RSE Fellows named in King Charles III Birthday Honours 2026

Two Royal Society Fellows have been recognised in His Majesty the King’s Birthday Honours 2026.

Professor Dame Sheila Bird FRSE was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Dame Sheila was elected as an RSE Fellow in 2012 for her work as a biostatistician that has transformed the use of statistics in public policies, and improved the quality of articles in medical journals.

Dame Sheila said: “I shall not forget May Day 2026 when the morning’s post included a letter marked ‘Personal & Urgent’ from the Cabinet Office.

“My first thought was: ‘Gosh, what have I done now?’ – and so you can imagine my delight, relief and huge honour when the content, intimating DBE, was revealed.

“I am thrilled by the recognition of how important the health of hard-to-reach populations is, and the importance of record-linkage as a means of discovery.”

Professor Sir Andrew Morris FRSE was knighted, having been made a Fellow of the RSE in 2006. He was given his honour in recognition of his leadership of research and training to accelerate the ethical use of health data to improve the lives of patients and their families across a wide range of health inequalities.

Sir Andrew said: “I am truly honoured to receive this knighthood and deeply grateful for this recognition. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work alongside so many remarkable colleagues, patients, researchers, clinicians, policymakers and partners in industry across Scotland, the UK and around the world. This honour reflects their talent, generosity and commitment every bit as much as my own.

“I have long believed in the extraordinary strength of medical science in the UK, and in the importance of bringing research and patient care ever closer together. When we do that well, we can make a real and lasting difference to patients’ lives, to the public good and to the wider economy.

“I owe a great deal to the support, skill and encouragement of others, and I am sincerely thankful to everyone who has been part of that journey.”

RSE President Sir Anton Muscatelli added: “Just last month we had news of three of our distinguished Fellows being honoured by His Majesty King Charles III. Now two more of our Fellows, Dame Sheila and Sir Andrew, have also been recognised.

“This news of their most recent honours for their outstanding ongoing work is most welcome. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to both of them on behalf of all of the Fellows of Scotland’s National Academy.”