A robotics specialist, civil engineering professor, a world-leading accountancy expert and a financial historian have all been elected as Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, joining experts in public health and other sciences.
The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy, has announced the election of its newest cohort of Fellows, recognising their outstanding and continuing contributions to public health, medicine, STEM, engineering, business and the arts.
Fellows are elected to the RSE, Scotland’s National Academy, in recognition of excellence in their disciplines and an ongoing commitment to advancing knowledge for the benefit of society as a whole. This year’s cohort represents the best that Scotland’s institutions and business community has to offer.
Anton Colella is the global CEO of Moore, a leading accountancy firm. He is also the former CEO of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, and the Scottish Qualifications Authority. He currently serves as a board member of Mary’s Meals International, a charity that feeds school children in some of the world’s poorest countries and is a visiting professor at Strathclyde Business School.
He said: “I am deeply grateful to have been elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. It is a privilege and very exciting to join a learned society of such distinction as the RSE, and I am greatly looking forward to being an active part of it.
“I am fortunate to have had a varied career in leadership across the public and private sectors, and I hope to be able to contribute my own experiences to the pursuit of advancing knowledge for the public good.”
Professor Subramanian Ramamoorthy is professor of robot learning and autonomy in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh, where his research focusses on robotics and machine learning to achieve safe robot autonomy in human environments.
He previously served as vice-president and scientific advisor at Five AI, a software company specialising in self-driving vehicle technology.
He said: “It is an honour to be elected a Fellow of the RSE, Scotland’s illustrious national academy. Robotics and AI are reshaping our world at a breathtaking pace. I have had the privilege of contributing to some of these technologies as they have moved from laboratory ideas to real-world deployments.
“That scale of adoption demands broader conversations about impact, policy, skills, and education. I look forward to using RSE’s platform to help drive those conversations and ensure these powerful technologies serve the greater good.”
Bruce Pritchard is CEO of Liminal Biosciences, a biotechnology company that specialises in discovering and developing novel compounds for metabolic, inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.
He said: “It is a huge honour to be recognised as a Fellow by such a prestigious body, which connects the those creating and defining the future of education, technology and business.
“Having been involved in shaping the governance of some of Scotland’s Higher and Professional educators, and in executive and non-executive roles leading international businesses in the life sciences sector, I have worked extensively at the interface of education and entrepreneurship.
“Embedding a governance structure and business culture that enables and empowers organisations to succeed is an enormous passion of mine. I look forward to working with other Fellows to leverage these experiences to help shape Scotland’s future.”
Russell Napier is an internationally renowned expert on finance, author, adviser, and runs a course on financial history at Heriot-Watt University. He said: “As an adopted Scot I am particularly delighted by my election as a Fellow of Scotland’s National Academy. I have had a long commitment to widening participation in education and also to widening the perspectives of business regarding the many factors, well beyond those traditionally taught in business schools, that impact investment.
“I look forward to working with the RSE in both areas. The need for the interdisciplinary approach in understanding our world, that the RSE promotes, is now particularly important given the huge structural changes that we are all living through. I look forward, as a Fellow, to furthering the interdisciplinary work of the RSE at this particularly important time in our history.”
Professor Muhammed Basheer, formerly an Executive Dean at Heriot-Watt University and now an Honorary Visiting Professor at City St George’s, University of London as well as working with Amphora Technologies, a company he began in 2002, has also been elected. He is an academic leader, manager and strategist as well as internationally leading educationalist, researcher and professional in civil engineering, with expertise in the performance of structural materials.
He said: “I am delighted to be elected as a Fellow of the RSE. Becoming a Fellow provides me an opportunity to actively contribute to interdisciplinary teams in the Society, addressing some of the challenges such as energy, sustainability and social justice both in Scotland and globally.”
RSE President Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli PRSE said: “It is a great privilege to welcome this group of such exceptional people into the Fellowship of the RSE.
“Each of our new Fellows brings a unique background, expertise and insight to the National Academy of Scotland, and we are thrilled to have them join us.
“The challenges that face Scotland, and the world, are numerous and growing. The RSE’s diverse membership and its expertise enable us to bring multidisciplinary perspectives to a wide range of issues of significance for Scotland and the world, including some of today’s most pressing health issues.
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“Today’s new Fellows from across sciences, humanities, creative arts, and the professions have demonstrated excellence in their field, and a commitment to use their knowledge for public good.
“On behalf of the Society, I congratulate them all on their tremendous achievements.”
The RSE was founded in 1783 and leverages the combined knowledge of its 1,800-strong Fellowship to tackle the most pressing issues facing society, provide independent expert advice to policymakers and inspire the next generation of innovative thinkers.
