Sir David Warrell made Knight Commander

Professor Sir David Warrell, an Honorary Fellow of St Cross College, was appointed Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. 

Published as Her Majesty celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, Sir David’s award recognises his research of deadly tropical diseases such as snakebites, rabies and severe malaria, which has saved the lives of thousands of people around the world. 

“I am indebted to many loyal friends, colleagues and collaborators, including some brilliant students, who made my research possible in the tropical countries where I was privileged to live and work,” said Sir David. 

“I am especially grateful to my wife Mary, a rabies virologist and vaccinologist, who co-founded the Bangkok unit and established its laboratory (1979-86). She has given me enormous intellectual and family support throughout.” 

Sir David is one of the world's leading figures in tropical medicine, and is the founding director of the Centre for Tropical Medicine and Wellcome Trust-Mahidol University Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Programme, Thailand. He has advised, among others, the British Army, the Foreign Office, the Royal Geographic Society and the World Health Organisation, on tropical medicine.   

He published some of the earliest randomised controlled trials of antivenoms, in Nigeria, Thailand, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and Papua New Guinea, and was involved in the landmark 2005 “million death study” in India that revealed the enormous burden of snakebite in that country (46,000 deaths a year).   

The University of Oxford, notably the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine and St Cross College, has provided me with endless academic stimulus and resources over the past half century.

He has in particular continued to work hard to raise the profile of snakebite as an important environmental and occupational health hazard. This culminated in the recognition of snakebite as a category A neglected tropical disease (NTD) by WHO and approval of a resolution by the 2018 World Health Assembly to promote the control of this most neglected of all NTDs.   

He has been senior editor of the Oxford Textbook of Medicine, Essential Malariology, and the Oxford Handbook of Expedition and Wilderness Medicine, and has co-authored more than 400 papers on various topics in tropical medicine.   

On receiving his knighthood, Sir David said: “The University of Oxford, notably the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine and St Cross College, has provided me with endless academic stimulus and resources over the past half century. Thank you, everyone!” 

Congratulations, Sir David, from all St Cross members!