Professor Dek Woolfson, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry is among 90 outstanding academics selected in this year’s cohort.

Professor Woolfson’s research is at the intersection between chemistry and biology. He applies chemical methods and principles to understand biological processes involving proteins. His group focuses on designing completely new protein structures and functions from scratch, and using these living cells to study natural biological functions.

Professor Woolfson is Director of the Bristol BioDesign Institute and a founding member of the Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology. 

Professor Woolfson said: “I was completely bowled over to learn that I had been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.  This is an honour for me personally, but, more importantly, it is recognition of my co-workers’ research over the past 30 years or so.  Much of this work has been done at Bristol.  I’m indebted to my fantastic colleagues in Chemistry, Biochemistry, and across the University for their collaboration, collegiality, and friendship over the last 20 years.”

As Fellow of the Royal Society, Professors Woolfson joins the ranks of Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Lise Meitner, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and Dorothy Hodgkin. 

Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, said: “It is with great pleasure that I welcome the latest cohort of outstanding researchers into the Fellowship of the Royal Society. 

“Their achievements represent the very best of scientific endeavour, from basic discovery to research with real-world impact across health, technology and policy. From tackling global health challenges to reimagining what AI can do for humanity, their work is a testament to the power of curiosity-driven research and innovation.”