Dame Julia Higgins DBE FREng FRS

Julia Higgins is a polymer scientist who has used techniques from physical chemistry to open up an exciting field of study. After many years at the forefront of research, Julia extended her reach to include management, policy making and advisory roles whilst working to foster gender equality and diversity amongst scientists.

Her early research career focused on fundamental polymer science — a new area of research at that time — where she applied the technique of neutron scattering to the structure, organisation and movement of polymers. Her current work explores the behaviour of mixtures of polymers, observing the boundaries at which they meet and also how they separate.

Julia is now a leader of her profession in policy circles and is particularly active in efforts to raise the profile of women in research. She has held a number of prominent roles, including Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council from 2003–2007 and Principal of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College London. She received a DBE in 2001 for services to science.

.

Professional position

  • Former Foreign Secretary, The Royal Society
  • Emeritus Professor & Distinguished Research Fellow, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London
  • Principal, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London

Subject groups

  • Engineering and Materials Science

    Materials science (incl materials engineering)

  • Astronomy and Physics

    Condensed matter incl softmatter, liquids, nano-materials

  • Chemistry

    Chemistry, physical

Awards

  • Humphry Davy and Claude Bernard Lecture

    On 'Polymères et Neutrons'.

  • Blackett and Jagdish Chandra Bose Memorial Lectures

    On 'The responsibility of being a scientist'.

Dame Julia Higgins DBE FREng FRS
Elected 1995

Committees

Participated Role
Research Appointment Panel A(ii) December 2001 - December 2003 Chair
Hooke Committee January 2001 - November 2001 Chair
Hooke Committee January 1996 - December 2000 Member
Elections to the Fellowship and Foreign Membership Committee December 2001 - November 2006 Ex-Officio
Rosalind Franklin Award Committee January 2003 - November 2006 Chair
Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (RS ACME) September 2008 - December 2011 Chair
Education Committee September 2009 - December 2011 Member
Evaluation Panel January 2012 - December 2017 Chair
Nominations Committee June 2012 - December 2014 Member
Council November 2001 - November 2006 Foreign Secretary
Leading The Way Steering Group March 2013 - June 2015 Member
Vision for Science and Mathematics Committee October 2011 - June 2014 Member
Council December 1997 - November 1999 Member
Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Sr. R'search F'ship Panel January 2007 - December 2009 Member
Summer Science Exhibition Committee January 2008 - December 2010 Member
Education Committee January 2015 - May 2015 Chair
Faraday Discovery Fellowships Committee A July 2024 - December 2027 Member