Professor Beckett was Head of the School of Pharmacy at King's College, London for 25 years. He has published 465 research papers, educated 96 PhD students, and was the joint founding editor of the distinguished International Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. His professional posts have included President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Chairman of the Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and a member of the Medicinal Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

As well as honorary doctorates and many national and international awards, Professor Beckett was awarded the OBE for these contributions. With patented products on world markets, Professor Beckett’s research interests are the design of pioneering new natural healthcare products and their interaction with biological systems.