Dr Laura Porro named as UKRI Future Leaders Fellow

Recipients are among 84 of the “most promising scientists and researchers” in the UK identified for government funding this year to help them develop their ideas from the lab and lecture theatre to the market, creating workable solutions to major global problems.

The announcement, made by Science Minister George Freeman as part of London Tech Week, will see researchers benefit from a total of £97.8m, with grants spanning between four and seven years. 

Dr Porro is an evolutionary biomechanist studying how the forces of evolution have shaped reptile skulls over 300 million years. Using cutting-edge techniques including 3D imaging, experiments, and biomechanical computer modelling, she is exploring how the diverse range of reptile skull shapes, both living and fossilised, are adapted for feeding, communication and protecting vital organs.