Wednesday, 06 November 2019
Buckingham Palace honour for Nottingham professor
A University of Nottingham professor was invited to Buckingham Palace this week to be officially honoured for his contribution to improving eye healthcare, health education and pioneering research into ophthalmology.
Harminder Dua, Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, in the University’s School of Medicine, and his family travelled to London on Tuesday 5 November for the investiture ceremony, where he was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cambridge.
The ceremony followed the announcement of his CBE during this summer’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
“It’s a great day out for the whole family. The significance of the award itself was almost overpowered by the experience of the occasion.”
Professor Dua was among almost 70 other people receiving their honours in the ceremony, held in the lavish Buckingham Palace ballroom. During his investiture he spent several minutes chatting to the Duke about opthalmology research and his specialist areas of expertise, corneal disease, which threatens the sight of millions of people around the world, and developments in corneal transplants.
Professor Dua’s most famous contribution to ophthalmology was his research group’s discovery of a previously undetected layer of the human cornea in 2013. His work to develop our understanding of this Pre-Decemet layer – also dubbed Dua’s Layer - has already informed three new surgical techniques and made lamellar corneal transplantation safer.
He served as co-Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Ophthalmology and is a past president of both EuCornea and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. He was made Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in September 2018.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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