[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]University of Southampton Professor Keith Palmer has been awarded an OBE in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to Occupational Health and Medicine.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]A former GP and Employment Medical Adviser with the Health and Safety Executive, Professor Palmer completed his specialist training in Occupational Medicine in 1994. He then held a tenured research post at consultant grade in occupational epidemiology with the MRC Epidemiology Lifecourse Unit in Southampton where his research focused on the epidemiology of occupational diseases, and the clinical management and prevention of work-associated illnesses[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4673″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”right” style=”vc_box_shadow_3d”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Over the last 10 years, he has served Chair of the Industrial Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC), a role he retired from earlier this year. The IIAC is a statutory body that advises the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on state-funded compensation to workers suffering recognised occupational diseases and injuries.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]“Of course I am hugely honoured to receive this award and keen to thank all my colleagues in Southampton and the Occupational Health community nationally, my many colleagues at IIAC, and especially my wife for her enormous support behind the scenes,” Professor Palmer enthused.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]In addition to serving as Academic Dean and Deputy President of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine for the Royal College of Physicians – the national college which trains medical specialists in his field – Professor Palmer has also been an adviser to the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs’ Expert Committee on Pesticides. During the 2000’s, he was Editor of the BMJ Publishing Group journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Professor Cyrus Cooper, Director of the MRC LEU:

“I know you will all join me in congratulating Keith Palmer on the award of an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list released at the weekend. This is just recognition for all Keith’s work in occupational medicine and acknowledgement of his excellent leadership of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council. Many congratulations Keith; very well deserved”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]