Two eminent professors who have pioneered treatments for patients at the Royal Free London have been recognised in The Queen's Birthday Honours.

Professor Margaret Johnson and Professor Alejandro Madrigal who have both been awarded the honour of the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Professor Margaret Johnson, consultant in thoracic and HIV medicine and professor of HIV medicine at UCL, has been recognised for services to the NHS and people with HIV.

Professor Johnson said: "I'm so pleased to have been given this honour - what I've achieved in HIV care would not have been possible without my fantastic team.

"I think what I'm most proud of is that HIV care is now mainstream, it's not hidden away. At the Ian Charleson Day Centre we have a multi-speciality approach - we run joint clinics with specialists from different areas so we provide patients with holistic care. I'm also really proud of our track record on research - our patients have participated in early clinical trials and that's saved so many lives."  

Professor Madrigal has been recognised for services to haematology, stem cell transplantation and cancer research. He was scientific director of Anthony Nolan for 27 years.

Commenting on his award, Professor Madrigal said: “I am hugely honoured to have received this award, particularly in the year of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022. 

“I feel it is a real testament to how fortunate and privileged I have been to work with so many supportive and exceptional colleagues, to whom I am forever grateful, for their dedication in improving the outcome of the lives of patients with blood cancer in need of a stem cell transplant.”

In 1995 Professor Madrigal was appointed clinical senior lecturer at the department of haematology at the Royal Free Hospital and in 1997 he was appointed professor of haematology and honorary consultant, eventually becoming Chair. Professor Madrigal has played an important role at the trust and nationally in helping to improve outcomes for patients undergoing haematopoyetic stem cell transplantation.

Professor Madrigal is also the recipient of a UK Gold Award at the Clinical Excellence Awards in 2018 in public acknowledgement of his professional expertise and sustained and dedicated contribution to the NHS. Over the years 68 students have been trained at the Anthony Nolan Research Institute at the Royal Free Hospital under his supervision. In addition he has supervised over 104 overseas students, many of whom are currently leading important research centres in their own countries.