Queen Mary University of London is delighted to congratulate Professor Chloe Orkin, who has been recognised with an MBE for services to NHS in the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours list.
The announcement of Professor Orkin’s MBE recognises her outstanding achievements as a world-leading HIV researcher, clinician, and medical, LGBTQ+ and disability leader.
The announcement of Chloe’s MBE falls in Pride Month, and there’s no better occasion to recognise Chloe’s fantastic achievements to medicine and equality, as well as her role as a prominent clinician activist leader for HIV communities and a medical, LGBTQ+ and disability leader.
Chloe Orkin is Professor of Infection and Inequities at Queen Mary and a Consultant Physician at Barts Health NHS Trust. She is Director of the SHARE Research Collaborative, where she specialises on new therapies for HIV.
Chloe’s pioneering research led to the licensing and implementation of the first-ever injectable treatment for HIV. The treatment improves the quality of life for people living with HIV – for the first time, people living with HIV could choose to receive treatment through an injection every two months, rather than take daily pills.
While Chair of the British HIV Association in 2017, she spearheaded the UK arm of the ‘Undetectable = Untransmissible’ (U=U) campaign, which highlighted that there is zero risk of HIV transmission for people taking effective antiretroviral treatment. The global campaign has been transformative in reducing stigma for people living with HIV.
Her ground-breaking research on the clinical features of mpox has shaped our understanding of the condition, and her work has set new standards and guidelines in the treatment of these conditions.
Orkin is equally committed to equity for healthcare professionals. She was the first LGBTQ+ President of the Medical Women’s Federation, the largest organisation representing medical women in the UK.
Chloe believes strongly in visible representation. She has spoken openly as a medical woman and an LGBTQ+ doctor. In 2022, Chloe wrote a piece for BMJ Leader discussing, for the first time openly, about her experiences of living with an invisible disability. Again, Chloe’s strong belief in visible representation made her a leader to disabled doctors and may others living with both visible and invisible disability.
Ove the past five years, Chloe has led the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (FMD) on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Lead as the EDI Lead and Athena SWAN Chair.
To mark her MBE, Chloe has compiled a list of activism resources, available at the bottom of this story.
On receiving her MBE, Professor Orkin said:
“‘Serving the NHS for the past 26 years has been an enormous privilege, and it means a great deal that my contribution has been deemed valuable. By seeing someone like me receiving an MBE, I hope that others will see that they too can be recognised for their contributions to society. I look forward to serving my patients and colleagues for the rest of my career.”
Professor Sir Mark Caulfield, VP Health at Queen Mary University of London said:
“I am delighted to congratulate Chloe on receiving an MBE for her services to the NHS. Not only is Chloe an exceptional clinician and researcher, but she is also a role model and leader for many groups who have faced – and continue to face - challenge and discrimination across the world.
Chloe spearheaded change toward greater equality in our Faculty, overseeing our successful application for a Gold Athena SWAN award in medicine in 2023.
Congratulations, Chloe. This is hugely well deserved.”
Professor Yvonne Gilleece, Chair of the British HIV Association, said:
"As a past chair of the British HIV Association, Chloe has contributed so much to the development of new treatments for HIV and worked consistently to champion those facing stigma because of their HIV status, gender or ethnicity. We are delighted to see her recognised for her contribution to both medicine and society."
Chloe has compiled a list of resources relating to her work on HIV, mpox, LGBT+ activism, and women in leadership.
Podcasts
Medical Women Podcast on leadership: The Medical Women Podcast: Episode 4: Stepping into leadership with Professor Chloe Orkin on Apple Podcasts
YANAF podcast: The Glass Slipper and Other Challenges for Women in Medicine - You Are Not a Frog
Research
Disability
Peer-reviewed publications on health equity
For media information, contact: