Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle and Science Minister, Lord Patrick Vallance have appointed Professor Michele Dougherty as the new Executive Chair of STFC.
Professor Dougherty is a Professor of Space Physics at Imperial College London.
She leads unmanned exploratory space missions to Saturn and Jupiter and was the Principal Investigator for the magnetometer instrument onboard the CASSINI-HUYGENS mission to Saturn.
She is also the Principal Investigator for the magnetometer for the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) of the European Space Agency that launched in April 2023.
A leading space physicist
Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said:
My congratulations to Professor Michele Dougherty on her appointment as STFC’s new executive chair and I welcome the wealth of experience she brings as an eminent space physicist.
STFC’s work supporting the physics community and building and maintaining major research infrastructure is critical for both fundamental and applied research – from designing new materials used in clean energy production to accelerating drug discovery.
By facilitating research which leads to new technologies being deployed across the economy, it can play a major part in creating UK wealth and generating economic growth.
I look forward to working with Professor Dougherty.
Driving STFC’s future direction
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Chief Executive Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser said:
I am delighted to welcome Professor Michele Dougherty to UKRI as STFC’s Executive Chair. Professor Dougherty has an outstanding record in space science and a strong and highly respected national and international profile. Her leadership, expertise and experience will be an invaluable asset to STFC and to wider UKRI as we continue to empower the UK’s world-class research and innovation system.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Mark Thomson for his outstanding leadership and direction of STFC and its thriving research and innovation campuses, as well as his many wider contributions to UKRI throughout his tenure.
Recognised in her field
Professor Dougherty was until recently Head of the Physics Department at Imperial College London.
She is a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Royal Society Research Professor.
She has been awarded:
- the Royal Astronomical Society Geophysics Gold medal in 2017
- a CBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List
- the Institute of Physics 2018 Richard Glazebrook Gold Medal and Prize
- the Royal Society Bakerian medal and lecture in 2024
Professor Dougherty said:
It is a privilege to have been selected as Executive Chair of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
It is an important time ahead for UK and international science with both challenges and many opportunities, and I look forward to helping enable STFC and UKRI to achieve their ambitious goals and strategy.
I am excited to work with colleagues across UKRI and the sector to enable the UK R&D landscape reach its full potential.
Professor Dougherty is expected to take up the role of Executive Chair at STFC in January 2025 on secondment from Imperial College London for a term of three years.
Top image: Professor Michele Dougherty. Credit: Imperial College London, Thomas Angus
