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UCL academics elected to National Academy of Medicine

26 October 2022

Two UCL academics have been elected as members of the USA National Academy of Medicine (NAM), in recognition of their outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

Bart De Strooper and Jan Deprest

Professor Jan Deprest (UCL EGA Institute for Women’s Health, UCLH & KU Leuven) and Professor Bart De Strooper (UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL & KU Leuven) are among the 10 international members who have been elected to the prestigious academy, alongside 90 regular members.

Established originally as the Institute of Medicine in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine addresses critical issues in health, science, medicine, and related policy, and inspires positive actions across sectors.

Election to the NAM is considered one of the highest honours in the fields of health and medicine. New members are elected by current members for major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health.

The newly elected members from UCL are:

Professor Bart De Strooper (UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL & KU Leuven)

Director of the UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, Professor Bart De Strooper is a world-renowned Alzheimer’s disease researcher. He was elected for his work on the condition and in searching for therapies that can help patients. He has discovered gamma-secretase and shown how presenilin (a family of proteins) regulates Notch signalling, a type of communication between cells, involved in the production of new neurons. He has also developed a cellular theory and novel humanised disease models to explore polygenetic risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Professor De Strooper, said: “I am very honoured to see my work recognized by my peers in the USA and I am pleased to work with the National Academy and to make my expertise in the field of Alzheimer’s disease available to them.”

“I see my membership also as a bridge to enhance collaboration between the UK DRI and the USA based colleagues.”

Professor Jan Deprest (UCL EGA Institute for Women’s Health, UCLH & KU Leuven)

Honorary Associate Professor of Maternal & Fetal Medicine at UCL and fetal surgeon at UCLH, Professor Deprest was elected for his landmark translational studies through the Eurofoetus consortium, which led to the development of a percutaneous (through the skin) method for fetoscopic occlusion of the fetal trachea – a surgical procedure that significantly improves outcomes in babies with severe cases of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). His work has changed the standard of care worldwide for fetal  conditions such as twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome and congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Professor Deprest said: “It is an incredible honour to join the National Academy of Medicine and I am humbled to have been elected. We have been fortunate to work with leading US centers and this is an opportunity to further share learning in the field of fetal disease.”

The newly elected members bring NAM’s total membership to more than 2,200 including 190 international members.

President of the National Academy of Medicine, Victor J. Dzau, said: “This extraordinary class of new members is comprised of exceptional scholars and leaders who have been at the forefront of responding to serious public health challenges, combatting social inequities and achieving innovative discoveries.

“Their expertise will be vital to information the future of health and medicine for the benefit of us all. I am truly honoured to welcome these esteemed individuals to the National Academy of Medicine.”

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  • Left: Professor Jan Deprest; Right: Professor Bart De Strooper

Media contact 

Poppy Danby 

E: p.danby [at] ucl.ac.uk