Professors Alan Champneys, Alf Coles, Oliver Johnson, Owen Patashnick and Dr Tom Murdoch OBE, are among 100 of the first Fellows. Their election brings together the UK’s strongest mathematicians across academia, education, business, industry, and government to help solve some of the UK’s biggest challenges.
Much like Fellows of the other National Academies (Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, British Academy and the Academy of Medical Sciences), the Fellows of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences have been recognised for being leaders in their fields, through fundamental discoveries, exceptional work in education, or driving the application of mathematics across society as part of our critical national infrastructure.
Alan Champneys, Professor of Applied Non-linear Mathematics, has been in the Department of Engineering Mathematics (now School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology) for over 30 years.
His research focuses on applied dynamical systems, including homoclinic bifurcations, pattern formation and nonsmooth dynamics. A committed teacher and communicator, he has been voted by Bristol students as a Best of Bristol (BoB) lecturer and is a senior fellow of the Higher Education Authority (HEA). He collaborates widely across disciplines, has led initiatives to strengthen mathematical knowledge exchange with industry and government, and chairs the Somerscience Festival, promoting STEM engagement in Somerset.
Alf Coles, Professor of Mathematics Education at the School of Education, has been at Bristol since 2010, following a 15‑year career teaching mathematics in secondary schools and leading practitioner‑research. He has chaired the British Society for Research in Learning Mathematics (2022–25) and previously edited Research in Mathematics Education.
His research focuses on developing transformative learning cultures with teachers and students, and he has consulted on NCETM professional development materials and led international projects.
His current work explores “ecological” mathematics education in response to the poly‑crisis, and he co‑chairs an ICMI Study on Mathematics Education and the Socio‑Ecological, which included a major 2025 conference and will produce an open‑access book in 2026.
Oliver Johnson, Professor of Information Theory is currently Head of the School of Mathematics. His research ranges from theoretical work on limit theorems and functional inequalities in probability theory to collaborations with engineers, computer scientists and biologists.
During the pandemic, he gained prominence for his mathematical commentary on COVID‑19, leading to media appearances and articles. His 2023 book Numbercrunch promotes the value of maths and has been published internationally.
He also writes the Substack Logging the World and has delivered major public lectures, including the LMS Gresham Lecture (2024), and last year the UK International Mathematical Olympiad Lecture.
Dr Tom Murdoch OBE, Honorary Professor in Mathematics, earned a DPhil in Numerical Analysis from Oxford before joining GCHQ in 1991, where he spent over 30 years in roles across Intelligence, Cyber Security and Lawful Intercept, eventually serving as Head of Cryptanalysis and Head of Profession for Mathematics and Cyber Security.
He now works across education and national security, including serving on the Science Advisory Committee for the UK Intelligence Community, consulting for the National Quantum Computing Centre and the Heilbronn Institute, and holding honorary and visiting professorships at Bristol and Strathclyde, with a focus on maths outreach.
Owen Patashnick, Professor of Pure Mathematics at Bristol and King's College, London, working in arithmetic geometry and related fields. His work centres around creating explicit computable tools, techniques, and algorithms, and using them to explore deep mathematical structures.
Since 2014, he has been director and scientific lead of the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research London branch. In this role his job in part is to lead and mentor multidisciplinary teams and builds research partnerships across Heilbronn sites, UK government departments, international counterparts and leading academic mathematicians.
Lord Vallance KCB FRS FMedSci FRCP HonFREng, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), said: “Mathematics sits at the heart of the UK’s scientific and technological strength and is essential to the development of the industries of the future, in exciting fields like AI and quantum.
"The Academy for the Mathematical Sciences’ inaugural Fellows represent the very best of this national capability, and I commend the Academy for bringing them together. Their expertise strengthens our security, boosts productivity and supports high‑quality jobs across the country, so it is only right that they are celebrated."
Professor Dame Alison Etheridge DBE FRS, President of the Academy for Mathematical Sciences, added: “I’m delighted to welcome our inaugural Fellows — individuals of exceptional distinction who collectively advance the mathematical sciences through discovery, leadership, education and real-world application.
“As Fellows of the Academy, they will come together in service of the wider public good: bringing independent expertise to bear on national priorities, championing excellence in mathematics education, strengthening the UK’s research and innovation base, and helping to ensure that mathematics continues to deliver opportunity, resilience and prosperity across our four nations.”
Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol, said: “I am immensely proud to see five of our talented academics honoured as inaugural Fellows of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences. This recognition reflects not only their individual excellence, but also the strength, breadth and impact of mathematical sciences and education at Bristol.
“I warmly congratulate Professors Alan Champneys, Alf Coles, Oliver Johnson, Owen Patashnick and Dr Tom Murdoch OBE on this outstanding achievement.
“Their contributions spanning fundamental discovery, education, national security, public engagement and the application of mathematics to real-world challenges, exemplify the very best of our academic community.”
The new Fellows will continue to perform their roles in other institutions but will come together through the convening power of the Academy to help benefit the whole UK. Areas of focus will likely include:
- Working with experts across government, industry and the third sector to model the impact of climate change and advise on mitigations;
- Supporting cross-disciplinary modelling to prepare for future diseases and pandemics;
- Developing, and championing investment in, the new mathematics required for ensuring AI and the quantum technologies of tomorrow work safely and to the benefit of all;
- Bringing together industry, academia, and educators to design maths curricula fit for tomorrow's economy and society;
- Keeping the UK safe through advances in cryptography and the mathematical foundations of national security;
- Guiding the UK's green energy transition, advising on everything from grid capacity and system resilience to safe, large-scale energy storage;
- Helping businesses and entrepreneurs harness mathematics to drive innovation, new products, and sustainable growth;
- Strengthening national resilience by using mathematics to optimise infrastructure, improve public services, and forecast risks.