Professor Dame Ann Dowling awarded the Royal Medal

Three Royal Medals are awarded annually by the Sovereign on the recommendation of the Council of the Royal Society. Dame Ann joins other leading Fellows, including Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, and geneticist and cell biologist Sir Paul Nurse, who have previously received the award.

Dame Ann is Professor of Mechanical of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, where she served as Head of the Department of Engineering for five years from 2009. She is currently a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, and is the first female President of the Academy.

The Royal Medal has been awarded to Dame Ann for her leading research on the reduction of combustion emissions, aerodynamic noise, and the design of aircraft, alongside her distinguished services to engineering.

Dame Ann commented, “I am surprised, delighted, and very honoured to be awarded the Royal Medal and it is humbling to see the previous recipients. I have been lucky to work with some brilliant colleagues and students and this award recognises their achievements as much as it does mine. Engineering has a vital role to play in meeting the many global challenges we face, and has provided me with a most rewarding and fulfilling career.”

You can read more about the Royal Medal and Dame Ann's influential leadership role across the engineering and academic sectors on the Royal Academy of Engineering website.