Human rights journalists, biomedical scientists, and creative writers among UK Young Academy’s new members 

The UK Young Academy has today announced 22 new members, who will join 141 emerging leaders already in its ranks.

The new members of the Young Academy have been selected for their track records of excellence in their respective fields, from global fashion supply chains and AI in drug discovery to paediatrics and infectious diseases.  

This 2026 cohort includes seven members from the arts, humanities, and social sciences, increasing their representation to a third of total membership. A further 18 per cent of new members bring backgrounds in business, the public sector, and communications. 

Linda Oyama, representative of the UK Young Academy Executive Group said:

“When we set out the UK Young Academy’s 2023–2028 Strategic Plan, one of our core missions was to convene diverse voices to share ideas and improve decision-making, and to develop, connect, and mobilise early-career talent.  

This year’s cohort sees the highest proportion of new members coming from non-academic settings of any UK Young Academy cohort so far. Continuing to bring together members from diverse backgrounds will ensure we embed interdisciplinarity across all our work and will be invaluable as we deepen engagement with non-academic sectors particularly.” 

We also recognise that meaningful careers also often unfold through unexpected twists and turns, and we continue to celebrate non-linear career paths with this new cohort.” 

New members will come together for their Induction Day and the All-Members’ Meeting at the end of this month, as their first opportunity to connect and exchange aspirations.  

The new members take up their posts on Monday 23 March 2026, and membership runs for five years.  

Speaking as an incoming member and with experience in both industry and academia, new member Takunda Chingonzo said, 

“Interdisciplinary work mirrors the realities of the world we live in today. Characterised by a desire for transformation and increasingly disrupted by new technologies… 

I was drawn to the UK Young Academy because it convenes leaders from across disciplines who share a vision for the future… I envision the Young Academy as a convener and platform for shared learning and partnership.” 

Christine Lehnen, new member, and Senior Lecturer at the University of Hamburg said:  

“I joined the UK Young Academy because creative practice trains a form of intelligence that is urgently needed today. It is the ability to pay deep, sustained attention. 

As a writer, my work begins with taking notice: looking closely, deciding what matters, and imagining alternatives. In a time when constant distraction shapes our lives and our institutions, this imaginative attentiveness is not a luxury. Without it, we cannot even identify which questions are worth asking, worth researching. 

I hope to contribute this artistic intelligence and help create spaces where members can slow down, focus, and think boldly across disciplinary boundaries about what truly matters today.” 

New member and human rights journalist, Finbarr Toesland, added: 

“Reporting has shown me how often important ideas stay stuck in silos. I joined the UK Young Academy because I wanted to be part of breaking that down. It is rare to find a space where professionals from different fields are encouraged to learn from each other in a sustained way, and I wanted to be part of that.” 

Full list of new members (in alphabetical order by surname): 

Samuel Owusu Achiaw
Job: Researcher (Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment) and Artist
Organisation: School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow

Chinagorom Ajike
Job: Country Partnerships Manager
Organisation: Centre for Global Equality

Amy Benstead
Job: Senior Lecturer in Fashion Management
Organisation: Department of Materials, University of Manchester

Takunda Chingonzo
Job: PhD Researcher
Organisation: Centre for Business and Industry Transformation, Nottingham Trent University

Rodrigo Frias
Job: PhD Researcher
Organisation: Business School, Durham University

Stuart Higgins
Job: Research Fellow
Organisation: School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York

Emma Humphries
Job: Leverhulme Research Fellow
Organisation: School of Arts, English and Languages, Queen’s University Belfast

Mojtaba Abdi Jalebi
Job: Associate Professor
Organisation: Institute for Materials Discovery, University College London

Jordan Lane
Job: Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder
Organisation: Ignota Labs

Guy Lawrence
Job: Lead Development Engineer
Organisation: Composite Braiding Ltd

Christine Lehnen
Job: Senior Lecturer in English and Creative Writing
Organisation: Department for English and American Studies, University of Hamburg

Tom Livermore
Job: Head of Science Policy
Organisation: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Jamie Nash
Job: Post Doctoral Research Scientist
Organisation: Welsh Blood Service, Velindre University NHS Trust

Adrian Mircea Nenu
Job: PhD Student
Organisation: School of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester

Charith Perera
Job: Reader
Organisation: School of Computer Science and Informatics, Cardiff University

Claudia Perry
Job: Digital Science Associate
Organisation: British Petroleum (BP)

Oliver Rieche
Job: Director of Legal Affairs and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Partnerships
Organisation: Balance Eco Ltd

Neil Robinson
Job: Lecturer in Net Zero Engineering
Organisation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast

Olivia Swann
Job: Wellcome Early Career Fellow and Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Disease
Organisation: Usher Institute, the University of Edinburgh

Finbarr Toesland
Job: Journalist
Organisation: Freelance

Anne Williamson
Job: Doctor and Honorary Health Economist
Organisation: Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and Institute for Public Policy Research

Katharine Young
Job: Bilingual Research Methods Lecturer
Organisation: School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University