A pioneering geneticist and a clinical chair in surgery have both been recognised in the New Year's Honours.
Professor Zosia Miedzybrodzka, Professor of Medical Genetics at University of Aberdeen, Service Clinical Director of Genetics at NHS Grampian and NHS Clinical Lead for Huntington’s Disease in North of Scotland (covering Grampian, Highland, Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles), based in NHS Grampian, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Professor Angus Watson, Clinical Chair in Surgery at the University of Aberdeen and Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) has also been awarded an OBE for his contributions to surgery and surgical research.
Recognised for her services to genetics medicine and research and for her role as an Honorary Consultant Clinical Geneticist and Service Clinical Director of Genetics at NHS Grampian, Professor Miedzybrodzka’s inclusion in the New Year Honour’s comes 75 years after her RAF test pilot father Leslaw Miedzybrodzki was awarded the King's Commendation for Valuable Service (KCVS) in the Air on 29 December 1950.
“I'm so blown away and really moved to get this recognition for all the years I've been trying to just do my best for people with genetics conditions and realise now it’s been noticed,” she said.
"Half my work is for the University doing research and teaching medical genetics and the other half is practicing as a doctor specialising in genetics but also leading an NHS team including labs, genetic doctors, nurses and admin staff.
"It's a long established clinic and I've been very pleased to lead it all these years. Our team look after people who live in NHS Highland, Orkney, Shetland and the Northern half of the Western Isles.
"None of this would be possible without my team who all pull together and all really care about patients. Whether that's the receptionists and clinic admin staff, our super dedicated nurses, genetic counsellors or medical and university colleagues, it's also the lab team who make individual test results available to patients with huge dedication and I totally want to thank them all for what they do."
Professor Miedzybrodzka’s work ensures that advances in genetic research - for rare diseases, cancer risk, and inherited disorders - translates into real diagnostic services, testing programmes and preventive screening for communities in Scotland.
She led a research team which identified a specific variant of the gene BRCA1 linked to a historic origin on the island of Westray in the Orkney archipelago. This variant is associated with significantly increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer among carriers and is believed to be the first time within the UK that such a geographic ancestral link to a cancer-risk gene variant has been established.
This led to a pilot genetic testing programme offering screening to Westray residents with appropriate ancestry, regardless of personal or family history of cancer.
She is also Clinical Lead for Huntington’s Disease (HD) in the North of Scotland and has co-authored recent important epidemiological research mapping the prevalence of the HD gene expansion in Northern Scotland.
Professor Miedzybrodzka leads clinical research for HD treatments and has contributed to research on the needs of children and young people growing up in families affected by HD. This work helped shape support and services to address the psychosocial impact of inheritable neurodegenerative conditions.
Early in her career, she led major studies on conditions such as Clubfoot including a large study involving over 1,000 families across the UK, the Netherlands and even Vanuatu which suggested that variations in a gene involved in folate metabolism might contribute to clubfoot risk.
NHS Grampian Deputy Chief Executive June Brown commented: "Huge congratulations to Zosia whose contributions to patient care and research are outstanding. Her work will positively impact families for generations to come and we are extremely proud of all that she has and continues to achieve. Zosia leads a valued NHS service at the same time as contributing to ground-breaking discoveries in the field of genetics."
Professor Watson’s research portfolio meanwhile is centred on colon capsule endoscopy (CCE), early detection of colorectal cancer and the use of AI to assist image interpretation.
Over the last decade he has led research into CCE, which provides a less invasive way to detect bowel problems, including cancer. Patients swallow a pill-sized camera that captures thousands of images of the bowel lining, reducing reliance on traditional colonoscopies and improving patient access and comfort. His team’s work has led to the widescale adoption of CCE across the NHS.
Professor Watson assumed the role of Vice President at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in November 2025, after initially joining its Council in 2018. He also chairs RCSEd's Research Committee and Global Care Group and the NHS Scotland Colon Capsule (ScotCap) programme.
During his time with RCSEd, Professor Watson has also led a range of initiatives, such as the Scottish Surgical Boot Camp which has trained over 600 Resident Surgeons over the last 15 years.
He runs the UK RCSEd Medical Student Surgical Skills competition which has seen over 6,000 aspiring surgeons enter the and he volunteers for UK-Med and has recently returned from his second mission to Gaza where he works in the Field Hospital looking after the war-injured. Professor Watson has been a consultant for over 20 years and works as an honorary colorectal surgeon at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.
He said: “I am honoured that the work we have done has been recognised. Delivering improved outcomes for patients and empowering the surgeons of the future is a team effort and I am grateful to all my collaborators and mentors who have helped me on this journey.”
University Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Edwards, said: “These honours are a fitting tribute to the outstanding work and commitment to their respective fields as shown by Professor Miedzybrodzka and Professor Watson over many years.
“I am delighted that Professor Miedzybrodzka’s pioneering work at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian has been recognised with an OBE. Her combination of scientific research, clinical practice, public health planning, and policy advising has made her a leader in the development of modern genomic medicine in Scotland.
“Over the last decade Professor Angus Watson has combined frontline colorectal surgical practice with high-impact research - notably leading Scotland’s national colon capsule (ScotCap) programme which has pioneered routine capsule endoscopy in the NHS and has driven research into AI-assisted image interpretation.”
ENDS