UCL academics elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences

Professors Helen Cross (UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health), Pietro Fratta (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology), Sonia Gandhi (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology), and Courtenay Norbury (UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences) are part of a cohort of 60 biomedical and health scientists to be elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowship this year.

The new Fellows, who have been elected for their contributions to advancing medical science, join a Fellowship of over 1,500 researchers at the Academy of Medical Sciences, which aims to nurture scientific talent and shape research and health policy both in the UK and worldwide.

With research interests encompassing everything from interventions for children living with epilepsy to understanding the mechanisms driving neurodegenerative diseases, the new UCL fellows have made exceptional contributions to their respective fields.  

Professor Helen Cross (UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health). Professor Helen Cross is Director of the UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, as well as the Prince of Wales’s Chair of Childhood Epilepsy.

She has research interests in early onset complex epilepsy, particularly outcomes and the role of intervention, including surgery and the ketogenic diet, and has published more than 450 peer reviewed primary research articles and 50 review articles.

She has edited five books, including a definitive childhood epilepsy text and a ketogenic diet cookery book, and was awarded an OBE in 2015 for her services to children with epilepsy.

Professor Cross said: “I am delighted and deeply honoured to have been elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

“This reflects work undertaken over many years in collaboration with colleagues locally, nationally, and internationally, furthering the care for individuals with early onset epilepsies and striving to improve outcomes.

“I look forward to contributing to the mission of the academy in the future.”

Professor Pietro Fratta (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology). Professor Pietro Fratta is an MRC Senior Clinical Fellow and MNDA Lady Edith Wolfson fellow at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and honorary consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN).

His research focuses on molecular mechanisms and biomarkers of motor neurone disease (MND) and Kennedy’s disease, also known as spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). His clinical activity is within the MND group at NHNN. Professor Fratta has a specific interest in MND genetics and Kennedy’s disease, and runs an MND Genetics clinic and a Kennedy’s disease clinic, the only clinic dedicated to this disease in the UK.

Professor Fratta said: “It is an honour to have been elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences.

“This recognition is thanks to the truly outstanding people working in my lab, and the collaborators I’ve had the privilege to work with throughout the years.

“I feel privileged to continue to work on understanding the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration and developing novel ways to treat these devastating diseases.”

Professor Sonia Gandhi (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology). Professor Sonia Gandhi is an MRC Senior Clinician Scientist and Professor of Neurology at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and an Assistant Research Director at The Francis Crick Institute. 

Her research seeks to understand the molecular mechanisms that drive neurodegenerative diseases, specifically Parkinson’s disease. As a clinician scientist, Professor Gandhi leads a clinical research centre for Parkinson’s to accelerate the translation from scientific discovery to improvements in clinical care.

Professor Gandhi said: “I am honoured to be elected as a Fellow to the Academy of Medical Sciences.

“I look forward to working with the Academy to promote excellence in biomedical research in the UK, and highlight the importance of clinician-scientists in this field.”

Professor Courtenay Norbury (UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences). Professor Courtenay Norbury is Professor of Developmental Disorders of Language and Communication and a speech-language therapist.

Her current research focuses on developmental language disorders and how language interacts with other aspects of social and cognitive development.

She leads SCALES, a population study of language development and disorder from school entry. She is also a founding member of the Raise Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder campaign.

Professor Norbury said: “It is a tremendous honour to have been elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

“I look forward to working with the Academy to raise the profile and research capacity of allied health professionals.”

Professor Andrew Morris, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “It is a privilege to welcome this outstanding new cohort to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Each of our new Fellows has been recognised by their peers for exceptional achievement for the influence their work has had in advancing medical science and improving health.”

Links

• Professor Courtenay Norbury’s academic profile
• Professor Helen Cross’s academic profile
• Professor Pietro Fratta’s academic profile
• Professor Sonia Gandhi’s academic profile
• UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology
• UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
• UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences
• Academy of Medical Sciences announces new Fellows for 2026

Image

• From left to right: Professors Helen Cross, Pietro Fratta, Sonia Gandhi, and Courtenay Norbury.

Media contact

Ben Norris

b.norris [at] ucl.ac.uk

+44 (0) 7502 739680