On the 8^th September, Professor Sheila Bird, Programme Leader at MRC Biostatistics Unit (BSU), was presented with a Royal Statistical Society (RSS) Honour at the RSS Annual International Conference.

The inaugural Howard Medal, for excellence in the field of social statistics, is awarded for Sheila’s important and notable contributions to the development and application of methodology for studying prisoners’ welfare. As well as her advocacy of good practice in social statistics, particularly in the analysis of crime and for death registrations, where the cause of death is not fully established.

This is a significant honour and recognises the outstanding methodological work Sheila has done on record linkage on prisoner’s health, over the last 20 years. Sheila is the only statistician to have received four medals from the RSS.

Sheila said: “I am of course delighted to receive the Howard Medal from the Royal Statistical Society, not least because it shows the importance that the Royal Statistical Society and the MRC accord to research on prisoners’ health and to making discoveries by record linkage.“

Congratulations Sheila.

For more information on the RSS and the other honours awarded, please go to: www.statslife.org.uk/news/2087-society-announces-honours-for-2015