Leicester researcher scoops Lifetime Achievement Award for innovations in health
Professor Kamlesh Khunti CBE receives his Lifetime Achievement Awards at the LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards 2022. Credit: LeicestershireLive
A pioneering health researcher from the University of Leicester scooped the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards on Thursday.
Professor Kamlesh Khunti CBE picked up the prestigious award at the regional awards ceremony jointly sponsored by the University of Leicester, De Montfort University and Morningside Pharmaceuticals, held at Leicester City Football Club’s King Power Stadium.
Elsewhere, medical technology company Nemaura was named Innovator of the Year, while LENKÉ Space & Water Solutions collected the University-sponsored Innovation in Space award, presented by Space Park Leicester Executive Director, Professor Richard Ambrosi.
Kamlesh Khunti, Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester and co-director of the Leicester Diabetes Centre, was commended in recognition of his dedication to helping people with diabetes and helping drive research into the impact of COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic.
He is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), which advises Government, and Chair of the SAGE Ethnic Sub-panel. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to Health in the New Year’s Honours List 2022.
He said: “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine when I arrived as an immigrant to Leicester 50 years ago that I would get a Lifetime Achievement Award from my wonderful city.”
Professor Philip Baker, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at the University of Leicester, addressed innovators, inventors and developers from across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland in celebration of the University’s Centenary.
He said: “The University of Leicester has a bold vision for enterprise, to help drive the innovation and skills needed to grow the Midlands, UK and world economies.
“As we look to our next 100 years, our approach is to build on our strengths in sectors such as space, heritage, medicine and transport.
“We are also excited to develop our impressive portfolio of partnerships with multinationals, leading pharmaceutical companies, small- and medium-sized businesses, public and third-sector organisations.
“Through working in collaboration with these communities, we look forward to growing the reach and impact of the world-changing research at Leicester.”
The full list of winners from the 2022 LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards includes:
- Innovation in Technology, sponsored by De Montfort University – Intelligent Energy
- Innovation in Creative Industries – Roshni Desai Designs
- Innovation in Health and Wellbeing, sponsored by Loughborough University – INCUS Performance
- Innovation in Food and Drink Manufacturing – Figura Analytics
- Innovation in Manufacturing and Engineering, sponsored by MIRA Technology Institute – Zayndu
- Innovation in Education – Tanzii TV
- Innovation in Med Tech and Life Sciences, sponsored by Morningside Pharmaceuticals – Nemaura Medical
- Innovation in Business Improvements – Haybrooke Associates
- Innovation in Space, sponsored by the University of Leicester – LENKÉ Space & Water Solutions
- University Student Innovation, sponsored by Loughborough University – ACT Medical
- A Special Recognition Award – Foster+Freeman’s latent fingerprint technology RECOVER
- Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by the University of Leicester – Professor Kamlesh Khunti CBE
- Innovator of the Year, sponsored by the University of Leicester – Nemaura Medical
Host for the evening was BBC Travel Show presenter and Metro UK technology editor Lucy Hedges, who praised the “phenomenal ingenuity and creativity happening right here on our doorstep”.
She said: “The nominations this year blew our judges away and prove how much talent and innovation there is in Leicestershire.”