Paul is the first person to serve as President of the Royal Society twice since the nineteenth century, having previously held the role between 2010-2015.

The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship made up of the world’s most eminent scientist, engineers and technologists – all have made a substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathematics, engineering science and medical science. The result of a ballot of the Fellowship was confirmed at a meeting of the Society’s Council on October 8 and Paul will take up the post of President on December 1, 2025. Paul will be stepping down as Crick Director in Summer 2025, after which he will still continue his research at the institute.

Previous Presidents of the Royal Society have included Christopher Wren, Samuel Pepys, Isaac Newton, Joseph Banks, Humphry Davy, and Ernest Rutherford. Paul will succeed distinguished statistician Sir Adrian Smith.

I am honoured that the Fellows of the Royal Society have chosen to elect me to be their President. As a nation and as a species we are facing unprecedented challenges, from ageing populations to climate change. Science can help us understand and do something about these threats. Science can also help drive our economy and create well-paid jobs. Research must be at the heart of our society and as President of the Royal Society, I am looking forward to doing all I can to ensure that is the case.

Paul Nurse