Congratulations to new Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh

Congratulations to Professors Philip Best and Catherine Heymans of the School of Physics and Astronomy, who today were among the 66 distinguished individuals elected to become Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE).

Catherine is Professor of Observational Cosmology at the Institute for Astronomy.  She specialises in observing the dark side of our Universe and co-leads the European Southern Observatory Kilo Degree Survey, using deep sky observations to test whether we need to go beyond Einstein with our current theory of gravity.  

On her election Catherine said: “I am delighted to be joining the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.  I am looking forward to working within the society and building upon the accomplishments we made as part of the RSE's Young Academy of Scotland."

Philip is Professor of Extragalactic Astrophysics, also in the Institute for Astronomy. His research focuses on understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies, and the role of supermassive black holes and active galactic nuclei in this process.

On his election Philip said: "It is an honour to have been elected to the Fellowship and I look forward to working with colleagues across a very wide range of disciplines to help support the important work of the RSE.”

Commenting on the new fellows, current President of the RSE, Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE, reported:

"Each year we welcome a selection of nominated extraordinary individuals into the Fellowship and this year is no exception. The diverse range of achievements of these individuals will be an asset to the RSE and I am sure they will strengthen the RSE’s standing as a national academy committed to providing public benefit to Scottish society.”

The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE)

The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's National Academy, is an educational charity established in 1783. Unlike similar organisations in the rest of the UK, the RSE’s strength lies in the breadth of disciplines represented by its Fellowship. Its membership stands at approximately 1600 Fellows from across the entire academic spectrum – science and technology, arts, humanities, social sciences, business, and public service. New Fellows are elected to the RSE each year through a rigorous five-stage nomination process.  This range of expertise enables the RSE to take part in a host of activities such as: providing independent and expert advice to Government and Parliament; supporting aspiring entrepreneurs through mentorship; facilitating education programmes for young people, and engaging the general public through educational events.