Liverpool Researchers Named New Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences
The University of Liverpool’s Professor Reecha Sofat has been selected to join a prestigious fellowship of exceptional biomedical and health scientists.
Professor Sofat is the first participant of the Academy’s Future Leaders in Innovation, Enterprise and Research (FLIER) programme to be elected to the Fellowship
Joining Professor Sofat is the University of Liverpool’s Professor Saye Khoo, Pharmacology and Therapeutics. This year, Professor Khoo also received his MBE after being recognised in the 2024 New Year Honours list.
The new Fellows have been recognised for their remarkable contributions to advancing biomedical and health sciences, ground-breaking research discoveries and translating developments into benefits for patients and wider society.
Professor Sofat, who specialises in clinical pharmacology, said: “The FLIER programme was instrumental in shaping my development as a leader in healthcare research and innovation. It provided me with invaluable skills, networks and perspectives that have accelerated my career trajectory. I am honoured to now join the Academy Fellowship where I can continue to drive progress at the interface of academia, industry and policy.”
Professor Khoo added: “The Academy has long championed the power of science to address the urgent challenges of today, inspired tomorrow’s scientists with a passion to change the world and continues to advocate, communicate and educate beyond our borders. It is an honour to be elected to Academy Fellowship, and to be part of such a distinguished community.”
The expertise of Fellows elected this year spans a wide range of clinical and non-clinical disciplines, from midwifery to cancer stem cell biology. They join an esteemed Fellowship of over 1,400 researchers who are at the heart of the Academy’s work, which includes nurturing the next generation of researchers and shaping research and health policy in the UK and worldwide.
This year’s cohort marks a significant milestone in the Academy’s efforts to promote equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within its Fellowship election. Among the new Fellows, 41% are women, the highest percentage ever elected. Additionally, Black, Asian and minority ethnic representation is 29%, an 11% increase from the previous year. The new Fellows hold positions at institutions across the UK, including in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and York.
Professor Andrew Morris PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “It is an honour to welcome these brilliant minds to our Fellowship. Our new Fellows lead pioneering work in biomedical research and are driving remarkable improvements in healthcare. We look forward to working with them, and learning from them, in our quest to foster an open and progressive research environment that improves the health of people everywhere through excellence in medical science.
“We are immensely proud that Professor Sofat has seen such success following her involvement with Academy programmes designed to nurture research talent and future leaders.”
The Academy of Medical Sciences is the independent, expert body representing the diversity of medical science in the UK. Its mission is to advance biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society. The Academy’s elected Fellows are the most influential scientists in the UK and worldwide, drawn from the NHS, academia, industry and the public service.