The Society is delighted to announce the following three Trustees will be joining The Board from the November 2021 Member Forum. The General Trustee elections results were approved at The Society’s Board meeting on 24 June 2021
Professor Heidi de Wet
Election Category: Research
A Trustee with a research focused background and an interest in the future of physiological sciences including the UKRI strategy, funding and influencing major stakeholders.
Heidi de Wet received her Bachelor of Science degree from North Western University, South Africa, and completed her doctoral studies in Department of Chemical Pathology at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Medical School. She moved to the University of Oxford to pursue post-doctoral studies in 2003, where she joined the group of Professor Frances Ashcroft. She joined the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics as a University Lecturer and Associate Professor of Physiology in 2013. She is a Fellow and Director of Studies for Medicine for St Catherine’s College.
Professor Mike Tipton
Election Category: Clinical
A Trustee with an interest in the application of physiological principles as applied to medicine.
Mike is a Professor of Human and Applied Physiology at the University of Portsmouth, UK. He is a member of the Extreme Environments Laboratory of the School of Sport Health and Exercise Science. He has spent over 35 years working in the areas of thermoregulation, environmental and occupational physiology.
Professor Áine Kelly
Election Category: Republic of Ireland
A Trustee from the Republic of Ireland to help Trustees navigate the scientific, higher education and policy landscape.
Áine Kelly is Professor in Physiology and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Science Education at Trinity College Dublin, where she completed her BA (Mod) in Physiology and her PhD. She teaches physiology to a broad range of undergraduate and postgraduate students and her research group investigates the cellular mechanisms by which exercise may preserve brain health throughout life via modulation of neuroinflammation.
In addition the Board was delighted to approve the nomination of Andrew Parker (University of Oxford, UK and St John’s College, Oxford, UK) as the next Society Treasurer, taking up office in November 2022. Andrew will shadow the current Honorary Treasurer for a year before taking up office at the Member Forum.
Professor Andrew Parker
“I am delighted to be appointed to the position of Honorary Treasurer. I have been a member of the Society for many years, with my first presentation at a joint meeting with the Association des Physiologistes in Oxford almost 40 years ago. This new role as a Trustee with special responsibility for the Society’s funds and assets combines my long-standing commitment to fundamental research in the physiology of the brain with my recent experience serving for 11 years as Bursar at my Oxford college. In 2017-2018, the GL Brown lecture series gave me a chance to visit several UK departments with strong Phys Soc activity. I look forward to renewing these visits during my time as Honorary Treasurer.”