An artificial intelligence expert has been appointed the new executive chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Charlotte Deane, who is currently professor of structural bioinformatics at the University of Oxford and chief AI officer at Exscientia, an AI-driven pharmaceutical company, will take up the new role in January, it was announced on 16 November.
Professor Deane was previously the EPSRC’s deputy executive chair during the Covid pandemic and acted as UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Covid-19 response director. She received an MBE in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to coronavirus research.
Announcing her appointment, the UK’s science secretary, Michelle Donelan, said: “Professor Deane’s return to the council as its executive chair is excellent news for the sector, bringing a strong record in driving pioneering research in business and academia and having spearheaded UKRI’s Covid response at a vital time for the UK.
