Monday, 27 October 2025
The School of Pharmacy at the University of Nottingham is kicking off centenary celebrations to mark 100 years of excellence in pharmaceutical science, education, and healthcare.
The centenary year will begin on Monday 3 November 2025 with the Professor Joy Wingfield Memorial Lecture, titled “Looking Back – Looking Forward: 100 Years of Pharmacy at the University of Nottingham.”
The event will feature reflections from alumni and leaders in the pharmacy profession, including Digby Emson OBE, Amandeep Doll, and Professor Barrie Kellam, and will include a special exhibition of historical artefacts from the Boots archive, celebrating the long-standing connection between the University and one of Nottingham’s most iconic pharmacy institutions.
The celebrations will follow the themes of Health, Heritage, and Horizons, exploring the school’s impact and innovations in healthcare, its rich history in Nottingham, and the close partnerships with local and global industry that have shaped the school. With alumni in 89 countries, the School’s reach and influence extend far beyond the city, but its roots remain firmly in Nottingham’s tradition of world-class science and innovation.
Since its establishment in 1925, the School of Pharmacy has enjoyed many notable successes and a long-standing partnership with Boots, which was a key driver of its early growth through scholarships that enabled Boots employees to study at the school. One distinguished alumnus of this scheme was Dr Stewart Adams, who went on to develop ibuprofen whilst at Boots. Other significant achievements include Professor Malcolm Stevens’ pioneering research on temozolomide for brain cancer and the creation of successful spin-out companies that have helped shape Nottingham’s medical landscape by translating research into innovative products and services for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.
These achievements and delivering an excellent student experience and research portfolio has seen the school now ranked 12th globally and 4th in the UK (QS 2025), with 96% of research rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent.’
As we celebrate 100 years of the School of Pharmacy, we are immensely proud of the achievements of our community, past and present. This centenary is not only an opportunity to reflect on our history, but to look forward to the next century of progress. The role of pharmacists is evolving rapidly, with growing opportunities in clinical practice, independent prescribing, and the application of platform technologies to transform how medicines are developed and delivered. Nottingham will continue to lead in these areas, driving innovation and preparing our graduates to meet the healthcare challenges of the future.
Karen Alvey, Anne McLaren Fellow in the School of Pharmacy and Director of the Centenary celebrations, said: “The centenary has been a wonderful opportunity to celebrate everything that makes the School of Pharmacy special: our people, our partnerships, and our place in the wonderful city of Nottingham. It’s been fantastic to reconnect with alumni from around the world and to share our pride in a School that continues to shape the future of pharmacy.”
If you are interested in joining the celebrations and attending the Joy Wingfield Lecture sign up here.
There is also a Pharmacy Centenary website where forthcoming events, alumni stories and research are featured.
Story credits
More information is available from Karen Alvey on Karen.Alvey@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 97 in the world and 17th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of 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 third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 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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