Society President appointed Chief Scientist at Defra

Professor Anjali Goswami has been appointed as the new Chief Scientific Adviser at the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Professor Goswami, who is currently a Research Leader in Evolutionary Biology at the Natural History Museum, will join Defra from 1 July 2025. The Chief Scientific Adviser is responsible for overseeing the quality of evidence that the Department relies on for policy decisions, providing ministers with scientific advice and setting the priorities for scientific research and evidence-gathering.

With a focus on the factors shaping large-scale patterns of biodiversity through deep time, Professor Goswami's research spans insects to dinosaurs. However, her main interest is in the evolution of mammals. To fill key gaps in the palaeontological record, she has searched for fossils from Svalbard to Madagascar, with her primary fieldwork being in South India.

Professor Goswami has served as President of the Linnean Society of London since 2022 and is a Fellow of the Royal Society. In addition to her academic achievements, she has authored a children's book on palaeontology. She received the Society's Bicentenary Medal in 2016, and has received numerous other prestigious awards, including the Zoological Society of London Scientific Medal, the Palaeontological Association President's Medal, and the Humanists UK Darwin Day Medal.

President of the Linnean Society, Professor Anjali Goswami, said: "It has been a huge privilege to work with the staff, trustees, and fellows of the Linnean Society to work for a world for nature is understood, valued, and protected. Much of our efforts over these past years has been to ensure that the Society is best using our many assets to make a positive difference for nature. I am very excited to be able to continue that work in my new role, delivering an ambitious agenda for the UK environment that will benefit the UK public and demonstrate our environmental leadership on the global stage. I am certain that I will be reaching out to many fellow Linnean Society members for advice over the coming years, as the diversity of experience and expertise of our members is our greatest asset!"

CEO of the Linnean Society, Professor Gail Cardew, said: “All of us at the Society are so pleased for Anjali and this new chapter in her career. We’re looking forward to working with Anjali in her new role, where we’re sure she will continue to have a positive impact for UK science and policy. Congratulations!”

Defra Permanent Secretary, Tamara Finkelstein, said: “Professor Goswami brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise from her career in academia and at the Natural History Museum. I am delighted to have her as part of the Defra leadership team, providing her science expertise both in Defra and the wider government scientific community.”