The Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow will assume the role of President of the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) following her retirement this year.
She will take up the position in May 2018.
The presidency is one of three honorary positions on the RSB Council.
Dame Julia will succeed Professor Dame Jean Thomas, who was appointed President in 2014.
Dr Mark Downs CSci FRSB and Chief Executive of the Society, commented on the appointment: ‘I am delighted to announce that the succession plan for the society will bring Professor Goodfellow to the next presidency and I look forward to working with her.
‘The next presidency will take the society through the milestone of our first decade and Julia’s distinction, vision and experience will be a guiding light as we build on our first ten years and look to the next.’
Dame Jean said of her successor: ‘I am delighted that Julia will be the Society’s third President. She has made tremendous contributions across the biosciences and education and will undoubtedly be an excellent hand at the helm of the Society.
‘Her experience and knowledge will be a great asset as the Society continues to develop a unified bioscience voice and champion the work of biologists.
‘I look forward to a busy final Presidential year, and anticipate the ever stronger future that I am sure Julia and the Society will build.’
The RSB, established in 2009, is a single unified voice for biology: advising Government and influencing policy; advancing education and professional development; supporting our members, and engaging and encouraging public interest in the life sciences. The Society represents a diverse membership of individuals, learned societies and other organisations.