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LSTM would like to congratulate Professor Moses Bockarie from its Department of Vector Biology, after it was announced earlier this week that he will be awarded this year’s Mackay Medal by the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH).
The Medal, which is awarded annually by the RSTMH and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) alternately, is named after Dr Donald Mackay, who was the Deputy Director of the Ross Institute at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and died in 1981. It has been awarded since 1990 and is given for outstanding work in tropical health, especially relating to improvements in the health of rural and urban workers in the tropics.
Professor of Tropical Health Sciences, Professor Bockarie completed both his MSc and PhD at LSTM and returned here in 2008 when he was appointed as Director of the Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, currently known as the Filarial Programmes Support Unit. Following his PhD he returned to his home country of Sierra Leone to continue his work as a medical entomologist before moving to the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research and later joining the Center for Global Health and diseases at Case Western University to continue his work on NTDs. He is a member of several professional societies and has adjunct faculty positions in Papua New Guinea and Australia as well as being a member of the WHO panel of experts on parasitic infections.
On learning that he was to be awarded The Mackay Medal, Professor Bockarie said: “I am delighted that I will receive this medal, particularly as it is awarded in memory of someone known for their dedication and commitment. It is a real honour to have the work that I have carried out throughout my career, especially in relation to vector borne diseases and NTDs recognised in this way.”
Professor Hilary Ranson who is the Head of LSTM’s Department of Vector Biology, added her congratulations to Professor Bockarie. She said: “Moses’ continued dedication to the field of tropical medicine makes him very worthy recipient of this award. He has worked tirelessly towards the elimination of diseases that cause enormous suffering, affecting some of the poorest communities in the world.”
Professor Bockarie will receive his medal at an awards ceremony during RSTMH’s Challenges in Disease Elimination meeting, in Cambridge in September.