Professor Simpson recognised by University of Glasgow

Professor Stephen J Simpson has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Glasgow, one of the University of Sydney’s key strategic partners.

The honorary degree recognises Professor Simpson’s long-term research collaboration with the University of Glasgow and celebrates the positive impact of his major research developments in nutrition, obesity, ecology, and biology. His multidisciplinary studies and innovative modelling frameworks have both practical and conceptual benefits to a wide variety of organisms, and are being applied in many contexts, from conservation of the environment to easing the burden of chronic disease in humans.

Professor Simpson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 2013, appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for his eminent service to biological and biomedical science in 2015, and in 2022 he received the Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture, the Australian Academy of Science’s highest award in biological science, for his outstanding contributions to scientific research. As the inaugural Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney, Professor Simpson currently leads the development of research and education strategies to address chronic disease.

"I extend my sincere congratulations to Professor Simpson on behalf of the University of Sydney community. This honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow is further recognition of his status as one of the world's leading experts in entomology and biomedical science,” said Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Mark Scott.

"The University is committed to building successful and enduring international partnerships, and Professor Simpson's long-standing collaborative research in the cardiovascular field with Glasgow is a great example of how we are contributing to a better, healthier world through these partnerships."

"I am hugely grateful to have been honoured in this way by the University of Glasgow. We share a vision to convene the power of our world-class comprehensive universities to tackle society's greatest challenges through multidisciplinary research. I applaud their vision, leadership and excellence and look forward to many years of collaboration to come," said Professor Simpson.

The University of Sydney and the University of Glasgow have developed strong collaborations across the faculties of Business, Arts and Social Sciences, and Veterinary Science. In February 2022, the Charles Perkins Centre, the Heart Research Institute and the University of Glasgow’s College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences signed a Research Collaboration Travel Support Agreement.

The Heart Research Institute is the major collaborative partner for the Charles Perkins Centre in the area of cardiovascular research, and supports the Centre’s global research collaborations by providing funding for an interchange of researchers. Recently, leading experts from the Charles Perkins Centre and Glasgow’s College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences presented a series of seminars together on nutrition, metabolism, and health.

Additionally, a joint PhD agreement was signed by Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Mark Scott in Glasgow in March 2023, providing even greater opportunities for research collaboration and student learning. PhD students from Glasgow and Sydney will be embedded in a program at both Glasgow’s College and the Charles Perkins Centre from September 2023.