New Year Honours celebrated by Imperial community

Imperial researchers have been recognised in the 2026 New Year Honours list.

Imperial researchers and staff have been recognised in the 2026 New Year Honours list. 

Imperial researchers and staff have been recognised for their services to the nation's health in the 2026 New Year Honours list.

Professor Neil Poulter from the School of Public Health receives an MBE for services to hypertension prevention. Dr Dominique Allwood from Imperial College Health Partners is being awarded an MBE for services to the NHS.

Professor Neil Poulter

Neil Poulter, Professor of Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine at Imperial’s School of Public Health becomes an MBE for services to hypertension prevention.

Over half of UK strokes and heart attacks are caused by high blood pressure, known medically as hypertension, making it one of the world's most significant health concerns. However, almost half of those affected are unaware of having the condition, with Professor Poulter committing his career to improving detection.

Professor Poulter qualified at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School in 1974 before training in General Medicine. After 5 years co-ordinating a hypertension research programme at the Wellcome Trust Research Laboratories in Nairobi, Kenya, he returned to London to continue to study the patterns and causes of hypertension.

As a professor at Imperial, he founded the Imperial Clinical Trials Unit and has led many major international trials to test new ways to treat high blood pressure. He treats hypertension patients at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust hospitals, where he is co-Director of the International Centre for Circulatory Health.

He has represented his profession at the highest level, being President of both the British Hypertension Society and the International Society of Hypertension and has a leading role in raising awareness of the condition through the global public health campaign May Measurement Month.

Professor Poulter said: "High blood pressure is often called the ‘silent killer’ because so many people are unaware they have it. By learning more about the science behind it, exploring new treatments, and encouraging people to have regular checks, we could prevent hundreds of thousands of strokes and heart attacks every year.  

"This award reflects the importance of that mission and the collective efforts of colleagues and collaborators working to prevent its devastating impact. I look forward to continuing our work to improve awareness, diagnosis and treatment worldwide."

Dr Dominique Allwood

Dominique Allwood becomes an MBE for services to the NHS. She is Chief Executive Officer at Imperial College Health Partners, Director of Population Health at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at our School of Public Health.

Dr Allwood’s 20-year career encompasses clinical leadership, management, advisory and delivery, and has driven change across health and care practice including health innovation, healthcare and population health improvement, clinical engagement and learning health systems. In 2021, she was part of NHS Nightingale Hospital London senior leadership team that set up and delivered the surge response in wave two of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She trained as a doctor in London, including a year at Imperial studying Management and Medical Sciences (Intercalated BSc, 2002), when following a year working abroad in New Zealand, she became interested in the inequalities of healthcare and how the NHS back in the UK could do better. Now, in her role in Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, she is responsible for improving health equity and leading quality improvement.

She took up her role at Imperial College Health Partners in 2025 – a health innovation partnership working with universities, health service providers and industry to improve the health of North West London residents.

Dr Allwood said: "I am truly honoured to receive this recognition. Throughout my career, I’ve been driven by a desire to make healthcare fairer and more effective for everyone. The NHS is an incredible institution and a cornerstone of our society, but we know there are persistent inequalities that affect outcomes for many communities. My work has always focused on bringing people together - clinicians, innovators, and partners - to think differently about how we deliver care and improve population health. I want to thank the collective effort of so many colleagues who share that vision, and I’m excited to keep pushing for change that makes the system stronger and more equitable."

Further awards

Alumna Dr Catherine Mbema, who received an MBBS/BSc in Medicine at Imperial in 2007, has been awarded an MBE for services to Public Health.

Alumnus Professor Nicholas Howden, who has a PhD in Hydrology, Hydrogeology and Hydrogeochemistry, is being awarded an MBE for services to Water Management and to Education.

An MBE - which stands for Member of the Order of the British Empire - is awarded for an achievement or service in and to the community that is outstanding in its field and has delivered sustained and real impact that stands out as an example to others.