We are absolutely delighted to share the news that two scientists associated with the Lister Institute have been elected as Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE).
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The honour has been bestowed upon Former Fellow, Professor Michael Eddleston, and Scientific Advisory Committee member, Professor E. Elizabeth Patton.Professor Eddleston and Professor Patton were elected to the RSE Fellowship following a “rigorous assessment of their achievements, professional standing, and the contribution they and their work make to wider society”.Professor Michael Eddleston is Professor of Clinical Toxicology at the University of Edinburgh. He is also Director of the Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention (CPSP), a collaborative organisation set up to reduce the number of pesticide suicides worldwide. He was awarded the Lister Prize in 2011. Michael’s work has proved seminal in driving WHO policy towards greater pesticide regulation, leading to bans on lethal pesticides that could save 75,000 lives every year.Professor E. Elizabeth Patton is Personal Chair of Chemical Genetics and MRC Investigator at the MRC Human Genetics Unit, also based at the University of Edinburgh.
Her lab uses chemical genetic approaches in zebrafish to investigate gene-drug interactions in melanocyte development, as well as in melanoma biology.
In her role as a member of the Lister’s Scientific Advisory Committee, she helps decide which promising young scientists should be awarded the Lister Prize.Both will join the RSE’s existing Fellows – numbering around 1,600 – whose work has made a significant contribution to every element of Scotland and Scottish society. Among this number are not only scientists, but also those involved with the arts, humanities, social science, business, and public service.
Fellows have a fundamental role to play in the RSE’s aims of inspiring, engaging, and providing expertise.
We wish Professor Eddleston and Professor Patton every success in their new role within the RSE.