Baroness Brown appointed 2025-26 President of the British Science Association

The British Science Association (BSA) has today (Wednesday 18 June 2025) announced engineer and Crossbench Member of the House of Lords, Julia Elizabeth King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE FREng FRS FMedSci, as its President for 2025/26.

Baroness Brown takes over the Presidency from public health expert and infectious disease epidemiologist, Professor Kevin Fenton CBE.

Baroness Brown has extensive experience in the areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education, innovation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation - including 12 years as vice-chair of the independent public body, the Climate Change Committee, where she is now chair of its Adaptation Committee.

She holds a first class degree in Natural Sciences and a PhD in Fracture Mechanics from Cambridge University and is a fellow of three National Academies. Following her PhD, she continued at Cambridge as a research fellow. Following a period as a lecturer at Nottingham University she returned to Cambridge before going on to senior positions in Rolls-Royce plc, in the aerospace, industrial and marine businesses. She returned to academia as Principal of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College London and Vice Chancellor of Aston University.

Baroness Brown is an expert in the field of low carbon business, and for 10 years served as the UK’s ambassador, being appointed in 2007 by the Government to lead the King Review examining the vehicle and fuel technologies that could help to reduce carbon emissions from road transport over the next 25 years.

She was appointed as a Crossbench peer to the House of Lords in 2015, where she Chaired the Science and Technology Select Committee from 2022 to 2025. She now sits on the Intelligence and Security Committee. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to materials engineering in 1999 and promoted to Dame Commander (DBE) for services to technology and higher education in 2012.

Baroness Brown is a member and officer of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM, for which the British Science Association acts as secretariat.

Hilary Newiss, Chair of the British Science Association, said:  

I am delighted to welcome Baroness Brown as our incoming President for 2025-26. Her prolific research career, work in higher education leadership and her decades’ of experience as an ambassador for low carbon business are an inspiration.

Baroness Brown has an unwavering commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in science and technology and an evidence-backed understanding that a diverse and inclusive sector is a more profitable and forward-thinking one. Her expertise and extensive experience make her an excellent fit for the BSA Presidency and will help us achieve our vision a future where science is more relevant, representative and connected to society.

Baroness Brown said:

It is a huge honour to serve as BSA President, especially at this time when science and technology have become so fundamental to our lives. The UK is a leader in scientific research and we need to find better and faster ways to benefit from this by translating discovery into large scale solutions for problems like climate change.

Creativity and imagination drive great science, things that are themselves driven by the diversity of our scientists and engineers.  I am passionate that every child – indeed every person – in the UK should have the opportunity to be part of the excitement of science, to be part of making that science better and more impactful, to share in the benefits and also to understand how we can manage potential negative aspects of developments such as AI and engineering biology.

The BSA can play a central role in integrating science and society.

The role of President is a year-long, honorary appointment which begins in September, coinciding with the annual British Science Festival. The President works with the BSA’s Chief Executive, Senior Management Team and Council to use their platform, driving the BSA’s mission to make science more relevant, representative and connected to society.

Baroness Brown will be making her presidential address at this year’s Festival.

Past Presidents of the BSA include Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, Professor Alice Roberts, Professor Dame Athene Donald, Professor Dame Uta Frith, Lord Browne of Madingley, Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell-Burnell and Sir David Attenborough.