Haem Cluster members elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences
Two members of the MRC National Mouse Genetics Network’s Haem Cluster are among the 54 scientists newly elected to Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
David Kent, Cristina Lo Celso and the other newly elected Fellows have been recognised for their remarkable contributions to advancing medical science, groundbreaking research discoveries and translating developments into benefits for patients and the wider public. They join an esteemed Fellowship of 1,450 researchers who are at the heart of the Academy’s work, which includes nurturing the next generation of scientists and shaping research and health policy in the UK and worldwide.
David Kent, Haem Cluster Lead and Deputy Head of the Department of Biology at the University of York, is a leading stem cell biologist whose collaborative work has been revolutionary in his field. His achievements include discovering that the order of mutation acquisition impacts cancer evolution in patients and co-developing a method to track and count stem cells by looking at patterns of naturally occurring mutations in DNA as genetic “barcodes”.
David said: “I feel deeply honoured to be elected into the Academy and am also looking forward to contributing to the amazing work they do in the research, policy and research culture spaces.
“There are of course a huge number of people whose work have contributed to the work that we have published over the years and I’m particularly pleased that we have managed big cross-disciplinary projects that move beyond what a single lab can take on.”
Cristina Lo Celso is Professor of Stem Cell Biology at Imperial and co-leads the Imperial Centre for Haematology. Cristina’s research focuses on understanding the processes that regulate how blood stem cells function in the bone marrow, how their neighbouring cells influence them during homeostasis and stress, and what happens to the balance between healthy and malignant stem cells when blood cancer develops. In 2017, Cristina was awarded the Academy’s prestigious Foulkes Foundation medal for her pioneering microscopy techniques to support the treatment of patients with leukaemia. This prize is awarded biennially to recognise rising stars within biomedical research.
Cristina commented: “I feel very honoured to have been elected a Fellow of the Academy. This indicates the importance of the work driven by my group and interdisciplinary collaborators over the years. I hope together we will identify strategies to support healthy haematopoietic ageing and to improve treatment of haematological cancers.”
Andrew Morris, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “It is a privilege to welcome these 54 exceptional scientists to our Fellowship. Each new Fellow brings unique expertise and perspective to addressing the most significant health challenges facing society.
“The breadth of disciplines represented in this year’s cohort – from mental health and infectious disease to cancer biology and respiratory medicine – reflects the rich diversity of medical science today. Their election comes at a crucial time when scientific excellence and collaboration across disciplines are essential for addressing global health challenges both now and in the future. We look forward to working with them to advance biomedical research and create an environment where the best science can flourish for the benefit of people everywhere.”
The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a ceremony on Wednesday 9 July 2025.
A number of other Network members are already Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences, including our Director, Owen Sansom (elected in 2017). From the Ageing Cluster: Anne Ferguson-Smith (2012). From the Cancer Cluster: Ian Tomlinson (2009). From the Degron Tagging Cluster: Roland Wolf (2000). From the Haem Cluster: Brian Huntly (2021) and Andrew McKenzie (2011). From the Microbiome Cluster: Fiona Powrie (2014), Gordon Brown (2016), and Tracy Hussell (2017). From the Mitochondria Cluster: Patrick Chinnery (2009) and Michael Hanna (2019).