Seven Cambridge academics elected as 2026 Academy of Medical Sciences Fellows

The new Fellows have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to advancing medical science, each responsible for pioneering discovery research and translating innovation into tangible benefits for patients and the wider public.

They join an esteemed Fellowship of over 1,500 researchers who are at the heart of the Academy’s work to nurture scientific talent and shape research and health policy in the UK and worldwide.

This year’s Fellows from the University of Cambridge are:

Professor Antonis Antoniou – Department of Public Health and Primary Care and Director of the Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology & Cancer Data-Driven Detection

Antonis is an internationally recognised genetic epidemiologist who has made major contributions to the understanding of the genetic basis of common cancers, the development of multifactorial risk prediction models and tools and novel statistical methods. His work has defined the risks associated with major cancer susceptibility genes and has shown how common genetic variants modify cancer risk in mutation carriers. For the past 20 years, he has spearheaded the development of the BOADICEA and CanRisk, internationally adopted tools for breast, ovarian and prostate cancer risk prediction, that combine genetic and non-genetic factors to guide prevention, screening and clinical decision-making. Through major global and national collaborative programmes, his work continues to advance early detection and prevention of cancer.

Professor John McCafferty – Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID), Department of Medicine

John’s research seeks to address the blight of snakebite envenomation by generating venom-neutralising recombinant antibodies. He is known for his pioneering role in the invention, development and application of phage antibody technology, and as a scientific founder of Cambridge Antibody Technology. The technology has enjoyed widespread uptake in the biotechnology sector with at least fifteen approved antibody drugs from phage display including Humira, which cumulatively is the world’s biggest selling drug. He has also founded two other start-ups: IONTAS Ltd, who have developed several antibody drugs currently in clinical trials with commercial partners, and Maxion Therapeutics Ltd, to develop ion channel-blocking antibodies, a previously intractable target class.

Professor James Nathan – CITIID, Department of Medicine

James is an academic respiratory physician and group leader at CITIID. His research has fundamentally advanced understanding of how cells sense oxygen and nutrients, pioneering genetic screening approaches that reveal how metabolism and oxygen-sensing intersect to control inflammation and tumour growth. His work has shown how metabolites hijack oxygen-sensing machinery to drive cancer and reprogram immune cells, with mitochondrial lipoylation emerging as a key regulatory node in this response. He has also uncovered new oxygen-sensing pathways, including a system to control cholesterol production with broad clinical implications for cardiorespiratory disease.

Professor Stefano Pluchino – Department of Clinical Neurosciences

Having trained in Italy at the University of Siena and the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Stefano joined Cambridge in 2010. His pioneering research has transformed our understanding of stem cell and exosome therapeutics for neurological conditions, revealing that advanced cellular and acellular therapeutics can reprogram the immune system to slow neurological disability. Most recently, his team has been pioneering the use of advanced stem cell technologies as new approach methodologies, opening innovative avenues for understanding and treating multiple sclerosis.

Professor George Vassiliou – Department of Haematology and Cambridge Stem Cell Institute

Born and raised in Cyprus, George trained in London and Cambridge before establishing his research team at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, then moving to the University in 2019. He is recognised for his pioneering research into the biology, pathogenesis and treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and related cancers. His work includes the co-discovery of clonal haematopoiesis, transforming our understanding of how somatic mutations and blood stem cell ageing can lead to the development of leukaemia; elucidation of the molecular consequences of key leukaemia driver mutations; and performance of the first genome-wide CRISPR screen in a human cancer, identifying critical AML vulnerabilities and fast-tracking novel therapeutics to the clinic.

Professor Anne Willis – Director of the Medical Research Unit Toxicology Unit and Fellow of St Catharine’s College

Anne obtained her PhD from the University of London/Cancer Research UK, then moved to Cambridge’s Department of Biochemistry and as a Junior Research Fellow at Churchill College. She became a lecturer at the University of Leicester, progressing to Professor in 2004 before becoming Director of Cancer Research at the University of Nottingham. From 2008-2013, she held a BBSRC Professorial Fellowship. In 2010, she became Director of the MRC Toxicology Unit. Anne’s research is directed towards understanding the role of post-transcriptional control in response to toxic injury with a focus on RNA-binding proteins, regulatory RNA motifs and therapeutic RNAs.

Professor Giles Yeo – Institute of Metabolic Science and Fellow at Wolfson College

Giles has been elected for his internationally recognised work on the genetics and neuroscience of obesity, and for his leadership in communicating science to the public. He is one of the few scientists worldwide mapping the neural circuits that control feeding directly in the human brain, helping to transform understanding of appetite, body weight regulation and metabolic disease. His research has made important contributions to identifying genetic variants that underpin human obesity and to characterising the hypothalamic neurons that regulate hunger and satiety.

Professor Andrew Morris, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “It is a privilege to welcome this outstanding new cohort to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Each of our new Fellows has been recognised by their peers for exceptional achievement for the influence their work has had in advancing medical science and improving health.

“The diversity of disciplines represented this year reflects the richness of modern medical science and the value of collaboration across fields. At a time when health challenges are increasingly complex, the Academy’s Fellowship provides a trusted, independent platform for scientific leaders to work together, champion excellence, and help ensure research delivers real benefits for people and communities.”

The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a ceremony on Tuesday 30th June.

Adapted from a press release from the Academy of Medical Sciences