Leicester GP Receives International Award for Medical Research

Kamlesh Khunti, who is also a city GP and Co-Director of the Leicester Diabetes Centre, has been honoured with the prestigious Sardar Patel International Award for ‘Excellence in Medical Research’ at a ceremony in Delhi, India on Saturday 8 February.

Professor Khunti is the 8th recipient of the award, which was granted by the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Foundation of India.

The Foundation selects personalities whose contributions have benefited society, and its main objective is to concentrate upon health awareness and education programme implementation.

Professor Khunti said: “I am absolutely honoured to receive this award, which is in recognition of the work that Professor Melanie Davies and I with our Leicester Diabetes Team from the University of Leicester have been undertaking in South Asia over the past 14 years.

“Our research group leads the work in migrant south Asians internationally with many of our programmes of research resulting in improved care of migrant people of South Asian origin and key recommendations in national guidelines - including National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.”

The Leicester Diabetes Centre is an alliance between the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (Leicester’s Hospitals), the University of Leicester, the local community and Primary Care and is located at Leicester General Hospital.

The Sardar Patel International Award launched in October 31 2006 on the 131st anniversary of Sardar Patel’s birth – one of the founding fathers of the Republic of India.

The award aims to promote his philosophies and teachings, both at a national and international level.