I am delighted and honoured to receive this award from the Academy of Science of South Africa. I’m particularly grateful for the opportunity to draw attention to mental health, which is a neglected priority in global health and development policy. Huge thanks to the wonderful teams of research, advocacy and policy collaborators, who I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years.
Professor Crick Lund
13 November 2025
Professor Crick Lund recognised for scientific achievement in the service of society
Professor Lund was awarded an Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) Science-for-Society Gold Medal for his outstanding achievement in scientific thinking for the benefit of society.
Crick Lund, Professor of Global Mental Health and Development at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, was one of two eminent scientists to receive a Gold Medal at the Annual Awards Ceremony on 30 October 2025.
He was honoured for his outstanding and sustained contribution to public mental health in South Africa and across low- and middle-income countries over nearly three decades. His pioneering research has deepened understanding of the links between mental health, poverty and social development, directly influencing both global and national policy and practice.
With over 345 peer-reviewed publications and 34,000 citations, Professor Lund ranks among the top 1 per cent of cited researchers worldwide (Clarivate 2023–2024). His leadership has guided the development of evidence-based mental health policies and service delivery models for the World Health Organization, African CDC, and the South African Department of Health, including the drafting of national mental health policy frameworks (2013–2030).
He has led transformative multi-country programmes producing scalable, practical models for integrating mental health into primary care and breaking the cycle of poverty and mental illness. His work has been cited in more than 740 policy documents, underscoring its real-world impact.
Professor Lund co-founded the Alan J. Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, Africa’s first postgraduate centre dedicated to the field. He has supervised 15 PhD and 22 Master’s students, cultivating a new generation of African mental health researchers and practitioners.
He continues to promote scientific thinking, human rights and the destigmatisation of mental illness through global collaboration and advocacy. His career exemplifies science in the service of society, advancing mental health equity and sustainable development across the Global South.
Professor Rachel Jewkes, Executive Scientist at the South African Medical Research Council, received the other Gold Medal in recognition of her outstanding scientific excellence and groundbreaking contributions to gender and health research.
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Professor of Global Mental Health and Development