A ROMSEY woman was included in the Queen's birthday honours. Professor Catherine Law was awarded the CBE for services to public health.

Catherine, who already has an OBE, is head of the new Population, Policy and Practice programme at the University College London Institute of Child Health and Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology.

Professor Law graduated in medicine at the University of London in 1979 and trained in paediatrics and academic child health in the capital. And Professor Law went on to gain her doctorate at the Institute of Child Health and she also held an academic post at the Medical Research Council at the University of Southampton and held honorary posts in public health medicine with district and regional health authorities.

Currently Professor Law is chair of the Public Health Interventions Advisory Committee of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Professor Law who is married with two sons and has lived in Hampshire for 30 years said: “As a public health doctor I am very concerned about the health of our nation's children, particularly those already living in disadvantage. As a scientist, I believe that research is a powerful tool to promote population health and tackle the unfairness of health inequalities, and I hope this award recognises the importance of this science. I am privileged to work with wonderful colleagues at UCL Institute of Child Health and elsewhere - any award to me is theirs as well.”