Nine Oxford scientists elected as Royal Society Fellows

Recognised for their invaluable contributions to science, the elected Fellows are leaders in their fields and have been selected for their substantial contributions to the advancement of science in various fields.

More than 90 exceptional researchers from across the world have this year been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences, and the nine newly elected Fellows from Oxford are, in alphabetical order:

Professor Simon Aldridge FRS, Professor of Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford.

Professor Emmanuel Breuillard FRS, Professor of Pure Mathematics, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford.

Professor Brian Cantor CBE FREng FRS, Visiting Professor, Department of Materials, University of Oxford and Professor and Senior Advisor, Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST), Brunel University London, and former Head of the MPLS Division.

Professor Laura Herz FRS, Professor of Physics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford.

Sir Peter Horby Kt FMedSci FRS, Moh Family Foundation Professor of Emerging Infections and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine and Director of the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford.

Professor Horby said: ‘I feel enormously privileged to join the eminent, and somewhat jaw-dropping, roll call of Royal Society Fellows.

‘It gives me great satisfaction to know that the work my collaborators and I have done is considered to have benefited society in tangible ways.’

Professor Heidi Johansen Berg FRS, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford.

Professor Tamsin Mather FRS, Professor of Earth Sciences, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford.

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard FMedSci FRS, Ashall Professor of Infection and Immunity, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford.

Professor Pollard said: 'It is a huge honour to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society to join these most distinguished scientists of our time, standing on the shoulders of those past Fellows who changed our world over the past three and a half centuries.  I am more than aware that this is not about me but recognition of the large team of brilliant researchers at the Oxford Vaccine Group and our global collaborators who have made extraordinary contributions to improving lives through immunisation.'

Professor Yang Shi FRS, Professor of Epigenetics and Member, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Oxford.

Professor Shi said: 'I am delighted to receive this honour from the Royal Society. I am grateful for the help and support I have received from my mentors and colleagues throughout my career. My appreciation also goes to the Harvard Medical School where I began my independent research career, to the Boston Children’s Hospital where I spent the last 10 years or so before moving to UK, and to the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at University of Oxford where I am continuing my research journey with a stronger focus on cancer. As always, the biggest thanks must go to my wonderful students, postdoctoral fellows, and research assistants/lab managers, past and present. This honour is for them.'

Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, said: ‘I am pleased to welcome such an outstanding group into the Fellowship of the Royal Society. ‘This new cohort have already made significant contributions to our understanding of the world around us and continue to push the boundaries of possibility in academic research and industry.

‘From visualising the sharp rise in global temperatures since the industrial revolution to leading the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, their diverse range of expertise is furthering human understanding and helping to address some of our greatest challenges.

‘It is an honour to have them join the Fellowship.’