A professor of drug development at the Univeristy of Sunderland and emeritus professor of cancer therapeutics at Newcastle University has been recognised for his services with a CBE.

Herbie Newell, from Humshaugh, was the founding scientific director of the Northern Institute for Cancer Research at Newcastle University, and is past-chairman of the British Association for Cancer Research and of the Laboratory Research Division of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer.

He said: “I was delightfully surprised when I received the letter. It’s a huge testament to everybody who takes part in this important research work.”

Professor Newell was involved in the development of the registered cytotoxic anti-cancer agents carboplatin and ralitrexed, and until his retirement from Newcastle University in 2016 was working on the discovery and development of molecularly-targeted anti-cancer drugs and associated predictive and pharmacological biomarkers.

He is also is an author of more than 230 scientific articles and was editor-in-chief of the journal Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology until 2016.

In addition to his academic work, Professor Newell has consulted extensively for both pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and speaks widely at public meetings on behalf of Cancer Research UK.

He was director of translational research at Cancer Research UK from 2006 to 2009, and interim executive director of clinical and translational research in 2007/8.

In 2011, Professor Newell was elected to the UK Academy of Medical Sciences, and chaired the Medical Research Council until 2016.

He is also active in his local community as a correspondent for the Hexham Courant.