Professor Lynn Gladden named Executive Chair of Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Professor Gladden is currently Shell Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cambridge. She is internationally recognised for her work on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods which have benefited a wide array of industrial processes and contributed to a range of products and process technologies across multiple sectors.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the main mechanism that promotes the UK’s strengths in research and innovation both at home and around the world and ensures that the UK continues to make the most of its world-leading R&D sector and provide support for researchers and scientists.

EPSRC is the UK’s main funder for research across the engineering and physical sciences. It supports excellent, long-term research and high-quality postgraduate training, in order to contribute to the economic competitiveness of the UK.

“EPSRC science delivers world-leading, original thinking in mathematics, physical sciences and engineering that transforms the world we live in, and I am honoured to have been selected to be its new Executive Chair,” said Professor Gladden. “This is an exciting time to lead EPSRC. In particular, the formation of UKRI offers opportunities for EPSRC science and thinking to expand into new fields through collaboration with partner Councils, and to explore new ways of working to deliver the UK’s Industrial Strategy.”

Sir Mark Walport, UKRI CEO, said: “Professor Lynn Gladden is a world-leading chemical engineer. Her ground-breaking work in academia coupled with her strong collaborations with industry makes her the ideal candidate to lead EPSRC and ensure the wider success of UK Research and Innovation. 

Lynn will build on the successes of her predecessor, Professor Philip Nelson, who I would like to thank for his exceptional leadership of EPSRC over the last four years and the crucial role he has played in the creation of UK Research and Innovation.”

Professor Gladden is Shell Professor of Chemical Engineering in Cambridge’s Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology, and a Fellow of Trinity College. Her research has focused on advancing magnetic resonance imaging techniques, originally developed for use in the medical environment, and using them in engineering research to gain a greater understanding of the physical and chemical phenomena that determine the performance of chemical processes and their resulting products. In addition to her own research, Professor Gladden has held a number of research oversight roles in the UK and abroad, including Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at Cambridge from 2010 to 2016. She is currently a Judge for the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.