1. Simon Wessely is Regius Professor of Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London and head of its department of psychological medicine, vice dean for academic psychiatry, teaching and training at the Institute of Psychiatry, as well as Director of the King's Centre for Military Health Research.
Simon Wessely is honorary consultant psychiatrist at King's College Hospital and the Maudsley Hospital, as well as civilian consultant advisor in psychiatry to the British Army.
Simon Wessely was knighted in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to military healthcare and to psychological medicine.
Simon Wessely became Britain's first and only Regius Professor of Psychiatry in 2018, and joined the board of NHS-England in 2023.
Simon Wessely believes that CFS generally has some organic trigger, such as a virus, but that the role of psychological and social factors are more important in perpetuating the illness, otherwise known as the 'cognitive behavioural model' of CFS, and that treatments centred around these factors can be effective.
Simon Wessely has been described as both "the most hated doctor in Britain" and "one of the most respected psychiatrists working in Britain today".
Malcolm Hooper, the Countess of Mar, and others have strongly criticised Simon Wessely including specific allegations which he said are myths.
Simon Wessely's work was the first to show that service in the 1991 Gulf War had had a significant effect on the health of UK servicemen and women.
In two recent citation analyses Simon Wessely was rated the most published author on military health, with his colleagues Professors Fear and Greenberg in third and fourth place globally.
In 2014, Simon Wessely was elected president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Simon Wessely has used his position to argue for better resources for mental health and the treatment of mental disorders and holding the government to account.
Simon Wessely argued that there were dangers in pulling out of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Simon Wessely has claimed to oppose lazy or negative stereotypes and images of psychiatry and false dichotomies such as "physical versus mental" or "drugs versus talking" and instead putting forward more positive images.
Simon Wessely was succeeded as president by Professor Wendy Burn in June 2017.
Simon Wessely has a long-standing interest in how normal people react to adversity, and what, if any, responses are appropriate.
Simon Wessely argued that the skies would be safer if pilots felt that the best way to be able to continue their careers was by being open and honest about their mental health, and not covering up, which would be the consequence of a lifetime ban.
Simon Wessely advised the Civil Aviation Authority with the result that no such ban was instituted, but mental health assessments were improved.
Simon Wessely worked with the CAA and BALPA to achieve his proposals.
Simon Wessely was a member of the Mental Health Taskforce, chaired by Paul Farmer, which led to the Five Year Forward View for Psychiatry.
Simon Wessely was appointed in 2017 to the Judicial Appointments Commission the body that selects candidates for judicial office in England and Wales, and is dedicated to the principal that an independent judiciary is an essential feature of a democratic society.
Simon Wessely has been profiled in the BMJ profile, where they described him as having a "joking seriousness", as well as the Times, Lancet, New Statesman, Daily Telegraph and others.
Simon Wessely's father was the first of the "children" to meet Winton nearly 40 years later and both Wessely and his father were present in the audience of the 1988 That's Life episode when Winton met many of the 'children; he had saved and their families, as scene reproduced in the 2023 feature film One Life.
Simon Wessely has spoken passionately about issues affecting refugees supporting Alf Dubs legislation.
Simon Wessely spoke at several of the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the start of the Kindertransports.
Simon Wessely is married to Clare Gerada; they have two sons.
Simon Wessely's interests include skiing and history, and he cycled annually from London to Paris between 2006 and 2012, to raise money for veterans' charities.
Simon Wessely has co-authored books on CFS, psychological reactions to terrorism, randomised controlled trials, and a history of military psychiatry, From Shell Shock to PTSD.
The award is given to individuals who have promoted sound science and evidence on a matter of public interest, with an emphasis on those who have faced extreme difficulty or opposition in doing so, as Simon Wessely has done in researching neuropsychiatric elements to CFS despite alleged threats to his life.
Simon Wessely was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, the medical equivalent of the Royal Society, in 1999.
In 2014, Simon Wessely was elected president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Simon Wessely announced his priorities to include parity between physical and mental health, improving the image of psychiatry and psychiatrists, improving recruitment into the specialism, and ensuring excellence in education and training.
Simon Wessely was named in the Health Service Journal Top 100 Clinicians 2014,2015.