Professor Dame Angela McLean DBE FRS has been appointed as the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA). Dame Angela, who is currently Chief Scientific Adviser for the Ministry of Defence, will be the first woman to hold the role of GCSA and will take up the post on 1 April 2023.
The role of the GCSA is to provide independent scientific advice to the Prime Minister and members of cabinet, advise the government on aspects of policy on science and technology and ensure and improve the quality and use of scientific evidence and advice in government. The GCSA is also Head of the Government Science and Engineering Profession and is part of the executive team of the newly formed Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Welcoming the announcement, Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:
“I warmly welcome the appointment of Dame Angela McLean as the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser. She brings with her a unique wealth of experience in both the theory of mathematical biology and crucially how to apply it to real life challenges and assessment of resilience and risk, and an impressive track record of leadership on science advice in government. The Academy looks forward to working with her to ensure that engineering and technology insights are at the heart of government policy making.”
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