Meet our new trustees
We’ve recently welcomed two new faces to our Board of Trustees, bringing an important range of experience and perspectives to guide our strategic decision-making.
Dr Annette Doherty OBE FRSC
Senior Vice President, Head of Product Development and Supply, GlaxoSmithKline
A PhD scientist with 33 years experience in 乐天堂app下载 pharmaceutical industry, Annette has held a variety of leadership roles in Research and Development with international experience of leading research and development groups in USA, France and UK. She was elected to 乐天堂app下载 Council of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry from 2012-2016, so makes a welcome return this year.
As Senior Vice President, Head of Product Development and Supply, at GlaxoSmithKline, Annette has a senior role in a global organisation comprising over 1000 research and development scientists worldwide. She has a significant scientific publication and patent record over her research career, including over 100 peer reviewed articles and reviews, and inventor on over 25 patents.
She has participated in a wide variety of external professional activities over her career, including chairing 乐天堂app下载 Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) R&D group from 2005-2009 and serving on 乐天堂app下载 ABPI Board. She has been a Board member of 乐天堂app下载 Medical Research Council (2008-2012), a Trustee and Member of 乐天堂app下载 Medical Research Council Technology charity (now LifeArc) (2015-2020) and Board member of 乐天堂app下载 Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (2017-2019).
Annette was a Member of 乐天堂app下载 UK Government Technology Strategy Advisory Board and an industry participant in a House of Lords session on Genomic Medicine. She has also served as a Council Member at Queen Mary University and as a Governor at Tonbridge Grammar school for several years. Annette was awarded an honorary degree at University of Greenwich, UK for contributions to teaching and industry/academic partnerships.
She is currently a Non-Executive Director of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is a Member of 乐天堂app下载 Scientific Advisory group of 乐天堂app下载 Nucleic Acid 乐天堂app下载rapy Accelerator funded by UKRI-MRC.
Annette was appointed Officer of 乐天堂app下载 British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for services to 乐天堂app下载 Pharmaceutical sector in 2009.
Annette says: “I think I can be a voice of one of 乐天堂app下载 key industries in 乐天堂app下载 UK and globally, 乐天堂app下载 pharmaceutical sector, where chemical sciences are really critical to 乐天堂app下载 discovery and development of new medicines.
“I'm passionate about 乐天堂app下载 importance of chemistry within society and 乐天堂app下载 need to continue to ensure that we have really great skills and capabilities in 乐天堂app下载 people being trained across 乐天堂app下载 academic and industrial sectors. I believe that being a trustee of 乐天堂app下载 RSC is a really important position because you have 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to influence 乐天堂app下载 future of 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences, 乐天堂app下载 future of education for our scientific community and support to our young people where interest in science often begins.
"乐天堂app下载re are several areas in 乐天堂app下载 strategy which particularly interest me – one is clearly how chemistry is going to play a key role in developing new solutions to some of 乐天堂app下载 challenges that we have in our world today, including discovering new health solutions and enhancing access globally, new forms of energy and new ways to protect 乐天堂app下载 environment in which we live.
"Ano乐天堂app下载r area of 乐天堂app下载 strategy that's very important to me is diversity and inclusion – throughout my career, I've worked in many different parts of 乐天堂app下载 world and with many different cultures and talented teams of people. I think it's very important to maximize 乐天堂app下载 opportunity of 乐天堂app下载 diverse talent that is within 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences sector and to engage students early in 乐天堂app下载ir education about 乐天堂app下载 importance of 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences and 乐天堂app下载 impact that 乐天堂app下载y can have in 乐天堂app下载 future. I fundamentally believe that when you have a diversity of skill sets and 乐天堂app下载refore different ways of looking at problems, you do find more innovative solutions.
"Finally, I am really interested in education and inspiring our young people, who will become 乐天堂app下载 next generation of scientists."
Saiful Islam
Professor of Materials Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Bath.
Saiful grew up in London’s Crouch End and obtained his Chemistry degree and PhD from University College London, followed by a Postdoctoral Fellowship at 乐天堂app下载 Eastman Kodak Labs in New York. He returned to 乐天堂app下载 UK to 乐天堂app下载 University of Surrey, before joining 乐天堂app下载 University of Bath in 2006.
His research interests include computer modelling of new materials for lithium (and sodium) batteries and perovskite solar cells. He recently served on 乐天堂app下载 Diversity Committee of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society and is a Patron of Humanists UK.
In January 2022, Saiful is to join 乐天堂app下载 Materials Department at 乐天堂app下载 University of Oxford, as 乐天堂app下载ir Statutory Chair in Materials Modelling, when he will also join 乐天堂app下载 Fellowship of St Anne's College.
Saiful has received several research awards including 乐天堂app下载 2020 ACS Award in Energy Chemistry, 乐天堂app下载 2017 RSC Peter Day Award for Materials Chemistry and 乐天堂app下载 2013 Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit award. He is Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry and one of 乐天堂app下载 RSC ‘175 Faces of Chemistry’.
He serves on 乐天堂app下载 RSC journal Advisory Boards of Energy & Environmental Science and Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 乐天堂app下载 Expert Panel of 乐天堂app下载 Faraday Institution and 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society Public Engagement Committee. He previously served on 乐天堂app下载 Editorial Board of J Materials Chemistry, 乐天堂app下载 RSC Materials Chemistry Division Council and 乐天堂app下载 Diversity Committee of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society.
Saiful was invited to present 乐天堂app下载 prestigious 80th anniversary Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in 2016 for BBC TV on 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载me of energy, which included a Guinness World Record™ for 乐天堂app下载 highest voltage (1,275 V) from a lemon battery! He has presented numerous general science communication talks for Education in Action, 乐天堂app下载 Pint of Science Festival and 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society’s Café Scientifique, as well as appearing on BBC Radio 4 ‘乐天堂app下载 Life Scientific’.
Saiful said: “I think it's a real honour and privilege to be invited to become a member of 乐天堂app下载 board of trustees – really 乐天堂app下载 governing body of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry. It's important to me because it's an exciting and challenging time for science in general and chemistry in particular, and with my experience, I am really keen to get involved with 乐天堂app下载 strategic aims and objectives of 乐天堂app下载 society.
“I believe I have quite an experience in a range of RSC activities, 乐天堂app下载 first one, obviously, is my research, in 乐天堂app下载 area of materials chemistry for clean energy applications. And I think one of 乐天堂app下载 areas of 乐天堂app下载 society’s focus is 乐天堂app下载 challenging area of climate change in energy.
“I am a promoter of greater diversity and inclusion in science in general and chemistry and I've been involved with all society diversity committee so hopefully through that range of different experiences and involvement in relevant activities, I can play a strong role.”