Nancy Rothwell

Nancy Rothwell became President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester in July 2010, the first woman to lead the university or either of its two predecessor institutions. She is also Professor of Physiology at the university.

Her research in the field of neuroscience has contributed towards major advances in the understanding and treatment of brain damage in stroke and head injury. She was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 2004 and made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005, in recognition of her services to science.

She was the founding President of the Society of Biology, and is currently Co-Chair of the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology, a Royal Society Council member, a Deputy Lieutenant for Greater Manchester and a member of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership Board. She takes a strong and active interest in the public communication of science, giving talks to schools and the public and contributing to television, radio and press, particularly on sensitive issues in science.