Anrhydeddu cyfarwyddwr sefydliad ymchwil orthopaedeg blaenllaw

Yr Athro R Geoff Richards

Cyflwynwyd Cymrodoriaeth er Anrhydedd Prifysgol Aberystwyth i Gyfarwyddwr sefydliad ymchwil orthopaedeg blaenllaw.

Cafodd yr Athro R Geoff Richards ei eni a’i addysgu yn Llanfyllin, Powys, ac fe raddiodd o Aberystwyth gyda BSc mewn Bioleg Celloedd ac Imiwnobioleg ym 1990, gan ennill gradd Meistr ym 1991 a doethuriaeth ym 1997.

Er 2009, bu’n Gyfarwyddwr Sefydliad Ymchwil AO Davos (y Swistir) – sefydliad sy’n arwain ym maes orthopaedeg, gan gynnwys y diwydiant mewnblaniadau byd-eang a hyfforddi llawfeddygon.

Mae ei waith ymchwil ar ryngwynebau mewnblaniadau metel ym maes trawma o fewn orthopaedeg wedi arwain at welliannau o bwys o ran dylunio a chynhyrchu nwyddau sefydlogi toresgyrn.

Mae’n Athro er Anrhydedd yn Ysgol Biowyddorau Prifysgol Caerdydd a Chyfadran Meddygaeth Prifysgol Freiburg (yr Almaen), ac yn Athro Nodedig yn Ysbyty Cyswllt Cyntaf Prifysgol Sun Yat-sen, Guangzhou (China).

Mae’n Llywydd Cymdeithas Ryngwladol Peirianneg Meinweoedd a Meddygaeth Aildyfu ac yn Gadeirydd y Coleg Cymrodyr Rhyngwladol ar gyfer Ymchwil Orthopedig. Yn 1999 fe gyd-sefydlodd gyfnodolyn eCM, gan arloesi ym maes cyhoeddi mynediad agored. 

Cyflwynwyd yr Athro Richards gan yr Athro Chris Thomas, Dirprwy Is-Ganghellor – Ymchwil, Cyfnewid Gwybodaeth ac Arloesi ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth, mewn seremoni raddio ar ddydd Mercher 17 Gorffennaf 2019.

Mae’r cyflwyniad ar gael isod, yn yr iaith y’i traddodwyd.

Cyflwyno’r Athro R Geoff Richards gan yr Athro Chris Thomas:

Gadeirydd y Cyngor, Dirprwy Is-Ganghellor, graddedigion a  chyfeillion.  Pleser o’r mwyaf yw cyflwyno Geoff Richards yn gymrawd Prifysgol Aberystwyth.

Chair of Council, Pro Vice-Chancellor, graduates and supporters.  It is an honour and a privilege to present Geoff Richards as a Fellow of Aberystwyth University.

Born and schooled in Llanfyllin in Powys, Geoff Richards graduated from Aberystwyth in 1990 with a degree in Cell and Immunobiology. 

He stayed on in Aberystwyth for a further seven years, completing an MSc in Biological Electron Microscopy in 1991, and in 1997 a PhD in Cell Adhesion to Implant Surfaces.

In 1999, he co-founded the eCM Journal, along with his Aber supervisor Iolo ap Gwynn and the late Professor Godfried Roomans.  Arguably the first online open access journal in the world itwas pioneering in the field of open access publishing, and two decades on it is the number one rated journal in the area of trauma research.

Geoff Richards once said “It is very unlikely I would be where I am now if I had not been at Aber.”

And, indeed his specialist degree and masters did set him onto a unique career path. 

From this west-Wales University, Geoff journeyed to Switzerland and joined the AO Research Institute in Davos.

One of the world's leading research Institutes in orthopaedics, the AO Research Institute Davos houses one hundred multidisciplinary scientists who undertake cutting-edge research in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, biomaterials and implant science. 

Geoff’s own research, which began here in Aberystwyth, has led to major improvements in the design and manufacture of internal fracture fixation products, which has in turn led to greatly improved clinical outcomes for patients world-wide.

Geoff became Director of the AO Research Institute in 2009, and is responsible for an annual budget of almost £11m. Over the last ten years, he has strengthened the Institute’s collaborations with surgeons and clinical divisions, and formed stronger academic connections to international universities and societies, including through the creation of highly competitive medical researchfellowships which attracts resident and senior surgeons from around the world to spend 6-12 months at the Institute.

Geoff holds a Professorship at Cardiff University, along with chairs at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany and at the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun-Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

He is a fellow of both Biomaterials Science and Engineering and International Orthopedic Research, President of the global Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society, and Chair of the International College of Fellows for Orthopaedic Research. 

He is passionate about musculoskeletal research, development and innovation.  His driving force is his desire to improve patient care.

From his student days in Aberystwyth when he joined a volunteer student mission to Romania to deliver medical supplies after the revolution; to today when his research has translated into major improvements in the medical care and health outcomes for trauma and fracture patients, Geoff has, without question, improved the lives of countless people across the globe.

Gadeirydd y Cyngor, mae’n bleser gen i gyflwyno Geoff Richards i chi yn Gymrawd. 

Chair of Council, it is my absolute pleasure to present Professor R Geoff Richards to you as a Fellow of Aberystwyth University.

Llun:  Cadeirydd Cyngor Prifysgol Aberystwyth Dr Emyr Roberts gyda'r Gymrawd Athro R Geoff Richards

Anrhydeddau Prifysgol Aberystwyth 2019

Bydd Prifysgol Aberystwyth yn anrhydeddu naw o bobl yn ystod seremonïau graddio 2019, a gynhelir yng Nghanolfan Gelfyddydau’r Brifysgol rhwng dydd Mawrth 16 Gorffennaf a dydd Gwener 19 Gorffennaf.

Cyflwynir Cymrodoriaethau er Anrhydedd i unigolion sydd â chysylltiad ag Aberystwyth neu Gymru, ac sydd wedi gwneud cyfraniad eithriadol yn eu dewis faes.

Dyma Gymrodyr er Anrhydedd Prifysgol Aberystwyth 2019 (yn y drefn y’u cyflwynir):

• Alan Phillips, athro cerdd peripatetig wedi ymddeol a fu’n gweithio i Wasanaeth Cerdd Ceredigion am 35 mlynedd
• Yr Athro Frank N. Hogg OBE, Pennaeth sefydlol Coleg Llyfrgellyddiaeth Cymru
• Ruth Bidgood, bardd a hanesydd lleol
• Yr Athro R Geoff Richards, Cyfarwyddwr Sefydliad Ymchwil AO Davos (y Swisdir) – un o’r sefydliadau ymchwil sy’n arwain y byd ym maes orthopaedeg
• Emyr Jenkins, Cyfarwyddwr cyntaf yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol a Phrif Weithredwr (wedi ymddeol) Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru
• Yr Athro Virginia Gamba, arbenigwraig ym maes diarfogi a llunio polisi
• Ian Hopwood, a fu’n gweithio ym maes datblygu ers dros 40 mlynedd ym Mhencadlys UNICEF ac mewn aseiniadau maes yn Affrica, Asia, a Thaleithiau’r Gwlff Arabaidd
• Y Gwir Anrh Carwyn Jones AC, cyn-Brif Weinidog Cymru a chyn-Arweinydd y Blaid Lafur yng Nghymru 2009-18
• Judith Diment, sy’n amlwg yn fyd-eang yn yr ymgyrch i gael gwared ar bolio

Rhannu