Keith Peters (physician) facts for kids

Sir David Keith Peters (born 26 July 1938) is a retired Welsh doctor and a very important academic. He was the Regius Professor of Physic at the famous University of Cambridge from 1987 to 2005. During this time, he also led the School of Clinical Medicine there.

Early Life and Education

Keith Peters grew up in Baglan, Wales. He went to Glan Afan Grammar School in Port Talbot. After school, he studied medicine at the Welsh National School of Medicine. He finished his medical degree in 1961.

His Important Research

Sir Keith Peters spent his career studying how our body's defense system, called the immune system, affects kidney and blood vessel diseases. He helped us understand more about a kidney problem known as glomerulonephritis. This research was very important for finding new ways to treat these illnesses.

Working at Top Hospitals

After working at the University of Birmingham and the National Institute for Medical Research, he joined the Royal Postgraduate Medical School (RPMS) in London in 1969. There, he became a Lecturer in Medicine and a Consultant Physician.

By 1977, he was made a Professor of Medicine and led the Department of Medicine at RPMS. His main focus was on how the immune system caused kidney and blood vessel diseases. He wanted to find new treatments based on this knowledge.

Leading Medical Schools

In 1987, Sir Keith Peters moved to Cambridge. He became the head of the University's Clinical School. He made this school a leading place for medical research. It worked well with Cambridge's strong science departments.

In 1990, he started a special program called the Cambridge MB-PhD. This program helps talented medical students get both a research degree and a medical degree at the same time. It was the first program of its kind in the UK. He also helped create the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. This is a big partnership between the University, the Medical Research Council, and Addenbrookes Hospital. Many top medical experts in the UK have worked with Sir Keith Peters.

Shaping Future Research

From 2006 to 2008, Sir Keith Peters was the Interim Director of the MRC National Institute of Medical Research. He came up with the idea for what is now the Francis Crick Institute. This is a huge research center in London. He also served on its executive committee from 2012 to 2016.

Sir Keith Peters also helped shape science in the UK. He was a member of the Prime Minister's Advisory Council of Science and Technology. He also led the Council of Cardiff University from 2004 to 2011. From 2005 to 2016, he was a Senior Consultant for research and development at GlaxoSmithKline, a big pharmaceutical company.

Awards and Recognition

Sir Keith Peters has received many important awards and honors for his work.

• He was made a Knight in 1993. This means he can use "Sir" before his name.
• In 1995, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists.
• He was the President of the Academy of Medical Sciences from 2002 to 2006.
• He was also a founding member of the Learned Society of Wales.

Many universities have given him honorary degrees, which are special awards for his achievements. These include universities like Wales, Swansea, Aberdeen, Nottingham, and many others.

In 2019, a research building at Cambridge was renamed the Keith Peters Building in his honor. A board room at the Francis Crick Institute and a ward at Hammersmith Hospital are also named after him.

In 2018, he received another very high honor. He was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) for his great contributions to medical science.

See also

List of Welsh medical pioneers