Professor Claudia Langenberg and Professor Jonathan Grigg elected as Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences

The Academy's elected Fellows are the most influential scientists in the UK and worldwide, drawn from the NHS, academia, industry and the public service. Fellowship of the Academy is based on exceptional contributions to the medical sciences, either in the form of original discovery or of sustained contributions to scholarship.  

Professor Jonathan Grigg: improving our understanding of the health impacts of air pollution 

Professor Jonathan Grigg, Professor of Paediatric Respiratory and Environmental Medicine and Consultant Paediatrician, has been elected for his work in shaping our understanding of the negative effects of air pollution on children’s health.  

Professor Grigg is the leading UK paediatrician on the adverse effects of air pollution. He has published papers that describe how air pollution increases susceptibility to viral and bacterial infections. He advised policy makers as a member of the UK Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution. As Chair of the European Respiratory Society’s Tobacco Control Committee, he advocated limiting young people’s access to vaping products. Clinically, he wrote NHS guidance on air pollution and asthma, and has directed a National Institute for Health and Care Research Global Health Research Group aimed at improving children’s asthma care in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2023, he launched the first NHS environmental assessment service for asthmatic children at the Royal London Hospital. 

Professor Grigg said about his appointment: “I am delighted and honoured to be elected and look forward to contributing to the work of the Academy.” 

Professor Claudia Langenberg: driving precision healthcare to better predict, prevent and treat disease 

Professor Claudia Langenberg, Director of Queen Mary’s Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI), has been elected to the Academy for her outstanding work in public health. 

Professor Langenberg is Director of the Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI) at Queen Mary University of London, Professor of Computational Medicine at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité, and consultant of public health at the Department of Health and Social Care and Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK. Her team is focused on the genetic regulation of human metabolism and her work has transformed the use and integration of large-scale, high-resolution molecular and clinical data to systematically characterise genetic effects across organs, tissues and cells and advance our understanding of the causes of diverse human diseases (www.omicscience.org). Professor Langenberg is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and since 2022 has been named in the Best Female Scientists in the World Ranking. 

Speaking about her appointment, Professor Langenberg said: “We are experiencing an explosion of health data opportunities from the development of scalable molecular assays and comprehensive clinical data capture.  This means that we can now take insights from large population studies through to cellular resolution, using humans as the model organism. For me, computational medicine is at the centre of using these opportunities to deliver better outcomes for patients. It is an honour to present this discipline at the Academy.”  

They join this year’s other new Fellows, who have all been recognised for their remarkable contributions to advancing biomedical and health sciences, ground-breaking research discoveries, and translating developments into benefits for patients and wider society. 

Professor Andrew Morris CBE FRSE PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “It is a privilege to welcome these 54 exceptional scientists to our Fellowship. Each new Fellow brings unique expertise and perspective to addressing the most significant health challenges facing society.  

“The breadth of disciplines represented in this year’s cohort – from mental health and infectious disease to cancer biology and respiratory medicine – reflects the rich diversity of medical science today. Their election comes at a crucial time when scientific excellence and collaboration across disciplines are essential for addressing global health challenges both now and in the future. We look forward to working with them to advance biomedical research and create an environment where the best science can flourish for the benefit of people everywhere.” 

Professor Sir Mark Caulfield, Vice Principal of Health, Queen Mary University of London, said: “I am simply delighted that Claudia Langenberg and Jonathan Grigg have been recognised by the Academy of Medical Sciences. Claudia has used multiomics to transform our understanding of cardiometabolic disease and Jonathan has published seminal work on respiratory illness in childhood.“