Professor Daniel Kelly receives OBE for his services to Cancer Care Research and Education, Nationally and Internationally

Professor Daniel Kelly has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours for ‘services to cancer care research and education, nationally and internationally’. Professor Kelly is hugely recognised for his long-standing research career at a domestic and international level and for his position as Chair of Nursing Research at the Royal College of Nursing. We talk to him about his recent and well-deserving achievement:

Congratulations Professor Kelly on receiving your OBE – a true honour for yourself and for the School of Healthcare Sciences. How do you feel?

It was a surprise and a real honour to receive this award. I was especially pleased as it was for my contribution to cancer care education and research at a national and international level. Since receiving the OBE it has been fantastic to have heard from so many people from across my whole career.

Nursing helps to  bring health policy to life, whether they work in hospital, care or public health roles. I am very proud to work in a Russell Group university that educates young people to become the future workforce and leaders of our NHS. As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown this is an important civic role of the modern university.

How did you get to where you are today?

I was fortunate to undertake the integrated Nursing and Social Science degree at Edinburgh University. We studied a full range of subjects and my degree included Psychology, Sociology, English Literature and Archaeology as well as Nursing Studies. After graduating, I worked in cancer or hospice care for a number of years before moving into education at the Royal Marsden Hospital. I have been involved in research roles in the NHS or universities since 1998.

When did you join Cardiff University?

I joined Cardiff University in 2011 when Professor Sheila Hunt recruited a number of professors to help raise nursing research activity. There was only one professor at the time and few people were applying for academic promotion. I planned to stay for 3 years but am still here 10 years later! That's because Healthcare Sciences is such a great school with wonderful colleagues. My joint role with the RCN also keeps me in close contact with clinical colleagues.     

Your contribution to Nursing research is extensive. Is there a particular area of your work you’re most proud of?

I have enjoyed working at an international level, most recently as co-chair of the HPV Action Network of the European Cancer Organisation. I have spoken in the European parliament more than once over the past two years as we are encouraging WHO Europe countries to promote HPV screening and vaccination. This will prevent many cancers in later life and a project to achieve this goal starts soon.

You can find out more about Professor Kelly’s career, research and publications here. You can also follow him on Twitter: @profdkelly