News archive 2004

Queen honours King’s staff

14 Jun 2004, PR 29/04

Nairn Wilson, Head of the Guy’s, King’s & St Thomas’ Dental Institute and Professor of Restorative Dentistry, and Christine Saunders, Senior Assistant College Secretary for the School of Humanities, were awarded a CBE and MBE respectively in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Announced on Saturday 12 June, Professor Wilson’s award is in recognition of his services to dentistry and healthcare regulation, and Ms Saunders is for services to higher education.

Professor Wilson PhD, MSc, FDS, DRD joined King’s in October 2001. He has enjoyed a distinguished career in academic dentistry and was President of the General Dental Council from 1999 until last year. He has been Chairman of the Oral and Dental Research Trust since 2003.

Professor Wilson came to King’s from the University of Manchester where he was Dean of the University Dental Hospital and subsequently a Pro Vice-Chancellor, and an Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at Central Manchester University and Children’s Healthcare NHS Trust. (see www.kcl.ac.uk/phpnews/wmview.php?ArtID=46)

The Dental Institute was awarded the maximum 5* in the last Research Assessment Exercise in 2001 and was given the top teaching score of 24 for its Teaching Quality Assessment in 2000. Recently the Dental Institute has been in the news for developments in regenerative dentistry using stem cell biology and tissue engineering. Also, the Institute is leading a world-wide consortium to investigate novel strategies to block HIV-1 transmission involving the developments of new products called microbicides.

Christine Saunders MMus has spent more than 20 years actively promoting the welfare of staff and students within King’s. Her career has seen her gaining promotion through, firstly the Faculty of Arts, and then the School of Humanities. She is committed to ensuring the highest possible quality of support service for students and staff; has been an active and effective promoter of equality of opportunity in race, gender and disability issues, and has served on various College committees.

She was a member of the King’s Branch of NALGO, successively both Secretary and Chair, and during 1984-85 negotiated successfully the merger of the King’s NALGO branch with those at two other Colleges that were merging with King’s.

In parallel with this, from 1990-98 she served on the Council of the London Borough of Hillingdon, first as a councillor, then as Labour Chief Whip, and finally as Deputy Leader of the Council.

Notes to editors

King's College London
King’s is one of the oldest and largest colleges of the University of London with 13,800 undergraduate students and some 5,300 postgraduates in ten schools of study. The College had 24 of its subject-areas awarded the highest rating of 5* and 5 for research quality, demonstrating excellence at an international level. King’s is in the top group of five universities for research earnings with income from grants and contracts of more than £93 million (2002-2003) and has an annual turnover of £320 million. King’s is a member of the Russell Group, a coalition of the UK’s major research-based universities.




Further information
Melanie Gardner, Senior Public Relations Office, King’s College London
Tel: 020-7848 3073, email: melanie.gardner@kcl.ac.uk


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