Plastic surgeon honoured by King for creating world-leading centre and inspiring excellence in Wales

 A Swansea University plastic surgeon who combines teaching and groundbreaking research with his clinical duties has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list.

Professor Iain Whitaker holds the Chair of Plastic Surgery in Swansea University Medical School and is also honorary consultant plastic surgeon at the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery at Morriston Hospital.

He was appointed OBE in recognition of his services to plastic surgery (clinical, research and training).

Professor Whitaker said he was deeply honoured. “I am thankful to receive recognition for more than 20 years of work within the specialty of plastic surgery and would like to thank all those involved in my nomination and acknowledge that this is also a reflection of the achievements and contributions of the organisations, communities and individuals that I work with.

“My aim has been to work tirelessly to investigate ways to improve patient care, whilst building a multidisciplinary team and inspiring the brightest and the best surgeons in training to come to Wales and raise the profile of the nation.”

After reading medicine at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and specialising in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, he trained in the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, USA, Australia and France and was awarded the Plastic Surgery Fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons. At the age of 36 he became the youngest professor of any discipline of surgery in the UK when he was appointed as a full Professor at Swansea University.

In 2012 Professor Whitaker became the founding director of The ReconRegen Research Centre, at the University which has brought together more than 20 multidisciplinary professionals. A £2.5 million research programme at the centre, funded by the Scar Free Foundation and Health & Care Research Wales, was officially launched in 2022 by the then Duchess of Wessex

He is currently leading the £2.07 million research project 3D Bioface, pioneering 3D bioprinting techniques to create cartilage for facial reconstruction using human cells in combination with natural bio-ink. This work has been completed in parallel with the largest global study of the physical and psychological burden of facial scars.

Among his professional roles, Professor Whitaker was Health & Care Research Wales Surgical Specialty Lead and the first person in the UK to hold a joint academic scholarship from the American Association of Plastic Surgeons and the European Association of Plastic Surgeons to form a collaboration with Harvard Medical School.

He has also published more than 300 papers and five books while serving on multiple journal editorial boards.