Published on 7 April 2026

Global leaders in health science and research elected as RSE Fellows in 2026

The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) has announced that 43 individuals deemed excellent in their field were elected as RSE Fellows in 2026, who will use their knowledge for the public good as part of Scotland’s National Academy. This year, a third of new Fellows hailed from public health disciplines.

An advisor to the World Health Organisation, a former aerobics instructor turned international metabolic research expert, and a special correspondent with the BBC are among the newest cohort of Fellows to join the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Fellows are elected to the RSE, Scotland’s National Academy, in recognition of excellence in their disciplines, and an ongoing commitment to advancing knowledge for the benefit of society as a whole. Among this year’s cohort, which represents the best that Scotland’s institutions and business community has to offer, there is a particular breadth of talent in the area of public health and medical research. A full list of all new Fellows is below.

Of the 43 new Fellows elected to the RSE this year, 14 have a background in public health, reflecting the RSE’s commitment to supporting and mobilising its influence to improve the lives of all Scots, and the wider global community.

Professor Sharon Hutchinson is professor of epidemiology and population health at Glasgow Caledonian University. She is also a consultant scientist at Public Health Scotland and an adviser to the World Health Organisation.

She said: “It is true privilege to be elected as a Fellow of Scotland’s National Academy. For the past 30 years, I have had the good fortune to work collaboratively with dedicated individuals and teams across academia, the health service and civil society in support of evidenced based responses to major public health concerns.

“As part of the RSE’s Fellowship, I look forward to working with the diverse range of expertise to bring multidisciplinary perspectives to the most pressing issues facing society.”

Professor Kei Sakamoto is a currently Vice Executive Director at the University of Copenhagen’s Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research. A former aerobics instructor, Prof Sakamoto’s research now focuses on prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic diseases at the cellular level.

He said: “I am deeply honoured to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This recognition reflects a journey shaped by inspiring mentors, wonderful colleagues, and the many talented students, researchers and administration staff I have had the privilege to work with over the years.

“I am especially grateful to my own team, whose intellectual curiosity, deep commitment, and passion continue to drive our research forward every day. I share this honour with them. It inspires me to keep pursuing meaningful science and to contribute to the Society’s mission of advancing knowledge and creating a positive impact on society.”

In addition to public health, the RSE has also elected leaders in business, engineering, the arts and journalism.

Professor Muhammed Basheer, formerly an Executive Dean at Heriot-Watt University and now an Honorary Visiting Professor at City St George’s, University of London as well as working with Amphora Technologies, a company he began in 2002, has also been elected. He is an academic leader, manager and strategist as well as internationally leading educationalist, researcher and professional in civil engineering, with expertise in the performance of structural materials.

He said: “I am delighted to be elected as a Fellow of the RSE. Becoming a Fellow provides me an opportunity to actively contribute to interdisciplinary teams in the Society, addressing some of the challenges such as energy, sustainability and social justice both in Scotland and globally.”

Scots-born journalist Allan Little has been a BBC reporter for over 40 years, spending most of his working life as a foreign correspondent, working in more than 90 countries. He reported on the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe in 1989, was in Baghdad during the Gulf War of 1990-91, reported the violent collapse of Yugoslavia from 1991-95, and co-authored a book The Death of Yugoslavia that is still regarded as the definitive account of the war.

He said: “It is humbling to be counted among so accomplished and distinguished a cohort of newly elected Fellows. I have had the privilege of being present at some of the great national and international events that have defined our times, and to have had a seat in the front row of contemporary history.

“I have tried to be guided by the conviction that an informed public is key to a healthy democracy. Though I have worked around the world I have tried also to carry with me what Robert Louis Stevenson called “a strong Scots accent of the mind” and a respect for those whose lives, and often misfortune, I have been reporting on. To be among these extraordinarily accomplished new Fellows is daunting and exciting in equal measure.”

He has presented Radio 4’s Today Programme, Newsnight and Panorama, and was lead correspondent during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum campaign. He continues to work for BBC News in London and around the world.

In addition to the latest cohort of Fellows, Professor Sir James Hough has received the RSE’s highest accolade, Honorary Fellowship, in recognition of his contributions to experimental physics. First elected an Ordinary Fellow in 1991, his Fellowship has now been elevated in acknowledgement of his leading role in gravitational research for more than half a century and his sustained commitment to public service in science and education. Honorary Fellows are internationally renowned figures whose impact extends beyond their specialist field, exemplifying the highest levels of achievement.

RSE President Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli PRSE said: “It is a great privilege to welcome this group of such exceptional people into the Fellowship of the RSE.

“Each of our new Fellows brings a unique background, expertise and insight to the National Academy of Scotland, and we are thrilled to have them join us.

“The challenges that face Scotland, and the world, are numerous and growing. The RSE’s diverse membership and its expertise enable us to bring multidisciplinary perspectives to a wide range of issues of significance for Scotland and the world, including some of today’s most pressing health issues.

“Today’s new Fellows from across sciences, humanities, creative arts, and the professions have demonstrated excellence in their field, and a commitment to use their knowledge for public good.

“On behalf of the Society, I congratulate them all on their tremendous achievements.”

The RSE was founded in 1783 and leverages the combined knowledge of its 1,800-strong Fellowship to tackle the most pressing issues facing society, provide independent expert advice to policymakers and inspire the next generation of innovative thinkers.

 

The full list of RSE Fellows 2025 are as follows:

International Fellowship 2026 (IntFRSE)

Professor Paul Dourish IntFRSE

Chancellor’s Professor and Steckler Endowed Chair in Information and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine

Professor Moffat Nyirenda IntFRSE

Professor of Medicine and Director, MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit

Professor Kei Sakamoto IntFRSE

Professor, Vice Executive Director of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen

Ordinary Fellowship 2026 (FRSE)

Professor Ruth Andrew FRSE

Personal Chair of Pharmaceutical Endocrinology, University of Edinburgh

Professor Muhammed Basheer FRSE

Technical Advisor, Amphora Consulting

Professor Lorraine van Blerk FRSE

Vice-Principal (Research and Innovation), University of Dundee

Professor James P Boardman FRSE

Professor of Neonatal Medicine, University of Edinburgh

Professor Paul Cairney FRSE

Professor of Politics, University of Stirling

Professor Matthew Chrisman FRSE

Professor of Ethics and Epistemology, University of Edinburgh

Anton Colella FRSE

Chief Executive Officer, Moore Global

Professor Christopher Dibben FRSE

Chair in Health Geography, University of Edinburgh

Professor Jonathan Fallowfield FRSE

Personal Chair of Translational Liver Research; Honorary Consultant Hepatologist, University of Edinburgh / NHS Lothian

Professor Sue Fletcher-Watson FRSE

Professor of Developmental Psychology; College Dean of Equity, Inclusion and Community, University of Edinburgh

Professor Russel Griggs FRSE

Chair, South of Scotland Enterprise

Professor Sarah Gurr FRSE

Chair in Food Security, University of Exeter

Professor Sharon Hutchinson FRSE

Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health, Glasgow Caledonian University

Professor Mark Inall FRSE

Professor of Marine Physics and CSA Marine for Scottish Government, Scottish Association for Marine Science

Professor Phil King FRSE

Professor of Physics, University of St Andrews

Allan Little FRSE

Special Correspondent, BBC News

Professor Isla Mackenzie FRSE

Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Dundee

Jacquelyn MacLennan FRSE

Lawyer, Jacquelyn MacLennan

Professor Davide Marenduzzo FRSE

Professor of Computational Biophysics, University of Edinburgh

Professor Mahesh Marina FRSE

Personal Chair of Networked Systems, University of Edinburgh

Professor Claire Miller FRSE

Professor of Statistics, University of Glasgow

Russell Napier FRSE

Global Macro Investment Strategist, Independent businessman and educationalist

Professor Mark Parsons FRSE

Director of EPCC and Dean of Research Computing, University of Edinburgh

Professor Amy Pedersen FRSE

Professor of Disease Ecology, University of Edinburgh

Professor Gill Plain FRSE

Professor of English Literature and Popular Culture, University of St Andrews

Bruce Pritchard FRSE

CEO, Liminal Biosciences

Professor Subramanian Ramamoorthy FRSE

Personal Chair of Robot Learning and Autonomy, School of Informatics, Institute for Perception Action and Behaviour, University of Edinburgh

Gavin Reid FRSE

Chief Executive, Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Professor Rebecca Reynolds FRSE

Professor of Metabolic Medicine, University of Edinburgh

Professor Ian Ritchie FRSE

Founder and Director, ritchie*studio

Professor Colva Roney-Dougal FRSE

Professor of Pure Mathematics, University of St Andrews

Professor Tara Spires-Jones FRSE

Professor of Neurodegeneration, University of Edinburgh

Gerda Stevenson FRSE

Actress, director, writer, musician

Professor Yvette Taylor FRSE

Professor of Education, University of Strathclyde

Professor Melissa Terras FRSE

Professor of Digital Cultural Heritage, University of Edinburgh

Professor John Travers FRSE

Professor of Physics and Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies, Heriot-Watt University

Professor Shannon Vallor FRSE

Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh

Professor Sonja Vernes FRSE

Professor of Biology, University of St Andrews

Professor Susan Wyllie FRSE

Professor of Biochemical Pharmacology, Drug Discovery Unit, University of Dundee

Professor Eli Zysman-Colman FRSE

Professor of Optoelectronic Materials, University of St Andrews