Prestigious fellowship for four Velindre colleagues

23 April 2024

Four colleagues from across Velindre University NHS Trust have been honoured with a prestigious accolade.

The Learned Society of Wales has awarded Fellowships to Professor Mark Taubert and Dr Seema Arif, Clinical Director for Palliative Medicine and Consultant Clinical Oncologist respectively at Velindre Cancer Centre.

Also elected as Fellows from the Trust are Professor Peter Groves, Chairman of Health Technology Wales (one of the Trust’s hosted organisations), and Professor Andrew Westwell, an Independent Member of the Trust Board.

The Society has around 700 elected Fellows, representing excellence in the sciences, humanities, arts, social sciences and other fields. Each of whom have made an outstanding contribution to the world of learning and have a demonstrable connection to Wales.

Professor Taubert, one of the Trust’s cohort of newly-elected Fellows, said:

“It’s been a real privilege to be elected into this prestigious society for my academic and teaching achievements.

"The Learned Society of Wales also provides an exciting platform from which to promote the aspects of palliative care and future care planning that we urgently need to address.”

They join current Chair of Velindre University NHS Trust, Professor Donna Mead OBE, and former Palliative Care Consultant at the Cancer Centre, Professor Baroness Ilora Finlay, who were both elected as Fellows in 2020 and 2010 respectively.

Professor Donna Mead OBE said:

 “We are beyond proud to have four colleagues elected to Wales’ national academy for arts and sciences.

“The process for getting elected is extremely rigorous and each new Fellow has not only demonstrated outstanding performance in academic and scholarly achievement and practice but also for the contribution they have made to life in Wales. On behalf of the Trust, I send my pride and congratulations.”

The new Fellows will be formally accepted by the Society at its Annual General Meeting in Cardiff on 22 May.