IRR Professors James Boardman and Jonathan Fallowfield are two of 15 University of Edinburgh researchers elected in the 2026 Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) has announced that 43 individuals deemed excellent in their field were elected as RSE Fellows in 2026. Established in 1783 for ‘the advancement of learning and useful knowledge’, the Society announces these respected fellowships each year, recognising outstanding achievement, professional standing and potential contribution to the RSE.Included this year are Professors James P Boardman and Jonathan Fallowfield, who lead research groups at the Institute for Regeneration and Repair. They join a prestigious fellowship of around 1,800 leading experts in arts and humanities, engineering and life sciences who work together to share knowledge and expertise to tackle the most pressing challenges in our society. Professor James P BoardmanProfessor of Neonatal Medicine, University of EdinburghJames Boardman is Professor of Neonatal Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and Director of the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory at the Institute for Regeneration and Repair. He also serves as an NHS consultant neonatologist. His research focuses on preventing brain injury and improving learning outcomes after early life adversity, including preterm birth and neonatal illness. Using advanced MRI, he studies atypical brain development, perinatal stress, inflammation, and socioeconomic influences on brain growth. He investigates factors shaping long-term neurodevelopment and evaluates neonatal interventions and is Chief Investigator of Theirworld Edinburgh Birth Cohort study which is investigating neuroanatomic variation and adverse outcomes associated with preterm birth. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.Boardman research groupTheirworld Edinburgh Birth Cohort Professor James P Boardman For many people, the foundations of health and wellbeing become established during pregnancy and the newborn period. As a clinical academic paediatrician, I am focused on improving the life chances for babies who experience a challenging start. Becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh offers valuable opportunities to translate scientific knowledge into practice, and to collaborate with peers, policymakers and the public to enhance the health and wellbeing of our most vulnerable infants, as well as future generations of children and young people in Scotland and beyond. Professor James P Boardman Professor Jonathan FallowfieldPersonal Chair of Translational Liver Research and Honorary Consultant HepatologistJonathan Fallowfield is a clinician scientist based at the University of Edinburgh. During medical training in Southampton, he undertook a PhD on the reversibility of liver fibrosis as an MRC Clinical Research Training Fellow. He relocated to Edinburgh in 2008 as an Academy of Medical Sciences/Health Foundation Clinician Scientist Fellow. In 2014, he was awarded an NHS Research Scotland/Universities Senior Clinical Fellowship and was promoted to Personal Chair in 2018. His research interests span basic science to clinical trials and focus particularly on the development of new diagnostic tests and treatments for chronic liver disease and its complications. He has led and co-led several clinical studies testing novel treatments for liver cirrhosis, including a macrophage therapy for liver cirrhosis (the MATCH study). Fallowfield research groupThe MATCH Study - IRR News article Professor Jonathan Fallowfield It is a great honour to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh! Seeing the remarkable breadth of outstanding fellows across disciplines and sectors is humbling. I am extremely grateful to my mentors, colleagues, and family for their support, and I look forward to contributing to the Society's important work. Professor Jonathan Fallowfield Professor Rebecca ReynoldsIRR associate researcher Professor Rebecca Reynolds was also elected as a Fellow. Rebecca Reynolds is Professor of Metabolic Medicine at the Institute for Neuroscience and Cardiovascular Research, University of Edinburgh, and Honorary Consultant Physician in Diabetes & Endocrinology, NHS Lothian. She collaborates with our Centre for Reproductive Health as part of the Edinburgh Pregnancy Research Team.Edinburgh Pregnancy Research TeamRelated LinksGlobal leaders in health science and research elected as RSE Fellows in 2026Royal Society of Edinburgh Tags CIR CRH Publication date 08 Apr, 2026
