The Department for Transport has appointed a new chief scientific adviser.
Prof Patricia Thornley, an academic at Aston University, has been appointed to the role and will join DfT early next year.
Thornley is the director of Aston University’s Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute and a leader in the field of sustainable energy.
She has three decades of experience spanning bioenergy, clean transport and negative emissions and has already played an influential role in government science advice as deputy chair of DfT’s Scientific Advisory Council and as a member of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Science Advisory Council.
DfT permanent secretary Jo Shanmugalingam said: “Science, innovation and technology are at the heart of how we’re modernising transport for today’s world.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Patricia as our new chief scientific adviser. Her experience in research and innovation will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our science capability.”
Government chief scientific adviser Prof Dame Angela McLean added that Thornley “will bring great insight into sustainability to the chief scientist network”.
Thornley takes on the role from Prof Sarah Sharples, who served the department as its chief scientific adviser for four years before moving to the University of Manchester in September to become its vice-president and dean of the faculty of science and engineering.
Thornley said: “Transport touches on the lives of practically everyone and so it is a huge honour and privilege to be appointed as chief scientific adviser to the Department for Transport.
“The responsibility for providing scientific evidence to inform government decision-making in transport will build on my sustainable engineering background, but the UK academic community has vast breadth and depth of expertise applicable to transport and so positively drawing on that will be vital.
“Aston University thrives on applying engineering understanding for societal impact and benefit and I look forward to continuing to do just that as chief scientific adviser at DfT.”