UK public health agencies, and which won the Unilever Colworth Prize for her
has since generated millions of SARS-
outstanding contribution to translational
Professor Sharon Peacock was CoV-2 genomes. These have been vital microbiology. In 2021, Sharon received
awarded an honorary doctorate to the pandemic response by providing the Medical Research Council Millennium
from the RVC in recognition of her information on variants so that these Medal for her leadership of COG-UK
achievements and contributions to can be tracked, as well as understood and her advocacy of women in science.
the One Health agenda, in particular in terms of transmissibility, the ability to Beyond medicine, Sharon has maintained
relating to antimicrobial resistance, evade our immune system, and severity rich and varied interests that have
at our Graduation ceremony at of disease from Covid-19. Her work on expanded her horizons. This includes a
Central Hall, Westminster in July. the translation of pathogen sequencing diploma in music and a degree in history,
technologies into hospitals has
Sharon Peacock is a clinician scientist pioneered its use to detect and control both with the Open University.
who has worked in academic clinical outbreaks caused by organisms such as Professor Peacock is an amazing role
microbiology across the United Kingdom MRSA. She has also used sequencing model for women in science and we
and in Southeast Asia for the last 25 to great effect to examine the extent to welcome her to our RVC community.
years, including seven years living and

Emeritus Professor in funding for veterinary education - for work on aqueous dynamics in the
Peter Bedford Stuart Reid praised the ongoing efforts dog in 1976. During his career, he has
of students, staff and clinicians. As spent time as a surgeon and a lecturer
Emeritus Professor Peter Bedford part of this, Professor David Church, at the RVC, as well as pursuing a range
was awarded an Honorary Deputy Principal and Acting Vice of ophthalmologically-focused research
Fellowship during the RVC’s Principal (Clinical Affairs) at the RVC, programmes and establishing hereditary
Annual dinner at Saddlers Hall congratulated Professor Bedford eye clinics within the veterinary and
in April. Professor Bedford was on his illustrious career and many breeding communities.
honoured for his contribution to accolades, celebrating his achievements Professor Bedford is a Diplomat of
the veterinary profession. by awarding him with an Honorary both the RCVS and the European
Fellowship of the RVC.
The evening reflected on the highlights College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists
and progress made by the institution Professor Bedford graduated from the (ECVO); became the first GDBA Chair
throughout the pandemic despite RVC in 1967 and gained a PhD for of Canine Medicine and Surgery at
sector challenges - including workforce studies on canine glaucoma (1974) the RVC; has authored more than 230
shortages and the impending crisis and was awarded the RCVS Fellowship publications; received the BSAVA’s

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