“It’s an honour, for me and for the unit… I feel great about it,” he says.
Richard is a visiting professor at the University of Leicester who has been working at the unit for 18 years.

With the help of his team, he has contributed significantly to global health and infectious diseases over the years.

His ground-breaking research into the bacterial causes of meningitis and pneumonia has generated world-wide recognition.

In The Gambia, he was the principle investigator of a nationwide Hib vaccination implementation trial, which proved that Hib disease could be virtually eradicated in a developing country, despite a less than perfect immunization programme.

He is currently involved in pneumococcal vaccine research. Recently, he was invited to write a report to the British Parliament to highlight the need for the promotion and introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines into developing countries.

Richard believes the honour will give a “stamp of authority” to his work.

“I think it clearly brings recognition to our work,” he adds, “and shows that we are making important contributions.”

The announcement is the third high-profile accolade given to Professor Adegbola in the last six months.

At the start of 2008, he became Vice Chair of the European and Developing Country Clinical Trial Partnership Board (EDCTP). The EDCTP works to promote, encourage and develop expertise in clinical trial partnerships between Africa and Europe.

In November last year, he was invited to become a member of the International Scientific Advisory Board for the Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology at the University of Glasgow. The board meet to review scientific reports and make recommendations for the unit.

Richard was surprised to be invited onto a parasitology board, as his research interests are primarily vaccines and molecular bacteriology. But the board, looking for an expert in basic-applied infectious disease research interface in an African setting, came to him.

He believes it is important for scientists to hold positions on advisory groups and committees as they can offer enrichment.

“I benefit a lot when I meet people who have much more experience than myself,” he says, “other people who are not as experienced as myself can also benefit from meeting with me.”

He is also a member of two WHO groups: An advisory group for a new group A meningococcal conjugate vaccine. He sits on a committee responsible for the TB specimen bank, which reviews proposals to decide who can use the precious specimens from a bank of well characterised TB cases and non-tuberculous controls from all around the world.
Please contact mailto:communications@mrc.gm for further information, or to arrange an interview.