Seven outstanding Cambridge researchers have this year been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences.
The new Fellows and Foreign Members join the ranks of Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Lise Meitner, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and Dorothy Hodgkin.
“I am delighted to welcome this newest group of exceptional scientists to the Fellowship of the Royal Society,” said Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society. “Their contributions reflect the highest standards of scientific endeavour. Whether advancing our understanding of vaccines or exploring the transformative potential of mathematics and computation, their work exemplifies the enduring value of curiosity, creativity and rigorous inquiry.
“Our Fellowship is strengthened not only by individual distinction, but by the diversity of perspectives and experiences its members bring. This incoming cohort highlights the truly international character of contemporary science and underscores the vital role that plays in achieving breakthroughs that benefits us all.”
The new Cambridge Fellows are:
Anuj Dawar is Professor of Logic and Algorithms in the Department of Computer Science and Technology, and a Fellow of Robinson College. A theoretical computer scientist, he has developed fundamental new methods, rooted in mathematical logic, for the study of computational complexity. He is a key figure in the development of symmetric complexity, proving unconditional hardness results for a notion of computation rich enough to express many of the most important algorithms used in combinatorial optimisation.
Beverley Glover is Director of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Professor of Plant Systematics and Evolution in the Department of Plant Sciences, and a Fellow of Queens’ College. Her research focuses on the development of floral features which enhance pollination success. “I am absolutely thrilled to be elected to the Royal Society, and proud to join other colleagues whose work I value so highly,” said Glover. “I'm really grateful to all the researchers I've worked with over the years for the shared ideas and adventure that have led to this award, and hope that they can also share in the sense of achievement and pride.”
Srinivasan Keshav is the Robert Sansom Professor of Computer Science in the Department of Computer Science and Technology, and a Fellow of Fitzwilliam College. Over four decades, his research has broadened from computer networking to energy informatics and Earth system science, combining mathematical rigour with practical societal benefit. His current work lies broadly at the intersection of computer science and sustainability. He co-leads the TESSERA project, a foundation model applying self-supervised learning to global Earth observation in support of ecologists, plant scientists, and policy makers. He is the author of two widely used graduate textbooks on networking. His honours include the Sakrison Prize, the inaugural Achievement Award from the ACM Special Interest Group in Energy Systems and Informatics, and Fellowships of the Royal Society of Canada, the IEEE, and the ACM.
John McCafferty is the Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Maxion Therapeutics, and an Affiliated Professor in the Department of Medicine. He has been a co-founder of two other biotechnology companies focused on the development of therapeutic antibodies (Cambridge Antibody Technology and IONTAS). He is currently Affiliated professor at the Department of Medicine, bringing the advances of recombinant antibody technology to bear on the scourge of snakebite envenomation in the developing world.
Ashley Moffett is Emeritus Professor of Reproductive Immunology in the Department of Pathology, an Emeritus Fellow of King’s College, and an alumna of Newnham College. She is the foremost international authority on the immunology of human reproduction. She is distinguished for a sustained programme of research that has defined the role of the innate immune system in placentation. This has transformed our understanding of normal and abnormal pregnancy, particularly of disorders such as pre-eclampsia. Her genetic studies explain high rates of pre-eclampsia and maternal mortality in Ugandan populations. She has taught and influenced generations of medical students, trained young British and African physicians, and educated the world about the importance of understanding the scientific basis of human reproduction.
Uta Paszkowski is Acting Director of the Crop Science Centre at the University of Cambridge, Professor of Plant Molecular Genetics at the Department of Plant Sciences, and a Fellow of St John’s College. Her research investigates how cereal crops, such as rice and maize, communicate and exchange nutrients with beneficial soil fungi to improve agricultural sustainability. “It is wonderful and not just a little overwhelming for me and my team to see this level of recognition for our science,” said Paszkowski. “Our research elucidates the molecular mechanisms of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis - one of the most ancient plant-fungal associations - with the ultimate goal of translating these academic discoveries into sustainable fertiliser alternatives for agriculture.”
Malcolm Smith is Professor of Control Engineering in the Department of Engineering, and a Fellow of Gonville & Caius College. His research interests are in control systems theory and its applications, in particular tolerance to uncertainty and fundamental limits on robustness and performance. “It is an extraordinary honour to be elected as a Fellow of this esteemed learned society,” he said. “I am conscious of a debt to many people, to my students, for their brilliance and dedication and the enriching experience of our shared journey of discovery, to all who supported me so generously in my University and College and the institutions I have been associated with, and to the exceptional colleagues in academia and industry who I was most fortunate to be able to collaborate with over many years, and whose contribution to my work cannot be overstated.”
The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world’s most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering, and medicine. The Society’s fundamental purpose, as it has been since its foundation in 1660, is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity.
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