Speakers

Professor Mahendra Patel FRPharmS is a trailblazing and distinguished pharmacist. A former RPS national board member and treasurer, and Patron of the Commonwealth Pharmacy Association, he 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 to England’s Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, and serves on the BMJ Commission on the Future of the NHS and the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board. Among the first to receive a NICE Fellowship, he was awarded an OBE and recently made Honorary Fellow of the RCGP – the highest honour for a non-GP.