Professors Evelyn Telfer and Manu Shankar-Hari are two of the thirteen outstanding University researchers elected as Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), Scotland’s National Academy was established in 1783 for ‘the advancement of learning and useful knowledge’. These respected fellowships which are announced each year, recognises outstanding achievement, professional standing and potential contribution to the RSE. Fellows are drawn from across the UK and their breadth of expertise ranges from the arts and humanities, to engineering and life sciences. They join a prestigious fellowship of around 1,800 leading experts who are central to RSE’s work. This includes working together to share knowledge and expertise to tackle the most pressing challenges in our society. Professor Evelyn Telfer graduated with a PhD from The University of Edinburgh in 1988. She has held research posts in the USA and Sweden and now holds a chair in Reproductive Biology at the University where she heads a research group in ovarian development. Her group has a particular interest in developing in vitro models to support oocyte development from immature stages in domestic species and human. Her group has strong collaborations with the ovarian transplantation programme and she is actively involved in public engagement initiatives to promote fertility preservation for young people with cancer. She was awarded a CBE for services to female reproductive biology in The Queen’s Birthday Honours list in June 2021.Evelyn Telfer research group Professor Evelyn Telfer I am deeply honoured and delighted to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This recognition reflects the support, inspiration and collaboration of my mentors, colleagues and students over the years and I am immensely grateful to all of them. Becoming part of the RSE community is both a privilege and a responsibility. I look forward to contributing to the work of our National Academy. Professor Evelyn Telfer IRR Group Leader Manu Shankar-Hari is Professor of Translational Critical Care Medicine at the University and works as a consultant physician in intensive care. His research bridges the gap between basic science and the clinic, and seeks to understand immune dysfunction in critical illness. Manu’s work aims to develop targeted immunomodulatory therapies for patients with sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Manu leads a globally unique and first of its kind precision medicine programme called The TRAITS Programme which focusses on enabling time-critical precision medicine in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). Manu Shankar-Hari research group Professor Manu Shankar-Hari It is a huge honour to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, to join these most outstanding individuals whose remarkable contributions have changed our world. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the scientific contributions from my PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, clinical trial managers and funders, past and present, who have worked with me to study ways to treat the misfiring immune system in critically ill patients. I look forward to actively contributing to the RSE’s mission. Professor Manu Shankar-Hari IRR Group Leader Tags CIR CRH Publication date 01 Apr, 2025
