Three Leicester healthcare pioneers recognised in King's Birthday Honours

A Leicester doctor whose “constant curiosity” propelled her rise to be among the world’s leading type 2 diabetes and obesity experts has been named a Dame in The King’s Birthday Honours List.

Three leading figures from Leicester's healthcare and medical research community have been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours for their contributions to medicine, research and patient care.

Professor Melanie Davies has been made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE), while Professor Andre Ng and former consultant embryologist Jane Blower have both been awarded MBEs.

All three have longstanding links to University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and have helped establish the city as a centre of excellence for medical research and innovation.

Professor Davies, a consultant at University Hospitals of Leicester and Professor of Diabetes Medicine at the University of Leicester, was honoured for services to global diabetes research, policy and care management. She is recognised internationally as one of the world's leading experts in type 2 diabetes and obesity and helped build the Leicester Diabetes Centre into a globally respected research facility employing hundreds of staff.

Reacting to the honour, Professor Davies said the recognition reflected not only her own work but that of colleagues and family who had supported her throughout her career. She said she remained driven by improving outcomes for people living with diabetes and by finding answers to the next unanswered research questions.

Professor Andre Ng, a consultant cardiologist at University Hospitals of Leicester and Professor of Cardiac Electrophysiology at the University of Leicester, has been awarded an MBE for services to medical research and healthcare. Born in Hong Kong, he moved to the UK to study medicine and has worked in Leicester since 2002. His research has focused on improving the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders, while he currently serves as President of the British Cardiovascular Society.

Professor Ng said he was "humbled and deeply honoured" by the award, describing patient care and medical research as the most rewarding aspects of his professional life. He said the recognition reflected the work of colleagues across the University of Leicester, the NHS and the wider cardiovascular research community.

Former consultant embryologist Jane Blower has also received an MBE for services to reproductive science. During a career spanning more than four decades in Leicester's NHS, she established the city's first embryology laboratory at what is now the Leicester Fertility Centre and became the first person in the UK to gain a master's degree in assisted reproduction.

Ms Blower said the honour reflected the work of colleagues across the profession and highlighted the importance of inspiring the next generation of reproductive scientists. She retired from the NHS in 2022 but remains active within the profession at a national level.

University Hospitals of Leicester Chief Executive Richard Mitchell paid tribute to all three recipients, praising their achievements and the impact their work has had on patients in Leicester, across the UK and around the world. The honours recognise decades of contribution to healthcare, scientific discovery and medical innovation from three individuals whose careers have helped put Leicester at the forefront of modern medicine.