Eight distinguished academics from the University of Oxford have been elected Fellows of the Royal Society , the UK's national academy of sciences, in recognition of their exceptional contributions to science.
This year's Fellowship celebrates outstanding research across the globe with over 90 scientists elected from UK and international institutions. The new Fellows cover a wide range of fields from artificial intelligence and electron microbiology to global health and neuroscience.
I am delighted to congratulate our exceptional scientists on their election to the Royal Society. This prestigious recognition is a testament to their remarkable contributions to science and a reflection of the research excellence at Oxford.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey, CBE, FRS, FMedSci
The Oxford academics elected this year are, in alphabetical order:
Professor Kevin Foster FRS , Chair of Microbiology, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology.
He said: 'I am delighted to join the ranks of the Royal Society', said Prof Foster. 'This was only possible because of the talent and achievements of past and present group members and I am very grateful to them.'
Professor Mike Giles FRS , Professor of Numerical Analysis, Mathematical Institute.
He said: 'I really appreciate this honour, and I am very grateful to have worked over the years with so many wonderful students, postdocs, and colleagues, here in Oxford and elsewhere.'
Professor Jim Hall FREng FRS , Professor of Climate and Environmental Risks, School of Geography and the Environment.
He said: 'I'm honoured to be in the company of such great scientists, both the current generation of Fellows of the Royal Society, and the giants of previous generations upon whose shoulders we stand.
'This honour reflects the enormous contributions from my research group and all of the people with whom I've collaborated during my career. Science is a team endeavour, and I've been very fortunate to work with brilliant and inspiring people. I'd particularly like to recognise the hard work of many PhD students and researchers who I've supervised over the years, and the continued dedication of my team in the Oxford Programme for Sustainable Infrastructure Systems . We have many great challenges that we are working on now and aim to solve in the future.'
Professor Philipp Kukura FRS , Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery.
He said: 'I am delighted to receive this honour, a recognition of the work enabled by the unique environment in the Chemistry Department, the Kavli Insitute for Nanoscience Discovery and contributions from many national and international collaborators. Most importantly, it is an acknowledgment of the effort, curiosity and creativity of the students and postdocs that did and continue to do the work in the laboratory.'
Professor Philip Poole FRS , Professor of Plant Microbiology, Molecular Plant Sciences Section, Department of Biology.
He said: 'I feel humbled to be elected as a fellow of the Royal Society, but I realise this is recognition of all the amazing students and postdoctoral researchers who have come through my lab. Ultimately, it is their work that is bring recognised and confirms that sticking with an area that matters to the global sustainability of agriculture is worth the long haul'
Professor David Pyle FRS , Professor of Earth Sciences, Department of Earth Sciences.
He said: 'I am delighted and honoured to receive this recognition, which owes so much to the support I have had from so many talented and creative colleagues, collaborators and students both in Oxford, and around the world, over many years.'
Professor Stuart Russell OBE FRS, Professor of Computer Science and Smith-Zadeh Professor in Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, and Honorary Fellow, Wadham College .
Professor Shivaji Sondhi FRS , Wykeham Professor of Theoretical Physics, Tencent Professor of Physics and Leverhulme Professor, Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics.
He said: 'The 365-year history of the Royal Society is also the history of modern science, and it is a great honour to be asked to be a (tiny) part of it,' comments Professor Sondhi. 'Needless to say, my own work in physics has always been collaborative, and at such moments I feel particularly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with some exceptional physicists at outstanding institutions throughout my career. The Society is a vital force not only in the UK but worldwide, and I look forward to contributing to its efforts to help humanity manage the extraordinary technological changes that are underway or lie just beyond the horizon.'
Election to the Fellowship is one of the highest honours in the scientific world, awarded to individuals who have made impactful contributions to knowledge. The new Fellows join a prestigious lineage of Royal Society members including Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Dorothy Hodgkin, and Stephen Hawking.
The Royal Society's President, Sir Adrian Smith, praised the cohort for their 'curiosity-driven research and innovation' and the 'diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences' they bring to the Society.
He added: 'Their achievements represent the very best of scientific endeavour, from basic discovery to research with real-world impact across health, technology and policy. From tackling global health challenges to reimagining what AI can do for humanity, their work is a testament to the power of curiosity-driven research and innovation.'
