The College of Life Sciences at Dundee University has been awarded the prestigious title of regius professorship by the Queen.
The college is among 12 outstanding university departments to be given the honour, which is to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Professor Mike Ferguson from the department is now to be named the university’s first-ever regius professor in life sciences following Tuesday’s announcement.
Only two such professorships have been bestowed on UK universities in the past century, to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin in 2009.
Professor Pete Downes, principal and vice-chancellor of Dundee University, said: “I am delighted … The award of a regius professorship to Dundee is a tremendous affirmation of our world-class standing in life sciences.
“I am equally delighted to announce that the first regius professor in life sciences at the University of Dundee will be Professor Mike Ferguson CBE, FRS, FRSE.
“The leadership and expertise of established scientists who have achieved global acclaim in life sciences at Dundee includes 10 Fellows of The Royal Society and 27 Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. We now add to that a regius professorship.
“We also have a strong cohort of dynamic young scientists and rising stars in their fields, who will help carry the excellence of life sciences at Dundee into the future.”
Professor Ferguson is dean of research in the College of Life Sciences at Dundee, dedicating his research to studying the biochemistry of parasites that cause human tropical diseases and is a world-renowned expert in his field.
Professor Ferguson, who was instrumental in establishing the Drug Discovery Unit at Dundee and the new Centre for Translational and Interdisciplinary Research, said: “This is a great accolade for life sciences at Dundee to all those who have built it up to what it is today and to those who will sustain it in the future.
“I am hugely honoured to be the first person to hold this title on behalf of the University and the College of Life Sciences.”
Professor Ferguson is also a member of the Wellcome Trust Board of Governors.
When universities were invited to apply in October, six new regius professorships had been planned, a Cabinet Office spokesperson said. “However, the 12 winning submissions were judged by the panel to have been of exceptionally high quality and Ministers and The Queen agreed that 12 should be awarded.”