Professor Maddy Parsons has been elected as a Fellow of the prestigious Academy in recognition of her industry-leading work in biomedical and health research. Professor Parson is a member of the LCN Executive Board and is based at the Randall Centre of Cell & Molecular Biophysics at King’s College London.
She will join a group of 58 newly elected scientists whose expertise spans a wide range of disciplines, from midwifery to cancer stem cell biology. She join an esteemed Fellowship of over 1,400 researchers who are at the heart of the Academy’s work as an independent, expert body. Its mission is to advance biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society.
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.
Initially a biochemist, Professor Parsons’ research operates at the interface between fundamental cell biology, biophysics and advanced imaging. Her discoveries have accelerated understanding of how cells sense their environment and how this leads to diseases such as cancer and inflammatory disorders in both skin and lung.
She is internationally recognised for her leadership in multidisciplinary approaches to research, working with physicists, engineers, clinicians, computational scientists and industry to co-develop new ways to image, model, understand and treat complex human disease.
Professor Parsons is also known for her leadership of the BioImagingUK community and UK EuroBioImaging node, extensive work with the Royal Microscopical Society and broader strategic roles within UKRI.
Professor Parsons said: “I am deeply honoured by this recognition from the Academy, which I extend to all the wonderful and talented collaborators I have had the privilege of working with during my career. I’m very grateful to the contributions from team members and colleagues who have been instrumental in inspiring and delivering our research.”
Vice President for Research and Innovation, Professor Bashir Al-Hashimi said: “I would like to offer my warmest congratulations to Professor Maddy Parsons, Ammar Al-Chalabi and Jane Sandall on her election to the Academy for her exceptional contributions to medical science and translational research.”
