UK Young Academy appoints 42 new emerging leaders 

Today, 42 emerging leaders from across the UK have been named as the newest members of the UK Young Academy – an interdisciplinary network of early-career professionals and researchers working together to tackle pressing global and local challenges and promote lasting change. 

The new members come from a wide range of sectors, with backgrounds in political science, engineering, government, communications and the creative and performing industries, and more. Each member has demonstrated exceptional promise in their field while also showing a strong commitment to applying their expertise beyond their main areas of work, with a drive to engage in ways that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries and align with the aims of the UK Young Academy. 

As members of the UK Young Academy, they will have the opportunity to take action on both local and global issues. Through interdisciplinary projects and working across sectors, they will bridge gaps, drive innovation, and develop the solutions needed to address critical challenges – all while advancing their professional development and contributing to a global network of Young Academies focused on achieving positive outcomes. 

Speaking on behalf of the UK Young Academy Membership Selection Committee, Alistair McConnell, Assistant Professor in Computer Science at Heriot-Watt University, said: “The solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges won’t come from a single field or perspective. We need to bring together expertise and insights from a range of disciplines.” 

“Today, we are delighted to welcome our newest members, whose diverse backgrounds and expertise will bring fresh perspectives to the UK Young Academy. These members will have the opportunity to challenge boundaries, make new connections, and work together to develop innovative solutions to the challenges that matter most.” 

“As we enter our third year as an organisation, the new members will be able to contribute right from the outset. Through involvement in innovative projects, work programmes, or by ensuring that early-career voices are part of key global and local debates, they’ll be positioned to make a meaningful contribution.” 

For the first time, a select group of emerging leaders have been chosen for membership in the UK Young Academy through a dedicated route in collaboration with the Council of At-Risk Academics (Cara). At-risk academics from Cara’s network were invited to apply for membership as part of a UK Young Academy member-led project focused on supporting at-risk early-career researchers across the UK. 

Next week, the newest members of the UK Young Academy will come together for their Induction Day, where they will learn about the UK Young Academy’s activities and programmes. This will be followed by the third annual All Members’ Meeting, marking the first opportunity for this new group to connect with the wider membership. 

The new members take up their posts from 1 April 2025, and membership runs for five years.  
The list of new UK Young Academy members includes (in alphabetical order by surname): 

Nesrin Alrefaai  
Research Fellow  
London School of Economics and Political Sciences  

Thaddeus Anim-Somuah  
Global Senior Manager Sustainability  
Philips  

Sultan Ahmad Aria  
PhD Researcher and AHEAD Project Assistant  
Manchester Metropolitan University  

Dareen Assaf  
Research Visiting Fellow and Early Career Researcher  
Sheffield Hallam University  

Sadiq Bhanbhro  
Senior Research Fellow  
Sheffield Hallam University  

William Bolton  
NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery Specialist Registrar 
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Leeds  

Nicola Boydell  
Lecturer in Social Science and Public Health  
University of Edinburgh  

Franck Courbon  
Chief Executive Officer  
Ethicronics Ltd 

Giulia De Togni  
Chancellor’s Fellow  
The University of Edinburgh  

Heather Doran
Public Engagement Manager  
Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, University of Dundee  

Ievgeniia Gubkina  
History and Theory Tutor 
University College London 

Molly Halligan  
Senior Research Officer  
Scottish Government  

David Harris  
Senior Research Fellow  
University of Exeter  

Haitao He  
Reader in Transport and AI; Director of Transport AI Innovation Centre (TRAICE)  
Loughborough University  

Camilla Irvine-Fortescue  
Responsible Impact Specialist  
Heriot-Watt University  

Samer Jaber
PhD Researcher  
Royal Holloway, University of London  

Aqil Jaigirdar  
CEO  
Gravida Ltd 

Evelyn Keaveney  
NERC Independent Research Fellow  
Queen’s University Belfast  

Chi Ying Lam  
Lecturer in Community Music and Social Justice/ Co-Artistic Director  
University of Southampton/ Little Bean Theatre 

Takashi Lawson  
Researcher  
Microsoft Research  

Kif Liakath-Ali
Lecturer in Advanced Cell Biology  
University of Southampton  

David Maidment  
Senior Lecturer in Psychology  
Loughborough University 

Intigam Mamedov 
Visiting Research Fellow 
Northumbria University 

Hasan Maridi 
Research Fellow 
The University of Manchester 

Katharine Miltner
Lecturer in Data, AI, and Society  
University of Sheffield  

Alzira Minikeeva
PhD Researcher  
Birkbeck University of London  

Oleksandra Moskalenko  
Visiting Professor  
London School of Economics and Political Science 

Tin Naing  
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship  
University of Oxford  

Josephine Pepper
Associate  
J A Kemp LLP  

Sarah-Jane Potts  
Lecturer  
Swansea University  

Connor Qiu 
NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in General Practice 
Imperial College London 

Fatima Rezai  
PhD Researcher and Research Assistant  
Nottingham Trent University  

Kawita Sarwari  
Postgraduate Researcher 
University of Leeds 

Ramaa Sharma  
Executive Coach & Digital AI Media Consultant 
How we do this Ltd 

Alexandros Stratakos 
Associate Professor 
University of the West of England 

Freda Tait  
Strategic Projects & Change Director and PMO lead      
AstraZeneca  

Juliette Unwin  
Lecturer in Statistical Science  
University of Bristol 

Tetiana Vodotyka  
Research Fellow and IAS CARA Fellow 
Institute of Advanced Study, Durham University  

Yana Volkova  
Researcher  
Queen’s University Belfast  

Keri Ka-Yee Wong  
Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology, Co-Director UCL Centre for Education and Criminal Justice 
University College London  

Khaleda Zaheer  
CEO  
Refugee Crisis Foundation 

Wioleta Zelek  
Senior Research Fellow UK-DRI Emerging Leader Race Against Dementia ARUK Fellow 
Cardiff University