Professor Dame Anne Johnson has been elected as the next Academy of Medical Sciences President, taking over the post from Professor Sir Robert Lechler on 3 December 2020.
Professor Dame Anne Johnson was elected a Fellow of the Academy in 2001 and has had a distinguished career in epidemiology and public health, working on topics including HIV/AIDS, influenza and diagnostics for infectious diseases. She has contributed to many high-profile advisory groups in the UK and internationally, including as Chair of the UK Committee for Strategic Coordination of Health of the Public Research (SCHOPR). She was made Dame Commander of the British Empire in the 2013 Queen's Birthday Honours List, and is currently Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at University College London and Co-Director of UCL Health of the Public.
Professor Dame Anne Johnson said: “It is an absolute honour to be elected President of the Academy of Medical Sciences at a time when medical research couldn’t be more crucial to people’s heath in the UK and globally.
“The pandemic has reminded us all just how precious our health and wellbeing is and has highlighted the importance of independent evidence, and integration of the clinical, public health, social and discovery science responses to a health and societal challenge of unprecedented scale in our lifetime.
“I will lead the Academy to create an environment where the full spectrum of high-quality health research can thrive and networks are created between leading researchers throughout the UK and globally.
“My priorities will include promoting research excellence and collaboration which extends across geography and background, improving research culture and careers so everyone can thrive, ensuring global collaboration continues to flourish after we have left the EU, and helping UK research recover from the significant setbacks as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”