Leicester GP Kamlesh Khunti receives CBE medal from King

Prof Khunti said he was "truly humbled" by his CBE

An academic and doctor has been presented with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) medal by King Charles III.

Leicester's Prof Kamlesh Khunti attended a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wednesday after being named in the 2022 New Year's Honours List.

He was given the honour for his services to health - particularly his work to improve the health of the city's ethnic minority community.

He said he was "truly humbled".

Prof Khunti, of the University of Leicester, has been responsible for major advances in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease research.

During the Covid 19 pandemic he became chair of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) ethnic sub-panel and was among the first to identify the disproportional impact of the virus on people from ethnic minorities.

Prof Khunti, who still practises part-time as a GP, also helped build up the Leicester Diabetes Centre team that carries out studies designed to improve the lives of people with the condition.

He said: "I am truly humbled and I would like to dedicate the award to my team at the Leicester Diabetes Centre, the University of Leicester, my staff at the Hockley Farm Medical Practice and most of all to my family."

Prof Khunti is also the director of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East Midlands and the founding director of the Centre for Ethnic Health Research.