Speakers

Professor Mahendra Patel is a trailblazing and distinguished pharmacist. An elected member of the Royal College of Pharmacy as Vice -President, and Chair of the English Pharmacy Advisory Council. He is also Patron of the Commonwealth Pharmacy Association and has long championed inclusive professional practice. In the landmark COVID-19 trials, Mahendra pioneered inclusive recruitment strategies, helping to shape national and international policy. As part of the PANORAMIC team, he received the Prix Galien Award – equivalent to the “Nobel Prize” of biopharmaceutical research. As Founding Director of the Centre for Research Equity at Oxford University, he champions community-engaged research showcased at the WHO and UN - and has forged pioneering partnerships with government R&D agencies in Wales and Northern Ireland to advance health equity. He co-leads NIHR’s Race Equity Incubator, is Professional Advisor on Inclusive Practice to NHS England’s Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, and serves on the BMJ Commission on the Future of the NHS and until recently Independent Expert Member UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board. Among the first to receive a NICE Fellowship, he was awarded an OBE and was made Honorary Fellow of the RCGP in 2025 - the highest honour for a non-GP.