Vice-Chancellor,  

My name is James Stuart, I am an honorary professor at the Medical School here in the Department of Population Life Sciences as an epidemiologist with a long-standing interest in meningitis. I am very pleased to present my colleague Linda Glennie for an Honorary Degree.   

Linda has recently retired as Director of Research, Evidence and Policy after 26 years at the Meningitis Research Foundation,commonly referred to as MRF and considered to be the world’s leading meningitis charity.  

Linda’s achievements since joining the charity in 1996 are far reaching and have led to many lives being saved from this truly deadly infection.  Research is a vital part of MRF’s mission to defeat meningitis, and Linda’s commitment to supporting the highest quality research has led to the world’s first meningitis genome library, better understanding of the true burden of meningitis, significant advancesin vaccination and more effective treatments. Linda has always kept those affected in the front of her mind, ensuring that research findings have a benefit for patients and families. To achieve an impressive research programme for MRF, Linda set up and coordinateda Scientific Advisory Panel of international experts in meningitis, who guidedover £20 million of MRF investment. To magnify this massive research effort, she organised13 international conferencesevery two years on behalf of MRF and galvanised the global meningitis scientific community to take part in this highly regarded conference.Linda’s focus on international research and support for vaccine initiatives around the world led her and MRF to play a key role in developing the World Health Organisation global roadmap to defeat meningitis by 2030.  

Linda approaches life with gusto and sees no barriers to bringing together families, global pharmaceutical giants, governments and international institutions to defeat the disease. A good example of this was her drive to get a new meningitis vaccine (MenB) to protect children and young adults in the UK. She led a submission of critical evidence to the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunization, the UK’svaccine expert advisers to the Department of Health.  She personally wrote to hundreds of clinicians, co-ordinating support for a high-profile letter in The Times drawing attention to the new vaccine. Increasing public support eventually led the UK to be the first country to introduce a group B meningococcal vaccine into the childhood immunizationprogramme, a massive advance in prevention and an achievement of which she should take great pride.This vaccine has led to a substantial fall in numbers of childrenbecoming ill and dying from meningitis in the UK.  

In recognition of her expertise,Linda was invited to join expert panels of NICE, the UK National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, and she was instrumental in developing the UK’s first meningitis treatment protocols.She conceived, developed and secured funding for a unique set of educational resources for a wide range of different health professionals to improve their knowledge,care and treatment of those affected by meningitis. These MRF learning resources were endorsed by the professions and are widely used.  

Those who know Linda recognise her modesty, her sense of humour, and her timeless energy.She waswell regarded by academics across the field of meningitis research and her collaborative style of working was recognised asexceptional. Linda was in constant demand beyond any call of duty and she jokingly recounted to a colleague that that there wasn’t a deadline yet that she hadn’t found a way to miss!Linda’s meticulous attention to detail has led to MRF’s undoubted reputation as a highly trusted source of information, both to scientists working in this field and to the public wanting to know more about meningitis. Her unrelenting quest for answers was much appreciated by families.    

A doctorate is a deserving recognition by the University of both her incredible contribution to protect people of all ages from meningitis across the UK and the world, and her unstinting determination to ensure that families who experience the devastating impact of meningitis get the support and care they need.  

Vice-Chancellor…. I present to you Linda Glennie as eminently worthy of the degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa.