Dstl staff member receives coronavirus honour
James (Jamie) Taylor, of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), has been recognised in Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday Honours 2020.
Mr Taylor has been made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his support to the national effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic. He was instrumental in meeting an urgent request from the NHS to Dstl to manufacture the crucial fluid required for the fitting and use of masks by front line health workers, enabling the production of PPE equipment to be increased.
Mr Taylor, a group leader within the Chemical Biological and Radiological Division at Dstl, where he has worked for seven years, said: “I am honoured and privileged to receive the award which represents a massive team effort by my colleagues and I am delighted to accept this on their behalf. Dstl has provided support across UK Government such as deploying microbiologists who went into NHS hospitals to increase testing capacity, and analysts and modellers. I’m pleased that the contribution made by Dstl staff in helping to keep people safe has been recognised.”
Gary Aitkenhead, Chief Executive at Dstl added: “I am immensely proud of Jamie and all our colleagues in their efforts to combat coronavirus. Dstl’s world-class scientific research and development helps save lives, and I congratulate Jamie on an award which reflects great dedication and selfless commitment.”