Professor collects her damehood honour

Professor Anna Dominiczak, Regius Professor of Medicine, vice-principal of the Glasgow University and head of the university’s college of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Saturday, November 26.

The damehood was announced as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June.‌

In addition to her academic positions, Professor Dominiczak is also an honorary consultant physician and non-executive director of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board.

Professor Dame Dominiczak said: “I am extremely proud to receive this honour and consider it also a recognition of the work of my many dedicated, talented and inspiring colleagues at the University of Glasgow. “Their support has been invaluable. It is indeed an honour for me to lead the work of the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences which excels across so many areas and it is my hope that we can continue to positively transform the outcomes for so many people with cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.”

A graduate of the Medical School in Gdansk, Poland, and one of the world’s most eminent cardiovascular scientists and academics, Professor Dominiczak’s research into hypertension, cardiovascular genomics and precision medicine identifies genetic factors which may predispose people to heart disease and stroke.

She has written almost 400 research publications and was instrumental in creating the British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Research Centre, of which she was director from 2000-20100.

In 2010 she became vice-principal and Head of the College of MVLS at the University of Glasgow and has been a driving force in positioning Scotland as a global leader in precision medicine.

She has led the world-leading academic developments of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, which will develop advanced new treatments for chronic diseases.

Professor Dominiczak also works at The Beatson Translational Research Centre at Glasgow University’s Garscube Campus to fight some of the most common cancers affecting people in Scotland such as breast, prostate and ovarian.

Just before the centre was due to open three years ago, she said: “Collaboration is the key to beating this disease.

“We will work closely with the clinical science done in hospitals to develop personalised medical strategies .The centre is a great addition in the fight against cancer.”