Dolly the sheep's creator to be knighted

Prof Ian Wilmut, the man who cloned Dolly the sheep 10 years ago, receives a knighthood in the New Year honours for his services to science.

His controversial research, which prompted one newspaper to ask, "Could we now raise the dead?" caught the imagination - and the anxieties - of the public and inspired imitators in laboratories around the world.

But the technique has not to date achieved the breakthroughs predicted, and Wilmut was last month reported to have abandoned cloning in favour of other methods of creating stem cells to study motor neurone disease.

Director of the Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Wilmut is one of three Edinburgh University staff to gain knighthoods in Gordon Brown's first honours, alongside the principal, Prof Tim O'Shea, and Prof John Savill, head of the university's college of medicine and vice-principal.

The success of the British Library, the UK's largest public building of the 20th century, has brought the title of dame for Lynne Brindley, its chief executive, and a knighthood for John Ashworth, former director of the London School of Economics and vice-chancellor of Salford University, who chaired the board.

Distinguished medical scientists honoured include Prof Kay Davies, an expert on muscular dystrophy at Oxford University, who becomes a dame. There are knighthoods for Oxford's Prof John Bell, who is president of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and Prof Bruce Ponder, director of the Cancer Research UK institute at Cambridge. Prof Alexander Markham, former chief executive of Cancer Research UK, and Robert Naylor, chief executive of University College London Hospitals, are also knighted.

But there was no knighthood for Prof Colin Blakemore, who stepped down as chief executive of the Medical Research Council this year. Despite being nominated several times, his outspoken support for the need for animal experimentation appears to have made him too controversial for Whitehall to the anger of many scientists. He succeeded Sir George Radda in the job and has now been followed in the job by Sir Leszek Borysiewicz.

Editing the definitive text of the 16th century play 'Tis Pity She's a Whore has been a small part of the literary scholarship that has earned a knighthood for Prof Brian Vickers of the University of London's School of Advanced Study. There is also a knighthood for Prof Roger Jowell of City University, co-founder and director of the European Social Survey, an expert on social attitudes and voting behaviour.

The vice-chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, Prof Michael Brown, receives a CBE.

Knighthoods

John Ashworth, former chairman of the British Library board, for public service

Prof John Bell, regius professor of medicine, University of Oxford, and president, Academy of Medical Sciences, for services to medicine

The vice-chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, Prof Michael Brown, receives a CBE.

Prof Roger Jowell, CBE, co-founder and director, European Social Survey, and research professor, City University, for services to social science

Prof Alexander Markham, lately chief executive, Cancer Research UK, for services to medicine

Prof Robert Naylor, chief executive, University College London Hospitals, for services to medicine

Prof Timothy O'Shea, principal and vice-Chancellor, University of Edinburgh, for services to higher education

Prof Bruce Ponder, head, department of oncology, University of Cambridge, and Li Ka Shing professor and director, Cancer Research UK at Cambridge, for services to medicine

Prof John Savill, professor of experimental medicine, head of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, and vice-principal, University of Edinburgh, for services to clinical science

Prof Brian Vickers, senior fellow, school of advanced study, University of London, for services to literary scholarship

Prof Ian Wilmut, OBE, director, Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine, for services to science

Dames of the British Empire

Lynne Brindley, chief executive, British Library, for services to education

Prof Kay Davies, CBE, Lee's professor of anatomy, University of Oxford, and director, functional genetics unit, Medical Research Council, for services to Science

CBE

Margaret Bent, senior research fellow, All Souls college, Oxford, for services to musicology

Prof Michael Brown, vice-chancellor, Liverpool John Moores University, for services to higher education and to the community in Liverpool

Prof Anthony Ferguson, professor of molecular parasitology, University of Dundee, for services to Science

Prof Stephen Furber, ICL professor of computer engineering, University of Manchester, for services to computer science

Prof Christine Hawley, architect and teacher, for services to architectural education

Prof Ole Petersen, George Holt professor of physiology, University of Liverpool and Medical Research Council research professor, for services to Science

Prof Martyn Poliakoff, research professor in chemistry, University of Nottingham, for services to science

Prof Seona Reid, director, Glasgow School of Art, for services to the creative industries

Prof Brian Spratt, professor of molecular microbiology, Imperial College faculty of medicine, London, for services to science

OBE

Prof Robert Cassen, emeritus fellow, St. Antony's college, Oxford, and visiting professor, London School of Economics, for services to education

Prof Lou Kushnick, lately honorary professorial fellow in race relations, University of Manchester, for services to the community and to higher education

Prof Elaine Martin, professor in industrial statistics, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for services to science

Peter Neumann, tutor in mathematics, Queen's college, Oxford, and lately chairman, UK Mathematics Trust, for services to education

Prof Andrew Thomson, lately dean, faculty of science, University of East Anglia, for services to higher education

Ian Tunbridge, executive director, Combined Universities in Cornwall and lately dean, University of Plymouth colleges, for services to higher education

Prof James Walvin, emeritus professor of history, University of York, for services to scholarship