His Majesty King Charles III has been pleased to appoint Professor Sir David Charles Baulcombe FRS FMedSci to succeed Professor Dame Sally Davies GCB DBE FRS FMedSci when she steps down later this year.
Biographical Note
Sir David is the Regius Professor of Botany Emeritus at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Plant Sciences, where he was Head from 2009 to 2017, and has been a Fellow of Trinity College since 2009. His research into plant genetics has not only benefitted crop science but also led to a new class of treatment for human diseases that affect thousands of people worldwide.
He helped establish the Crop Science Centre, a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, which opened in 2020.
Sir David is a Fellow of the Royal Society, and since 2024, has been the Biological Secretary and a Vice President of that organisation. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, an International Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and a Lifetime Member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. In 2009, he was made a Knight Bachelor for his contributions to plant science and genetics.
Sir David’s research interests have included plant hormones, disease resistance, virology and what has become known as RNA silencing. Following the patenting and licensing of his research into RNA silencing, several drugs have been developed to treat serious genetic disorders in humans. In recognition, Sir David shared the 2008 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research with Nobel Laureates Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun.