Faculty of Public Health welcomes new Honorary Fellows

The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) is delighted to announce that we have welcomed ten new Honorary Fellows this year.

Honorary Fellowship is the highest category of FPH membership, awarded to those who have made exceptional contributions towards public health policy, practice, or improving the health of the public.

A list and short biography of the new FPH Honorary Fellows is available below. 

Dr. Natasha Azzopardi Muscat

Dr. Natasha Azzopardi Muscat is a distinguished public health expert with a career spanning over two decades in health systems leadership, policy development, and academia.

Currently serving as Director of Country Health Policies and Systems at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, she oversees technical areas such as health workforce, primary care, digital health, and health equity across 53 countries.

Her tenure has seen the establishment of new regional action plans, partnerships, and large-scale projects. In particular, she is leading a major strand of work on trust in health systems.

Natasha previously held high-ranking positions in Malta, including Chief Medical Officer, where she led national strategies for cancer, sexual health, and HPV vaccination.

As past President of the European Public Health Association and a longstanding academic, she has shaped thinking on equity and health system resilience, most recently in conflict settings including Ukraine.

Professor Philippa Eastbrook 

Professor Philippa Easterbrook is a globally recognised infectious diseases physician, epidemiologist, and public health leader with over 20 years’ experience in HIV and viral hepatitis.

As Senior Advisor at WHO Headquarters, she has shaped global policy through strategic leadership in ten major WHO guidelines, including landmark hepatitis B and C treatment guidance that has dramatically expanded access to care worldwide.

Her efforts have supported over 20 countries to scale up testing and treatment, contributing to more than 12 million hepatitis C cures globally. 

Formerly Head of Department and Professor of HIV Medicine at King’s College London, and currently a Visiting Professor at Imperial, she has led extensive clinical and implementation research with over 350 publications and 33,000 citations. Professor Easterbrook’s work continues to improve lives, shape international policy, and inspire the next generation of public health professionals.

James Gore

James Gore joined the Faculty of Public Health in 2007 and has led it as Chief Executive since 2018, overseeing a transformation that refocused the Faculty on it’s members, and on it’s core business of education, training, and standards.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, James worked tirelessly to support members, staff, and the wider system in the effort to get through the pandemic.

At James’ instigation, the Faculty had already trialled a home-working model for all staff and was able to able switch seamlessly to a remote way of working while maintaining all critical business functions.  

Under James’ leadership, the Faculty has built national partnerships, championed anti-racism, and created a culture of compassion and trust.

His strategic vision, collaborative spirit, and unwavering commitment have shaped a stronger, more confident Faculty. We are proud to award him Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding leadership.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne

Professor Kamila Hawthorne is Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners and has been a GP for 34 years, with 27 years of service in South Wales.

She has held leadership roles including Head of the Graduate Entry Medicine Programme at Swansea University and serves on the Trustee Boards of the King’s Fund and Cardiff Women’s Aid. Kamila is also a Bevan Commissioner and a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.

With a strong commitment to medical education, Kamila advocates for training clinicians who are excellent, compassionate, and inclusive, prepared for a global society. She passionately supports the role of general practice in providing accessible, high-quality care and acting as patient advocates.

Her research focuses on health inequalities and access to care, particularly among BAME communities with Type 2 diabetes.

Recognised twice as ‘GP of the Year’ and awarded an MBE for services to General Practice, Kamila is a distinguished health leader whose work exemplifies the essential partnership between public health and primary care.

Professor Alistair Hay

Professor Alastair Hay is one of the UK’s most respected GP infection clinician scientists.

A practising GP and Professor of Primary Care, he has led pioneering research for over 28 years to improve antibiotic use in primary care and reduce antimicrobial resistance.

He chaired the 2015 NICE antimicrobial stewardship guideline, contributed to 24 NICE infection guidelines, and helped shape the UKHSA’s “Keep Antibiotics Working” campaign.

His research has directly reduced antibiotic prescribing in primary care by 12%—four million fewer prescriptions annually—and changed national clinical pathways.

His ongoing work supports infection control in care homes, safer prescribing in urinary tract infections, and the development of predictive tools like the STARWAVe algorithm.

Dr. Mike McKirdy

Dr. Mike McKirdy is a surgeon whose leadership has brought public health to the forefront of clinical practice.

As President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, he has used the College’s influence to promote prevention and public health across Scotland and internationally, in particularly championing health inequalities, climate change, and obesity.

His global health legacy is deep and longstanding - most notably in Malawi and Zambia, where he founded the Livingstone Fellows scheme and helped establish Malawi’s dental school.

He holds key leadership roles in global surgery, is a Trustee of the Tropical Health Education Trust, and continues to drive international partnerships in sub-Saharan Africa and India. His commitment to sustainability, equity and global cooperation reflects the true spirit of public health leadership.

Dr María Neira

Dr María Neira is a distinguished public health physician, diplomat, and international civil servant.

Since 2005, she has served as Director of the WHO’s Department of Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of Health, where her bold and visionary leadership has elevated health as a central pillar of climate action.

Her work has led to the establishment of Health Days at COP Climate Conferences and influenced global policy on environment and health.

Her career spans humanitarian work with Médecins Sans Frontières, senior roles in the Spanish government, and decades of service at WHO.

Dr Neira has been honoured internationally, including with the Ordre du Mérite from France and awards from the Spanish government and UNEP.  

Professor Mark Petticrew

Professor Mark Petticrew is a global leader in public health research, with over 30 years’ experience in evidence-based policymaking and methodological innovation.

He has made major contributions across key public health areas including housing, transport, tobacco, alcohol, and food, and his research and policy insight have made a significant impact in advancing public health advocacy and tackling health inequalities worldwide.

Mark pioneered the use of natural experiments in public health, developed guidance on evaluating complex interventions, and integrated health equity into evidence synthesis methods.

His recent work focuses on the commercial determinants of health, exposing industry tactics used to undermine public health policy.

He is Professor of Public Health Evaluation at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Director of the NIHR Public Health Policy Research Unit.

Paul Sinton-Hewitt

Paul Sinton-Hewitt is the founder of Parkrun, transforming a single local run in 2004 into a worldwide movement with over 2,200 weekly events across five continents.

Under his leadership, parkrun has become one of the most successful grassroots physical activity initiatives ever seen, promoting health benefits including improved BMI, cardiovascular fitness, mental wellbeing, and reduced loneliness.

Paul has steadfastly maintained parkrun’s core values of inclusion and accessibility, famously committing to keep it “free, forever, for everyone.”

Recognized by the World Health Organization as a key public health contributor, Paul defines parkrun unequivocally as a public health initiative.

His leadership exemplifies the power of community-based health promotion and the vital role such movements play in improving population wellbeing worldwide.

Dr. Lade Smith

Dr. Lade Smith is President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, a Consultant Psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and Visiting Senior Lecturer at King’s College London with specialist expertise in mental health inequality.

After training at the Maudsley, Lade conducted research on antipsychotic side effects and established an innovative clinic focused on medication review and physical health promotion for people with severe mental illness, earning a BMA Pioneer award nomination.

Until recently, Lade was Clinical and Strategic Director of the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, providing leadership in developing mental health guidelines.

She is a passionate advocate for public mental health, equality, and a population-based approach to mental health care.

Her leadership and values closely align with those of public health, and this Honorary Fellowship recognises her significant contributions to mental health and wellbeing.