Professor the Lord Ara Darzi of Denham OM KBE PC, an Alumnus of RCSI, has recently been admitted to the UK's Order of Merit for outstanding contribution to medicine and global health. He was one of three new admissions to the Order, which were announced as part of the Queen's New Year's Honours 2016.

The Order of Merit is considered the United Kingdom's highest honour as recipients are selected directly by the head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, and are limited to only 24 living members. The Order of Merit is awarded to those who have rendered exceptionally meritorious services towards the advancement of science, the arts, literature and learning.

Lord Darzi is an Alumnus of the College, graduating from the Class of 1984. In 2013, he received an Honorary Doctorate of RCSI, which was bestowed on him at the School of Medicine conferring ceremony. 

He holds the Paul Hamlyn Chair of Surgery at Imperial College, London and is an Honorary Consultant Surgeon at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and the Royal Marsden NHS Trust Hospitals. In October 2010 Lord Darzi was appointed as Director for the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College. 

He was knighted for his services in Medicine and Surgery in 2002 by Queen Elizabeth II. Lord Darzi was introduced to the United Kingdom's House of Lords in 2007 as Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham and appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health. He relinquished this role in July 2009. Under appointment (July 2009 - March 2013) as United Kingdom's Global Ambassador for Health and Life Sciences, Lord Darzi took an active international role in outlining and shaping healthcare policy. Lord Darzi was appointed as a member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council in June 2009 and was also elected as Fellow of the Royal Society in 2013.