Professor Christl Donnelly, Professor of Applied Statistics in the Department of Statistics, has been elected a Fellow of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences as part of its inaugural cohort.
Professor Donnelly joins mathematicians from academia, education, business, industry, and government to collaborate on work of societal importance, including the impact of climate change, preparing for future diseases and pandemics, ensuring the safety of AI and quantum technologies, and guiding the UK’s green energy transition.
She said: ‘It is an honour to join the Academy and to contribute to its support for and promotion of the mathematical sciences, which are fundamental to so many aspects of modern life.’
Donnelly’s research focuses on infectious disease epidemiology and control, including real-time outbreak analysis and disease transmission dynamics. Her work at the science-policy interface has been instrumental in informing public health responses, including the response to Covid-19. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Dame Alison Etheridge, founding President of the Academy and Professor of Probability in the Department of Statistics, said: ‘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.’
Eleven other researchers from the wider University were also elected to the Academy’s inaugural cohort: Professor José Antonio Carrillo de la Plata, Professor Gui-Qiang George Chen, Professor Rama Cont, Professor Jason Lotay, Professor James Maynard, Professor Christoph Reisinger, Zubin Siganporia and Professor Sarah Waters from the Mathematical Institute; Dr Robert Leese from St Catherine’s College; Professor Deirdre Hollingsworth from the Big Data Institute; and Professor Leslie Ann Goldberg from the Department of Computer Science.
Founded in 2023, the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences (AcadMathSci) is a new national body sitting alongside the UK's other four national Academies: The Royal Society, the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Academy for Medical Sciences.
Lord Vallance, the UK’s Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, welcomed the creation of the Academy and the appointment of its inaugural Fellows: ‘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 Donnelly’s election reflects the contribution of statistical science at Oxford to research, policy and public life, and the role of the Department of Statistics in applying mathematical and statistical methods to complex national and global challenges.