IoPPN scientists awarded in first King's Birthday Honours

19 June 2023

IoPPN scientists awarded in first King's Birthday Honours

Professor Louise Howard and Professor Terrie Moffitt have been awarded an OBE and MBE respectively in the first King’s Birthday Honours 2023. Professor Howard was recognised with an OBE for services to women's mental health and Professor Moffitt an MBE for services to social science.

(L-R: Louise Howard & Terrie Moffitt)

Louise Howard, Professor Emerita in Women’s Mental Health and Professor Terrie Moffitt, Chair in Social Behaviour & Development at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London, have both been recognised in the first King’s Birthday Honours. Professor Howard was recognised with an OBE for services to women's mental health and Professor Moffitt an MBE for services to social science.

Professor Emerita Louise Howard

Louise Howard’s research focuses on women’s mental health and gendered determinants of mental health. Her research programmes aim to improve mental health service policy and practice for women, including a focus on perinatal mental health and the relationship between violence and mental health. She is also an Honorary Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

I am delighted to have been acknowledged for our work as this OBE is recognition of the work of our whole team, and the inspiring contributions of people with lived experience of mental ill-health, gender inequalities and violence. I am particularly proud to have mentored many junior researchers working in these areas internationally, and who now lead research programmes themselves.
Professor Emerita Louise Howard

Professor Howard’s research informed the updated NICE guidelines on how to identify and treat perinatal mental illness, developed new evidence-based care pathways and was the basis of the specialist training of thousands of clinicians internationally. Her work also informed pregnancy planning tools commissioned by NHS England and Public Health England, which are available via the Tommy’s Charity website and have been accessed by thousands of women. She was funded by UKRI to develop a network for policy makers, practitioners and survivors of violence and abuse and mental health problems (called VAMHN: the Violence and Abuse Mental Health Network). She has developed curricula and professional training for international organisations including the World Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization, and recommendations for the NHS.

It’s an absolute delight for me to lead the applause for Professor Louise Howard. Her contribution to so many aspects of women’s health has been outstanding for many years. These include key research on the perinatal and postnatal health, depression, domestic violence, trafficking, refugees and much more. Louise, we are proud of you.
Professor Sir Simon Wessely, interim Dean of the IoPPN

Professor Howard formed the Women’s Mental Health Research Group at King’s in 2008. She was awarded a prestigious NIHR Research Professorship in 2013 and became an NIHR Senior Investigator in 2019. She was also President of the International Marcé (perinatal mental health) Society 2020-2022. She has won a number of prizes for her research, including the Association of European Psychiatrists Research Prize, the Institute of Psychiatry Dennis Hill Prize, the Royal College of Psychiatrists Bronze Medal research prize and the International Marce Society’s Marce Medal for excellence in perinatal mental health research.

Professor Terrie E. Moffitt

Professor Terrie E. Moffitt has been at King’s since 1996. For most of her time at King’s she has held a dual role at Duke University and holds the prestigious role of Nannerl O. Keohane University Professor of Psychology. Her expertise is in the areas of longitudinal methods, developmental theory, clinical mental health research, neuropsychology, and genomics in behavioural science; and the consequences of mental and behavioural disorders on processes of aging.

She has a strong commitment to representing science accurately to the media, and promotes public understanding of behavioural science.

To receive this MBE means so much to me, because I am an immigrant to Britain. When I arrived at the Institute of Psychiatry in 1996, I never in a million years expected this. Thank you!
Professor Terrie Moffitt

Professor Moffitt is the associate director of the Dunedin Longitudinal Study and founded the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study (E-Risk). Her research team was among the first cohorts to collect DNA, in 1996. She has a published record of collaboration with criminologists, economists, geneticists, epidemiologists, sociologists, demographers, gerontologists, statisticians, neuroscientists, medical scientists, even opthalmologists and dentists.

People use the word “legend” far too often these days, but when we are talking about Terrie Moffitt little else will do. One of the most influential psychologists not just in IoPPN, or the UK, but the world, she has enormous respect for her research, which gives new meaning to the word impact, but also for her indefatigable support for early career researchers and junior staff in general.
Professor Sir Simon Wessely, interim Dean of the IoPPN

Professor Moffitt has won numerous awards and accolades. In 2018, she was elected to the US National Academy of Medicine. For her research she has received both the American Psychological Association's Early Career Contribution Award and Distinguished Career Award. She is a fellow of the British Academy, Academy of Medical Sciences (UK), Academia Europa, Association of Psychological Science, and the American Society of Criminology. She was awarded a Royal Society-Wolfson Merit Award, the Klaus-Grawe Prize, and was a recipient of the Stockholm Prize in Criminology, NARSAD Ruane Prize, and Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize.

Professor Shitij Kapur, President & Principal of King’s College London, said: “I am proud of the excellence and the strength of our global community, and am delighted to congratulate those honoured this year.”

This year’s King’s Birthday Honours list was published on Saturday 17 June. Published annually, it recognises the achievements and service of people from all walks of life across the UK.

Other King's alumni also received awards:

Professor Francis Hughes (Faculty of Oral Dental and Craniofacial Sciences) received an MBE.
Professor David Newman (Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine) received a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
Professor Christine Norton (Faculty of Nursing Midwifery & Palliative Care) received an MBE.

For more information, please contact Amelia Remmington (Communications & Engagement Officer).