Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi elected as Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences

Professor Al-Chalabi was one of three King's academics elected this year. They join a group of 58 newly elected scientists whose expertise spans various disciplines, from midwifery to cancer stem cell biology. They join an esteemed Fellowship of over 1,400 researchers at the heart of the Academy's work as an independent, expert body. Its mission is to advance biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society.

Professor Al-Chalabi is a Professor of Neurology and Complex Disease Genetics at the Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience at the School of Neuroscience. He trained in Leicester and London, and subsequently became a neurologist, leading the Motor Nerve Clinic and motor neuron disease (MND) research team at King's.

His work focuses on the causes of and treatments for motor neuron disease, He is the Co-Director of the UK MND Research Institute, a partnership of patients, charities, universities, hospitals and industry partners whose singular aim is to accelerate the search for a motor neuron disease cure. He also leads the Motor Neuron Disease research theme at the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre.

I have always been fascinated by genetics and neuroscience, and at the crossover of those fields, MND stands out as a condition which desperately needs effective treatment. I am very pleased to have been elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences and indebted to the support of colleagues and collaborators in the UK and internationally, reflected in this award."

Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi, Professor of Neurology and Complex Disease Genetics at the IoPPN

Congratulations to Professor Al-Chalabi on this highly prestigious achievement. It is a fitting testament to his accolades as a world-class researcher and a respected clinician. We are extremely fortunate to have him in our school."

Professor Mark Richardson, Head of School of Neuroscience

The Academy of Medical Sciences is the independent, expert body representing the diversity of medical science in the UK. Its mission is to advance biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society. The Academy's elected Fellows are the most influential scientists in the UK and worldwide, drawn from the NHS, academia, industry and the public service.