King's College London

Two Professors from King’s College London have been elected as international members of The National Academy of Medicine in the United States of America. The Academy has elected 100 members, 10 of which are international. Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honours in the fields of health and medicine and recognises individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

Dame Anne Marie Rafferty is Professor of Nursing Policy in the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care. She has been elected as an international member of the National Academy of Medicine for her innovative, large-scale research that shows professional nurse understaffing in hospitals is associated with excess mortality and patient dissatisfaction, informing new value-based policy directions.

Kypros Nicolaides, Professor of Fetal Medicine in the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine has been elected as an international member of the National Academy of Medicine for improving the care of pregnant women worldwide with pioneering rigorous and creative approaches, and making seminal contributions to prenatal diagnosis and every major obstetrical disorder.

Announcing the election of its new members, National Academy of Medicine President Victor J. Dzau said: ‘This distinguished and diverse class of new members is a truly exceptional group of scholars and leaders whose expertise in science, medicine, health, and policy will be integral to helping the National Academy of Medicine address today’s most pressing health challenges and inform the future of health and health care for the benefit of everyone around the globe. It is my privilege to welcome these esteemed individuals to the National Academy of Medicine.’

New members of the National Academy of Medicine are elected by current members through a process that recognises individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care, and public health. A diversity of talent among the membership is assured by its Articles of Organisation, which stipulate that at least one-quarter of the membership is selected from fields outside the health professions — for example, from such fields as law, engineering, social sciences, and the humanities. The newly elected members bring the total membership to more than 2,200 and the number of international members to approximately 175.

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. The National Academy of Medicine works alongside the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine also encourage education and research, recognise outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding of STEMM. With their election, members of the National Academy of Medicine make a commitment to volunteer their service in National Academies activities.