Chris Whitty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Chris Whitty
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Whitty in 2020
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| Chief Medical Officer for England | |
| Assumed office 2 October 2019 |
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| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Sally Davies |
| Government Chief Scientific Adviser | |
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Acting
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| In office 18 September 2017 – 4 April 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Mark Walport |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Vallance |
| Personal details | |
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Christopher John MacRae Whitty
21 April 1966 Gloucester, England |
| Education |
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Sir Christopher John MacRae Whitty (born 21 April 1966) is a very important doctor and scientist in the UK. He is an epidemiologist, which means he studies how diseases spread and how to control them. Since 2019, he has been the Chief Medical Officer for England. This makes him the top medical adviser to the UK Government.
Before this role, Whitty was the Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and Social Care. He also led the National Institute for Health and Care Research from 2016 to 2021. From 2017 to 2018, he was the temporary Government Chief Scientific Adviser.
Starting in March 2020, Sir Chris Whitty became a key figure during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. He worked closely with Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser. For his important work in public health, Whitty was honored as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 2022.
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Early Life and Education
Sir Chris Whitty was born in Gloucester, England, on 21 April 1966. He was the first of four sons. His father worked for the British Council, which meant the family lived in different countries like Nigeria and Malawi.
Chris Whitty returned to the UK for his schooling. He attended Windlesham House School and Malvern College. After that, he went to several universities, showing his strong interest in learning. He studied at Pembroke College, Oxford and Wolfson College, Oxford, where he earned degrees in physiology and medicine. He also studied at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, focusing on tropical diseases and how they spread. His wide range of studies also included medical law, business, and economics.
A Career in Medicine and Science
Sir Chris Whitty is a practicing doctor in the National Health Service (NHS). He works as a consultant physician at University College London Hospitals and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases. He was also a professor at Gresham College, a very old academic position.
Before becoming Chief Medical Officer, he was a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. There, he directed the Malaria Centre and researched ways to prevent and treat infectious diseases. His work focused on diseases like malaria and other infections common in poorer countries, especially in Africa and Asia. In 2008, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave his team a large grant for malaria research in Africa.
Working for the Government
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From 2009 to 2015, Whitty served as the Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department for International Development (DFID). In this role, he led research on important global issues. These included health, farming, climate change, and economic development. During this time, he helped design the UK government's response to the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. This included setting up centers where people could go if they thought they might have the disease.
From 2016 to 2021, Whitty was the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care. He was in charge of all the research and development work for the department. He also headed the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
From 2017 to 2018, he also temporarily held the position of Government Chief Scientific Adviser. This meant he was the head of all science and engineering professionals working for the government. During this period, he advised the government during the 2018 Salisbury poisonings. This was a serious event involving a military nerve agent called Novichok.
In 2019, Sir Chris Whitty was appointed as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England.
Leading During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Sir Chris Whitty became very well-known during the COVID-19 pandemic. He often appeared on TV news conferences with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Sir Patrick Vallance. They shared important updates and advice about the virus. From March 2020, Whitty also appeared in public information adverts. These explained the government's strategy to reduce the spread of the virus, like social distancing.
His calm and clear explanations made him a trusted voice for many people. He was sometimes called "the Geek-in-Chief" or compared to James Niven. Niven was a Scottish doctor who helped reduce deaths during the 1918 flu pandemic. During the pandemic, Whitty continued to work as a practicing doctor. He even treated coronavirus patients in a London hospital during the 2020 Christmas weekend.
Because of his public role, Sir Chris Whitty sometimes faced difficult situations. A few people treated him poorly while he was out in public. However, many people, including government officials, spoke out against such behavior.
Awards and Honours
Sir Chris Whitty has received many awards for his important work. In 2015, he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). This was for his public and volunteer service to tropical medicine in the UK and Africa. He is also a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
He has given several important lectures, including the Milroy Lecture and the Harveian Oration. These are highly respected talks in the medical field. In 2021, the University of Plymouth gave him an honorary doctorate. This recognized his support for medical science research. He also has an honorary degree from the University of York.
In 2022, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB). This is a very high honor for his services to public health. In 2023, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is one of the oldest and most respected scientific organizations in the world. He also received the Royal Medal from the Royal Society in the same year.
