Professor Kamlesh Khunti

Kamlesh has made a significant improvement to the lives of people living with type 2 diabetes, and to the health of people from ethnic minorities. He has been responsible for major advances in the management of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, having published more than 1,000 academic papers which help to build an evidence base to improve clinical practice. As co-Director of the Leicester Diabetes Clinic (LDC), he has established an international centre of excellence in diabetes research in the city. The Centre now has more than 170 people carrying out studies designed to improve the lives of people with diabetes and is recognised across the world for its leading research, education and innovation. Kamlesh played a major role in improving the health of ethnic minority communities and was one of the first to spot the disproportional impact of COVID-19 on people from those minorities. He led a body of research throughout the pandemic, becoming a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), and Chair of the SAGE Ethnic Sub-panel. Quite an achievement for a boy who grew up in a crowded council house in Leicester and was told he would not make anything of himself. He was awarded the CBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours List.