A longstanding brain surgeon at King’s College Hospital and Guy’s Hospital has been awarded a fellowship to recognise his pioneering work in the field.
Professor Mike Gleeson helped develop the practice of skull base surgery, which did not even exist when he was a student. He has also written more than 120 papers, written or edited ten prize-winning surgical textbooks, has contributed 90 chapters to books and has given almost 200 presentations to institutions and surgical societies around the world.
Prof Gleeson was given a fellowship by King’s College London (KCL) last week, along with former Bermondsey MP Sir Simon Hughes, who was given an honorary fellowship. Both were leading members of the campaign to ‘save Guy’s’ in the early 1990s, when the Conservative government merged the hospital into a trust with St Thomas’.
Prof Gleeson “has also been very supportive of students outside the classroom and laboratory,” according to a citation given when the award was handed out at a ceremony on Friday (July 29). “For example, he has been president of the KCL Boat Club for almost 35 years and used the role to attract considerable philanthropy for student scholarships to King’s. He continues his involvement with the wider Kings Health Partners as the current Chair of the Friends of Guys & St Thomas’ [charity].
“Professor Gleeson has brought honour to himself and to King’s by his contributions to surgery and has proved a loyal and active member of KCL’s community in all respects. His consistent and outstanding contribution to King’s and its associated hospitals greatly merits recognition by the award of the Fellowship.”