The Intensive Care Society has awarded Honorary Membership to IRR Group Leader Professor Kenneth Baillie, for his significant contributions to intensive care medicine - especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Professor Baillie leads a team using genetics and computer science to understand why some people become critically ill in intensive care - and how to help them survive and recover. Their work focuses on life-threatening conditions like sepsis, viral lung infections, and the impact of low oxygen levels. I’m honoured to be awarded an honorary member of the Intensive Care Society. It’s been a privilege to work alongside so many brilliant colleagues, especially during the extraordinary challenges of the pandemic. This recognition reflects the collective efforts of an incredible team, all driven by the same goal: to find better ways to save patients' lives. Professor Kenneth Baillie IRR Group Leader One of his most significant achievements is leading the ‘GenOMICC’ study, based at the Roslin Institute. This study which investigates how a person’s genes affect their susceptibility and response to critical illness. In 2020, just months after the first Covid-19 patient joined the study, Baillie’s team used genetic data to identify a promising treatment for critical Covid-19: the drug baricitinib. They later confirmed its effectiveness in a clinical trial - marking the first time a treatment for infectious disease or critical illness was successfully developed from genetic research. Beyond Covid, Professor Baillie’s group have developed powerful computer tools that combine data from many sources to better understand disease and identify new drug targets. They’ve also developed mathematical models of gas exchange which are used for teaching all over the world for understanding oxygen levels in the body. This builds on Professor Baillie’s early research in high-altitude medicine. This award celebrates a career dedicated to transforming how we understand and treat the most severe illnesses - and improving outcomes for patients in intensive care worldwide.Baillie profileGenOMICC studyRoslin InstituteIntensive Care Society Tags CIR Publication date 02 Jul, 2025
