Professor Kamlesh Khunti CBE has been recognised at an awards ceremony staged to celebrate innovation across the county.
The ARC East Midlands Director, who has risen to become a top researcher in type 2 diabetes globally, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Leicestershire Live Innovation Awards 2022.
The ceremony took place on Thursday, February 24, at Leicester City Football Club during Leicester Innovation Week.
Professor Khunti co-founded the Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC), which is recognised across the world for its leading research, education and innovation, alongside Professor Melanie Davies CBE.
He is a Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine and Director of the Real World Evidence Unit at the University of Leicester.
As the Director of the Leicester-based Centre for Ethnic Health Research, Professor Khunti has contributed significantly to improving the health of the ethnic minority community, being one of the very first to spot the disproportional impact of COVID-19 on people from ethnic minorities.
Professor Khunti said: “This means a lot to me because Leicester is my home and, while a lot of our work has had a regional, national and international focus, we have also been dedicated to improving the lives of people living in both Leicester and Leicestershire.
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 that I love so dearly.
“I would like to dedicate this award to my team at the Leicester Diabetes Centre, the University of Leicester, my staff at the Hockley Farm Medical Practice and most of all to my family.”
Based at Leicester General Hospital, the LDC now has a team of more than 170 researchers currently carrying out studies designed to improve the lives of people with diabetes.
Professor Khunti started out as a General Practitioner in 1990, recruited his first research assistant in 1998 and took up an appointment with the University of Leicester as Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine in 2007.
Professor Khunti has been elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. He is currently an advisor to the Department of Health, a Clinical Advisor for NICE, and is a member of SAGE and Chair of Ethnicity Subpanel.
He was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year’s Honours List. Professor Khunti was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Primary Care Diabetes Society and was given the Diabetes Philippines ADL Endowed Lecture Award last year and was also given the South Asian Health Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
Picture credit: Leicestershire Live
Published on: 25 Feb 2022