The Academy of Medical Sciences has elected 58 exceptional biomedical and health scientists to its prestigious Fellowship.
The new Fellows have been recognised for their remarkable contributions to advancing biomedical and health sciences, ground-breaking research discoveries and translating developments into benefits for patients and wider society.
The 2024 cohort features two notable firsts – University of Liverpool’s Professor Reecha Sofat is the first participant of the Academy’s FLIER leadership programme to be elected to the Fellowship, and Professor Samir Bhatt from Imperial College London is the first Springboard awardee to become a Fellow of the Academy.
Professor Sofat, who specialises in clinical pharmacology, said: “The FLIER programme was instrumental in shaping my development as a leader in healthcare research and innovation. It provided me with invaluable skills, networks and perspectives that have accelerated my career trajectory. I am honoured to now join the Academy Fellowship where I can continue to drive progress at the interface of academia, industry and policy.”
Epidemiologist and statistician Professor Bhatt was awarded £100,000 for his work on infectious disease outbreaks through the Academy’s Springboard scheme, which offers a bespoke package of support to biomedical researchers at the start of their first independent post to help launch their research careers.
Professor Bhatt, Professor of Statistics and Public Health, said: “The Springboard award from the Academy was an important and pivotal moment in my independent research career. It provided essential funding and support to pursue my research vision and has contributed to many new research directions as well as the work we undertook during the COVID-19 pandemic. To now be elected to the Academy Fellowship is a testament to the importance of nurturing and inspiring the next generation of biomedical leaders.”
The expertise of Fellows elected this year spans a wide range of clinical and non-clinical disciplines, from midwifery to cancer stem cell biology. They join an esteemed Fellowship of over 1,400 researchers who are at the heart of the Academy's work, which includes nurturing the next generation of researchers and shaping research and health policy in the UK and worldwide.
This year's cohort marks a significant milestone in the Academy's efforts to promote equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within its Fellowship election. Among the new Fellows, 41% are women, the highest percentage ever elected. Additionally, Black, Asian and minority ethnic representation is 29%, an 11% increase from the previous year. The new Fellows hold positions at institutions across the UK, including in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and York.
Amongst the 2024 Fellows is Professor Vittal Katikireddi, Professor of Public Health and Health Inequalities at the University of Glasgow and Honorary Consultant at Public Health Scotland. Professor Katikireddi's research focuses on improving the development and application of evidence to inform public health policy.
Professor Katikireddi said: "Becoming a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences is a welcome recognition of the importance of public health research in tackling health inequalities. By harnessing the power of data and innovative methodologies, we can generate robust evidence to guide policymakers in creating healthier, more equitable societies."
Professor Andrew Morris PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “It is an honour to welcome these brilliant minds to our Fellowship. Our new Fellows lead pioneering work in biomedical research and are driving remarkable improvements in healthcare. We look forward to working with them, and learning from them, in our quest to foster an open and progressive research environment that improves the health of people everywhere through excellence in medical science.
“We are immensely proud that two talented individuals – Professors Sofat and Bhatt – have seen such success following their involvement with Academy programmes designed to nurture research talent and future leaders.
“It is also welcoming to note that this year's cohort is our most diverse yet, in terms of gender, ethnicity and geography. While this progress is encouraging, we recognise that there is still much work to be done to truly diversify our Fellowship. We remain committed to our EDI goals and will continue to take meaningful steps to ensure our Fellowship reflects the rich diversity of the society we serve."
The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a ceremony on Wednesday 18 September 2024.
The Academy of Medical Sciences is the independent, expert body representing the diversity of medical science in the UK. Its mission is to advance biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society. The Academy's elected Fellows are the most influential scientists in the UK and worldwide, drawn from the NHS, academia, industry and the public service.
The full list of Academy of Medical Sciences Fellows elected in 2024:
Professor Ivan Ahel, University of Oxford (Structural Biology)
Professor Amrita Ahluwalia, Queen Mary University of London (Vascular Pharmacology)
Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi, Kings College London (Neurology)
Dr Annaliesa Anderson, Pfizer (Vaccinology)
Professor Michael Barrett, University of Glasgow (Parasitology)
Dr Axel Behrens, Institute of Cancer Research (Cancer Stem Cell Biology)
Professor Samir Bhatt, Imperial College London (Health Science)
Professor James Boardman, University of Edinburgh (Neonatal Medicine)
Professor G Marius Clore, The National Institutes of Health (NMR Spectrometry)
Professor Constantin Coussios, University of Oxford (Biomedical Engineering)
Professor Mark Cragg, University of Southampton (Experimental Cancer Biology)
Professor Alun Davies, Imperial College London (Vascular Surgery)
Professor Jane Davies, Imperial College London (Paediatrics)
Professor Christopher Denton, University College London (Rheumatology)
Professor Waljit Dhillo, Imperial College London (Neuroendocrinology)
Professor Michael Eddleston, University of Edinburgh (Clinical Toxicology)
Professor Gene Feder, University of Bristol (Primary Care)
Professor Dean Fennell, University of Leicester (Mesothelioma Research)
Professor Rashida Ferrand, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (International Health)
Professor Nita Forouhi, University of Cambridge (Population Health and Nutrition)
Professor Fang Gao Smith, University of Birmingham (Anaesthesia and Critical care)
Professor Susan Gathercole, University of Cambridge (Child Psychology)
Dr Fiona Godlee, ex- British Medical Journal (BMJ) (Health Journalism)
Professor Alison Grant, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (International Health)
Professor Catherine Harmer, University of Oxford (Neuroscience)
Professor Andrew Horne, University of Edinburgh (Reproductive Sciences)
Professor Srinivasa Katikireddi, University of Glasgow (Public Health)
Professor Saye Hock Khoo, University of Liverpool (Pharmacology)
Professor Julian Knight, University of Oxford (Genomic Medicine)
Professor David Lalloo, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (Tropical Medicine/Global Health)
Professor Teresa Lambe, University of Oxford (Vaccine Immunology)
Professor Azeem Majeed, Imperial College London (Primary Care)
Dr Niall Martin, Artios (Drug Discovery)
Professor Roberto Mayor, University College London (Neurobiology)
Professor Jane McKeating, University of Oxford (Virology)
Professor Adam Mead, University of Oxford (Haematology)
Professor Hisham Mehanna, University of Birmingham (Head and Neck Surgery)
Professor William Newman, Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine (Genomic Medicine)
Professor Faith Osier, Imperial College London (Immunology and Vaccinology)
Professor Maddy Parsons, King's College London (Cell Biology)
Professor K John Pasi, Roche Products Ltd (Haematology)
Professor Eugenia Piddini, University of Bristol (Cell Biology)
Professor Sergio Quezada, University College London (Immunotherapy)
Professor Rebecca Reynolds, University of Edinburgh (Metabolic Medicine)
Professor Richard Riley, University of Birmingham (Biostatistics)
Professor Alison Rodger, University College London (Infectious Diseases)
Professor Rustam Al-Shahi Salman, University of Edinburgh (Neurology)
Professor Jane Sandall, King’s College London (Midwifery)
Professor Mark Sculpher, University of York (Health Care Research)
Professor Kevin Shakesheff, University of Nottingham/Open University (Pharmacy)
Professor Alexander Simpson, Newcastle University (Respiratory Medicine)
Professor Debra Skene, University of Surrey (Neuroendocrinology)
Professor Reecha Sofat, University of Liverpool (Clinical Pharmacology)
Professor Tara Spires-Jones, University of Edinburgh (Neurodegeneration)
Professor Shakila Thangaratinam, University of Birmingham (Maternal Health)
Professor James Wild, University of Sheffield (Magnetic Resonance Physics)
Dr Marta Zlatic, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (Neuroscience)
Professor Krina Zondervan, University of Oxford (Women’s Reproductive Health)
This year Fellows were chosen from 365 candidates. The eight Sectional Committees met in March to consider potential Fellows for 2024 entry to the Academy. Three nominators from within the Fellowship must back each candidate. The Academy Registrar oversees the election. 115 candidates were shortlisted for peer review. The election brings the total number of Fellows to 1472.