In 2026, The Physiological Society celebrates its 150th anniversary: a landmark moment to celebrate physiologists past and present, the discoveries that have shaped our understanding of the body, and the community driving physiology forward. Throughout the year, we will mark this milestone with events, activities, and opportunities for engagement, reflecting on our history while looking ahead to the impact of the next 150 years.

Celebrate 150 years of physiology at the President’s Lecture and Awards Ceremony – the most prestigious event in The Society’s calendar and the start of our anniversary year.

This special evening will bring our community together to recognise outstanding contributions to physiology through the Awards Ceremony and to be inspired by the President’s Lecture. This year we are honoured to welcome Dame Sally Davies, who will present ‘Antimicrobial Resistance: The Challenge of Leadership.’

The event will be a moment to celebrate the excellence of our community, reflect on 150 years of physiology, and look forward to the discoveries and impact of the next 150.

Members can attend The President’s Lecture and Award Ceremony either in person at the Royal Society of Medicine in London or online. Please select the appropriate option during the booking process. Please note, in person attendance is limited and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

When booking online, there is also the option to join us for our Member Forum, which will be happening prior to The President’s Lecture from 12:30-16:00 GMT. For those attending in person, the two events will be held in the same building.

About Dame Sally Davies

Dame Sally Davies is the 40th Master of Trinity College, Cambridge University and the first woman to hold the post. She was appointed as the UK Government’s Special Envoy on AMR in 2019.

Dame Sally was the Chief Medical Officer for England and Senior Medical Advisor to the UK Government from 2011-2019. She is a leading figure in global health, having served as a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Executive Board 2014-2016, and as co-convener of the United Nations Inter-Agency Co-ordination Group (IACG) on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), reporting in 2019. In November 2020, Dame Sally was announced as a member of the new UN Global Leaders Group on AMR, serving alongside Heads of State, Ministers, and prominent figures from around the world to advocate for action on AMR.

In the 2020 New Year Honours, Dame Sally became the second woman to be appointed Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) for services to public health and research, having received her DBE in 2009. She was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 2014 and a member of the National Academy of Medicine, USA in 2015.