The latest cohort of Fellows have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to advancing medical science, through discovery research, translational work and the application of scientific knowledge in ways that deliver tangible benefits for patients and the wider public.

This year’s cohort reflects the Academy’s continued focus on evolving its Fellowship to be diverse, relevant and representative of the biomedical and health research community. Of the 60 new Fellows elected in 2026, 42% are women (25 Fellows) – the highest proportion ever elected in a single year.

The new Fellows are drawn from 28 institutions and represent eight nationalities, with representation from across the UK. The cohort includes three new Fellows from Wales, the first elected in four years, including the first Fellow ever from Bangor University, as well as the first new Fellow elected from Northern Ireland since 2021.

The new intake spans a wide range of sectors, disciplines and research pathways. It includes five new Fellows elected from industry, alongside recognition of expertise in traditionally under‑represented areas such as speech and language therapy, medical ethics, traumatic brain injury and the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

The Fellows elected this year join an esteemed Fellowship of over 1,500 researchers who are at the heart of the Academy’s work to nurture scientific talent and shape research and health policy in the UK and worldwide.

Professor Louis Appleby, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Manchester, has been elected for his pioneering work in suicide prevention and mental health. An epidemiologist and psychiatrist, his research has brought new rigour to the study of suicide through innovative study designs that have demonstrated how targeted interventions can reduce suicide rates. His work has directly informed national policy, including the most recent suicide prevention strategy, and he has played a central role in advising the NHS and government on mental health for more than two decades.

Professor Louis Appleby said: “I’m delighted to become a Fellow of the Academy. I see it as recognition of the field I work in - suicide prevention - which not long ago was seen as a difficult subject, as bereaved families can tell us. At a time when people are exposed to an overload of health information online, the Academy has a vital role in setting the standards of evidence on which the public can rely.”

Professor Petra Meier, Professor of Public Health at the University of Glasgow, has been elected for her internationally recognised research on public health policy, prevention and health inequalities, and for demonstrating how rigorous, interdisciplinary research can directly inform public policy and improve population health. She played a pivotal role in developing the Sheffield Alcohol Policy Model, which provided independent, robust evidence that underpinned the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing in Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Professor Petra Meier: “I am deeply honoured to have been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. This recognition reflects not only my own work, but many years of collaboration with deeply-committed colleagues, policymakers, and communities to strengthen prevention, reduce health inequalities, and bring rigorous evidence into public policy.

“At a time when societies are facing intersecting challenges around health, poverty, climate and wellbeing, I hope to continue contributing to research and partnerships that connect medical sciences more directly with the wider social, environmental and economic conditions shaping population health.”

Professor Dyfrig Hughes, Professor of Pharmacoeconomics at Bangor University, has been elected for his influential work in health technology assessment and medication adherence, which has helped shape healthcare policy across the nations of the UK. His research on the cost-effectiveness of medicines has directly informed clinical decision-making and NHS policy, while his advisory roles with national and international bodies have helped ensure new medicines are used in ways that are effective, equitable and deliver real value for patients and health systems.

Professor Dyfrig Hughes said: “I am honoured and delighted to have been elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences. This recognition reflects many years of collaborative work with colleagues, partners and students, whose contributions have been central to advancing research on the optimal use and value of medicines. I look forward to contributing to the Academy’s activities and working with Fellows to further strengthen the evidence base for health policy across the UK and beyond.”

Dr Natalie Mount, CEO of Cytospire Therapeutics, has been elected for her outstanding leadership in translational science and entrepreneurship, bridging academic discovery, biotechnology and patient impact. With more than 30 years’ experience across pharma, biotech and academia, she has played a pivotal role in translating pioneering antibody, cell and gene therapies into viable products, founding three successful UK start‑ups and was recently recognised as Cancer Research Horizons’ Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 for her impact on innovation and scientific leadership.

Dr Natalie Mount said: “I am honoured to be elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Throughout my career to date, I have had the opportunity to work with fantastic teams of scientists and clinicians on potentially transformational approaches. Together, we have sought to advance novel antibody, cell and gene therapies to translate scientific promise into a new generation of medicines to meet the needs of patients. The pace of innovation in this field is remarkable, and I remain committed to supporting collaboration across academia and industry to ensure these breakthroughs reach patients faster. I would like to thank the Academy for this honour and look forward to contributing to its mission in the years ahead.”

Professor Giles Yeo, Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinology at the Institute of Metabolic Science-Metabolic Research Laboratories University of Cambridge, has been elected for his internationally recognised work on the genetics and neuroscience of obesity, and for his leadership in communicating science to the public.

Professor Yeo is one of the few scientists worldwide mapping the neural circuits that control feeding directly in the human brain, helping to transform understanding of appetite, body weight regulation and metabolic disease. His research has made important contributions to identifying genetic variants that underpin human obesity and to characterising the hypothalamic neurons that regulate hunger and satiety.

Professor Giles Yeo said: “I am deeply honoured to have been elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences. This recognition reflects the support and contributions of colleagues and students, past and present, whose collaboration has been central to my work. There remains much to do to challenge weight stigma in society, and I look forward to contributing to the Academy’s mission to advance medical science for the benefit of all.”

Among the 2026 Fellows is Professor Louise Kenny, Professor of Maternal and Foetal Health at the University of Liverpool and Chair of the Northern Health Science Alliance, who has been actively involved in the Academy’s convening work strengthening links with partners across the North of England.

Also elected this year is Professor Alastair Denniston, Chair of Regulatory Science and Innovation at the University of Birmingham, who has contributed to the Academy’s leadership, policy and development activities. Professor Denniston was a participant in the Academy’s FLIER programme in 2020 and a recipient of an Academy of Medical Sciences Starter Grant (Round 5) earlier in his career.

The 2026 cohort also includes other Starter Grant alumni, including Professor Sonia Gandhi (Francis Crick Institute), Professor Thushan de Silva (University of Sheffield), Professor James Lee (Francis Crick Institute) and Professor James Ware (Imperial College London).

Professor Andrew Morris CBE FRSE PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “It is a privilege to welcome this outstanding new cohort to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Each of our new Fellows has been recognised by their peers for exceptional achievement for the influence their work has had in advancing medical science and improving health.

“The diversity of disciplines represented this year reflects the richness of modern medical science and the value of collaboration across fields. At a time when health challenges are increasingly complex, the Academy’s Fellowship provides a trusted, independent platform for scientific leaders to work together, champion excellence, and help ensure research delivers real benefits for people and communities.”

The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a ceremony on Tuesday 30 June.

The full list of Academy of Medical Sciences Fellows elected in 2026:

• Ms Charlotte Allerton, ViiV Healthcare
• Professor Daniel Altmann, Imperial College London
• Professor Richard Anderson, University of Edinburgh
• Professor Antonis Antoniou, University of Cambridge
• Professor Louis Appleby, University of Manchester
• Professor Elaine Bignell, University of Exeter
• Professor Alessio Ciulli, University of Dundee
• Professor Helen Cross, University College London (UCL)
• Professor Alastair Denniston, University of Birmingham
• Professor Tao Dong, University of Oxford
• Professor Marc Dweck, University of Edinburgh
• Professor Thushan de Silva, University of Sheffield
• Dr Lindsay Edwards, Relation Therapeutics
• Professor Pietro Fratta, University College London
• Professor Sonia Gandhi, Francis Crick Institute
• Professor Richard Grieve, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
• Professor Joseph Hajnal, King’s College London
• Professor Kara Hanson, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
• Professor Liam Heaney, Queen’s University Belfast
• Professor Edith Heard, Francis Crick Institute
• Professor Kerry Hood, UKCRC Clinical Trials Unit Network
• Professor Dyfrig Hughes, Bangor University
• Professor Ann John, Swansea University
• Professor Louise Jones, Queen Mary University of London
• Professor Paul Kellam, Imperial College London
• Professor Louise Kenny, University of Liverpool
• Professor James Lee, Francis Crick Institute
• Professor Cathryn Lewis, King’s College London
• Professor Anne Lingford Hughes, Imperial College London
• Professor Frances Mair, University of Glasgow
• Professor Richard Martin, University of Bristol
• Professor John McCafferty, University of Cambridge
• Professor Petra Meier, University of Glasgow
• Dr Veronique Miron, University of Edinburgh
• Dr Natalie Mount, Cytospire Therapeutics
• Dr Jyoti Nangalia, Wellcome Sanger Institute
• Professor James Nathan, University of Cambridge
• Professor Mark Nelson, University of Vermont
• Professor Kypros Nicolaides, King’s College London
• Professor Courtenay Norbury, University College London (UCL)
• Professor Kathryn North, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
• Professor Mariagrazia Pizza, Imperial College London
• Professor Stefano Pluchino, University of Cambridge
• Professor Andrew Prendergast, Queen Mary University of London
• Professor Oliver Pybus, Royal Veterinary College, London and University of Oxford
• Professor Julian Savulescu, University of Oxford
• Professor Emily Sena, University of Edinburgh
• Professor Manu Shankar Hari, University of Edinburgh and King’s College London
• Professor David Sharp, Imperial College London
• Professor Christian Siebold, University of Oxford
• Professor Tim Somervaille, CRUK Manchester Institute
• Professor Michael Sternberg, Imperial College London
• Dr Nicolas Tapon, Francis Crick Institute
• Professor David Taylor Robinson, University of Liverpool
• Professor Samra Turajlic, CRUK Manchester Institute
• Professor George Vassiliou, University of Cambridge
• Professor James Ware, Imperial College London and MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences
• Professor Nicola Whiffin, University of Oxford
• Professor Anne Willis, University of Cambridge
• Professor Giles Yeo, University of Cambridge