Sir David Read FRS

David Read is a botanist whose research interest lies in the physiology of fungi and plants. He has made major contributions to our understanding of how fungi colonise plant roots and the importance of this for soil health and structure.

David has investigated how substances such as nitrogen and organic compounds containing carbon move from plant to plant via the fungal structures that colonise them. He has also highlighted the importance of these transport mechanisms to ecological health. Other aspects of David’s research have enabled him to contribute to knowledge of how soil conditions and pollution affect tree growth.

David currently advises the Forestry Commission and has published numerous academic papers. In 2002, he received the Kempe Award for Distinguished Ecologists and he was knighted in 2007 for services to biological sciences. He has served on the board of Rothamsted Research, the longest running agricultural research station in the world, and was Vice-President and Biological Secretary of the Royal Society from 2003–2008.

Professional position

  • Former Biological Secretary, The Royal Society
  • Emeritus Professor of Plant Sciences, Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield

Subject groups

  • Patterns in Populations

    Plant sciences / botany, Ecology (incl behavioural ecology)

  • Earth and Environmental Sciences

    Agricultural and forest science, Soil science

Sir David Read FRS
Elected 1990

Committees

Participated Role
Publishing Board December 2003 - November 2008 Ex-Officio
Evaluation Panel September 2006 - August 2009 Member
Royal Society Wolfson Fellowships Committee January 2011 - December 2015 Co-Chair
Council November 2003 - December 2008 Biological Secretary
Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Sr. R'search F'ship Panel January 2004 - Chair
Sectional Committee 9: Patterns in populations November 1996 - November 1999 Member
Elections to the Fellowship and Foreign Membership Committee December 2003 - November 2008 Co-Chair
Council December 2000 - November 2001 Member
Industry Fellowships Joint Panel December 2003 - November 2008 Chair
Biological Sciences Awards Committee December 2003 - November 2008 Chair
Partnership Grants Allocating Panel January 2007 - December 2007 Chair
Remuneration Committee January 2012 - May 2013 Chair
Sectional Committee 9: Patterns in populations December 2015 - November 2018 Member