Queen Mary staff and alumni recognised in 2026 New Year Honours

Queen Mary alumnus Professor Christopher Tredwin, Dean and Institute Director for the Institute of Dentistry at the University, received an MBE for services to general dental practice, fellow alumnus Martin Uden, International Partnerships Advisor at Queen Mary, received an OBE for services to British Veterans of the Korean War, and to UK/Korea relations; alumnus Dr Alexander Rhys an OBE for services to healthcare and the LGBTQ+ community; and alumna Professor Frances Wall was recognised with an OBE for services to geoscience and sustainable resource development. Finally, Honorary Fellow Dr Tristram Hunt received a Knighthood for services to museums. 

Professor Christopher Tredwin MBE, for services to general dental practice

Professor Christopher (Chris) Tredwin graduated from Queen Mary with a degree in Dental Surgery in 1996. From there, he carried out specialist training in restorative dentistry and pursued a career in academia. In addition to his roles as Professor of Restorative Dentistry, Dean for Dentistry and Director of the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary, Chris is an Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at Barts Health NHS Trust.

Throughout his career, Chris has maintained a passion for, and commitment to, general and specialist dental practice. He has spearheaded several educational initiatives for dental students at Queen Mary and during his time at the University of Plymouth, where he served as Head of the Dental School.

Chris returned to Queen Mary in 2023 to take up the role of Dean for Dentistry. Since then, among other achievements, he has been instrumental in establishing two dental training clinics in East London, which not only provide Queen Mary students with the opportunity to put their skills into practice, but also offers high-quality dental care in areas where many people struggle to access dental care.

The need for, and success of, these clinics was recognised earlier this year when the Prime Minister, Secretary of State and Health Secretary selected one as the location to launch the new NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England. There, they met with Chris and spoke to Queen Mary students about what it’s like to provide care for the people of East London. Building on these success of these clinics, another is due to open in central Barking in late 2026. Chris is also an active researcher, having published over 80 papers, supervised 17 PhD students and over 50 Masters projects to date.

On receiving the award, Chris said: “I am deeply honoured to receive this MBE. It is a recognition I share with everyone who has supported and walked with me on my journey in Dentistry.”

Martin Uden OBE, for services to British Veterans of the Korean War and to UK/Korea relations

Martin graduated from Queen Mary in Law (LLB) in 1976 and was called to the Bar in 1977, the same year he joined the Foreign Office. A former British diplomat who served three times at the British Embassy in Seoul, Martin has dedicated his career to building relations between the UK and Korea and has become an advocate for honouring and remembering the British servicemen who died in Korea during the Korean War.

Martin served as Ambassador to the British Embassy in Seoul between 2008 and 2011. After retiring from the Foreign Office, Martin served as Chief Executive of the British Korean Society and is the National President of the British Korean War Veterans Association.

Martin has written biographies and searched for photos of as many of the approximately 1,078 British servicemen who died in the Korean War, many of whom are buried in the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan where there are over 800 identified graves.

Throughout his career, Martin remained in contact with his Alma Mater, giving career talks and providing mentorship to Queen Mary students. Then, in 2017 he formally returned to Queen Mary, not as a student but as International Partnerships Advisor. In this role, he works to raise awareness of Queen Mary’s international work and our many strengths – such as our multicultural essence, social mission, expertise in health and the environment – among British Ambassadors and High Commissioners within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

On receiving this honour, Martin said: “I am thrilled that this award shows that the UK's role in the Korean War, the sacrifice of over 1,000 servicemen and all the British veterans themselves have not been forgotten. The War was an immensely pivotal part of the world's history some 75 years ago and we should remember the 10,000s of British servicemen (most of them doing their National Service) who contributed to the victory of freedom.”

Dr Alexander Rhys, OBE for services to healthcare and the LGBTQ+ community

Dr Alexander Rhys earned his PhD in molecular oncology from Queen Mary’s Barts Cancer Institute. Following his doctoral research at Barts Cancer Institute, Alexander has built a career spanning healthcare leadership, patient safety, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. He currently serves as CEO of two organisations: the Infection Prevention Society, a professional membership organisation with over 2,050 members working to reduce healthcare-associated infections, and It Gets Better UK, a charity he founded in 2017 that has reached over 2.5 million LGBTQ+ young people.

Dr Rhys's healthcare career includes leading the regulatory education arrangements that enabled the emergency deployment of 43,000 student nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic across all four UK nations. Under his leadership, It Gets Better UK has become a nationally recognised charity, twice named one of the top 10 charities of the year at the British LGBT Awards.

"I'm deeply honoured by this recognition," said Dr Rhys. "My time at Barts Cancer Institute instilled in me a commitment to rigorous, evidence-based approaches to improving health outcomes. That scientific grounding has informed everything I've done since - whether working to prevent healthcare-associated infections or developing mental health interventions for LGBTQ+ young people."

Professor Frances Wall, OBE for services to geoscience and sustainable resource development

Professor Frances Wall earned a BSC in geochemistry at Queen Mary, graduating in 1984. Today she is Professor of Applied Mineralogy at Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter.

Professor Wall’s eminent career has included many honours, among them being named one of the 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining 2016 and being awarded the William Smith medal of the Geological Society of London for applied and economic aspects of geology in 2019.

Dr Tristram Hunt, Knighted for services to museums

Dr Tristram Hunt was a lecturer in Modern History at Queen Mary from 2001 to 2010 and received an honorary fellowship at the University in 2019. He has had a distinguished career, serving as Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central from 2010-2017 and was Shadow Secretary of State for Education from 2013-15. Hunt is also a well-known broadcaster and writer. Since 2017 he has been Director of one of the UK’s most lauded museums, the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Professor Colin Bailey CBE, President and Principal of Queen Mary, said: “I am delighted to offer my congratulations, and those of everyone in the Queen Mary community, to Professor Chris Tredwin on receiving an MBE and Martin Uden, Dr Alexander Rhys and Professor Frances Wall on receiving OBEs, and to Dr Tristram Hunt on receiving a Knighthood in The King’s New Year Honours. 

“The contributions of Chris, Martin, Alexander, Frances and Tristram to their respective fields are outstanding and have had a positive impact, not only on our staff and students, but millions of other people in our local communities and across the world. 

“They exemplify the traits of leadership, research quality and education excellence that makes Queen Mary – and our global alumni community – what it is, and it is fantastic to see the work they have done, and continue to do, be recognised with these honours.”

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