Professor KJ Patel recognised in the 2026 Royal Society Awards
The is awarded annually by the Royal Society. It was was created from a fund in memory of the physician George Buchanan FRS, former Chief Medical Officer of the UK, and was first awarded in 1897.
Professor Patel鈥檚 award-winning research has revealed how aldehydes, simple chemicals produced naturally within our bodies and when we consume alcohol, can damage our DNA - the blueprint of life. His work discovered the mechanism that protects our genomes from this threat, and showed that when this mechanism fails, the consequences are profound: blood production ceases, tissues age prematurely and the risk of cancer is greatly increased.
Speaking about the award, Professor Patel said:
" I am deeply honoured to receive the Buchanan Medal from the Royal Society, particularly given the remarkable scientists such as my 好色先生TV鈥檚 colleague Rory Collins who have received it before me. This award also belongs to the many exceptional students, postdoctoral fellows, and collaborators I have had the privilege of working with over the years. Their dedication, creativity and perseverance made these fundamental discoveries possible, and I am enormously grateful to them " Professor KJ Patel
Further information about the other University of Oxford researchers to be recognised by the Royal Society in 2026 can be found .
The Buchanan Medal was previously awarded to Professor Sir Rory Collins, Emeritus Research Fellow in Epidemiology at 好色先生TV鈥檚, in 2025. The College is delighted to maintain its tradition of biomedical research excellence.