NPL colleagues join the UK Young Academy

2 minute read

NPL is delighted to announce that Dr Christoph Nehrbass-Ahles, Senior Research Scientist, and Dr Jennifer Clarke, Chief Scientist Directorate Operations Leader, have joined the UK Young Academy – a network of early career researchers and professionals established to help tackle local and global issues and promote meaningful change. Christoph and Jennifer are joining Abdo Koko, Higher Scientist, who is a member of the inaugural cohort selected in 2023.   

Christoph and Jennifer are among thirty-two emerging leaders from across the UK selected as the newest members of the UK Young Academy. From policy to engineering, education, archaeology and the creative industries, the new cohort of members come from a wide range of sectors and have each made significant contributions to their field.  

The UK Young Academy will provide them with a forum to exchange ideas, share expertise and participate in local and global policy discussions with the aim of tackling challenges based on areas that matter to them. 

Work programmes and initiatives led by members are already underway, with the aim to address the UK Young Academy’s strategic priorities set out in its first year. The first major project is scheduled to launch later this year and aimed at a programme to support researchers and professionals, both in the UK and globally. 

The new members take up their posts from 19 March 2024, and membership runs for five years.  

Speaking on behalf of the UK Young Academy executive group, Alistair McConnel, assistant professor in computer science at Heriot-Watt University, said: “We are delighted to welcome our new members to the UK Young Academy. It is such an exciting time to join the ranks. They will be able to help develop the Young Academy’s ambitions across areas they are passionate about, be it biodiversity loss, climate change or social inequality. 

“We have just kicked off planning our major projects for the year ahead, so the new members will be able to get their teeth stuck in from the get-go. I look forward to meeting them, being inspired by their diversity of ideas, and working alongside them to create positive change for the benefit of all.”