Three University of Strathclyde Members Appointed to Scotland’s Young Academy

They are among 48 new members of the Academy, which represents some of the nation’s most innovative young professionals from across the arts, business and industry, government, the public sector, academia, the third sector, and beyond.

They will join existing members in realising the Academy’s mission to achieve transformative societal change through citizenship, innovation, collaboration, evidence, and leadership.

The new Strathclyde members are:

• Dr Kimia Witte (Chancellor’s Fellow, Biomedical Engineering). Dr Witte’s research seeks to understand how cells, both individually and collectively, perceive and respond to their spatially defined microenvironments, using this knowledge to engineer Blood-Brain Barrier organoid models for applications in disease modelling and drug discovery
• Dr Susan Spesyvtseva (Knowledge Exchange Fellow, Physics). Dr Spesyvtseva works at the interface between research and innovation, supporting industry partners and other external stakeholders to access University expertise, research and emerging technologies, primarily in the areas of photonic and quantum technologies, to maximise economic and societal impact
• Dr Helina Marshall (Chancellor’s Fellow, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences). Dr Marshall’s research group explores intricate interactions between bacteria and hosts, aiming to understand the evolution of virulence. By studying pathogens such as Salmonella and Streptococcus species, the group investigates how these bacteria modulate the immune system and establish symbiotic relationships with hosts.

Strathclyde Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Jim McDonald said: “The Young Academy has been a driving force in encouraging and nurturing exceptional new talent at Strathclyde and other Scottish Universities since it was founded under the auspices of one of my predecessors, the late Professor Sir John Arbuthnott, during his time as RSE President.

As we celebrate Strathclyde’s 60th anniversary, the excellent work of our new Young Academy members, and their colleagues, bodes well for our future and I offer my congratulations to Kimia, Susan and Helina on this exceptional personal and professional recognition.

Gary Kerr, co-chair of YAS said: “The Young Academy of Scotland is thrilled to welcome this incredible group of new members, whose experiences and knowledge will bring so much to our work. On behalf of all our current members, I look forward seeing all our new members bring their proven creativity, expertise, and vision to YAS.”

RSE President Professor Sir John Ball said: “It is wonderful to see such a talented group of young professionals join Scotland’s Young Academy. The Young Academy represents some of the most innovative emerging leaders in Scotland today, and together they bring great insight and spirit to the RSE – both through their contributions to the RSE’s programmes, and their portfolio of interdisciplinary public benefit projects.”