Å·ÃÀAV

Clare Adamson has been the SNP MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw since 2016. Before this, she represented the Central Scotland region from 2011 to 2016. She is Convenor of the Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee as well as Chairing multiple Cross-Party Groups, including Science and Technology, the Scottish Games Ecosystem, and Accident Prevention and Safety Awareness. Clare is a fervent campaigner for women’s representation in STEM subjects.
 
Born in Motherwell and raised in Wishaw. Clare studied Computer Information Systems at Glasgow Caledonian University - graduating with a BSc with distinction - before entering the IT industry where she latterly worked as European Development Manager at a Glasgow document management firm.  Clare is a member of the National Union of Journalists and a Member of the British Computer Society and is passionate about education and STEM subjects.

Doug joined the RSB as CEO in September 2025. Doug was previously CEO of the British Society for Immunology (one of the RSB’s Member Organisations), a position he held since 2018. He is also a Trustee of Association of Medical Research Charities, has a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Cambridge, and has many years of experience across healthcare and biological fields.

Pam Duncan-Glancy is a Scottish Labour MSP for the Glasgow region. She is the party spokesperson for Education and Skills. In Parliament she is a member of the Education, Children and Young People Committee and sits on a range of Cross-Party Groups including as Convenor of the CPG on Poverty and the CPG on Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Conditions.
 
Pam entered Parliament in 2021. Prior to her election she worked in public health communications for NHS Health Scotland and sat on the Commission on Strengthening Local Democracy and on the Commission on Parliamentary Reform. She has a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in Health Psychology from the university of Stirling, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Citizenship and Human Rights from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Patrick was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2003 and is the Scottish Green Party’s longest serving MSP. Currently Spokesperson for Net Zero, Constitution and External Affairs he was Co-Leader of the party from 2008 to 2025. He sits on the Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee and the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. Between 2021 and 2024 he served as Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants Rights in the Scottish Government.
 
Patrick studied at Manchester Metropolitan University and before entering elected politics worked in HIV prevention, equality campaigning and briefly as a civil servant.

Andrew is Associate Director of Strategy & External Relations at The Physiological Society, where he leads the organisation’s engagement, policy and partnership agenda. He oversees work across science policy, public affairs, membership and communications, shaping the Society’s role as both a convenor and a voice for physiology in the UK and internationally.
 
A major focus of his portfolio is positioning physiology at the heart of the climate and health agenda. He has built strategic collaborations with key partners, developing evidence and guidance on areas such as heat stress, workplace safety, air pollution and nutrition. He also founded the Global Climate and Health Summit, which brings together researchers, policymakers and industry leaders to turn physiological science into practical adaptation strategies.

Gillian Martin grew up in Newburgh, Aberdeenshire. Prior to her role as an MSP, she lectured in Television Production at North East Scotland College and ran her own video production company. She also designed safety courses for the energy industry and was the manager of an emergency media response team for companies operating in the North Sea for 10 years.

Ms Martin was elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament to represent Aberdeenshire East in 2016. She was appointed as Minister for Energy and the Environment in March 2023, and Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work in February 2024. In May 2024 she was appointed as Minister for Climate Action.  In July 2024, Ms Martin was appointed as Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy in July 2024 for the duration of Màiri McAllan's maternity leave.

Mhairi McCann (she/her) is the Founder & CEO of Youth STEM 2030, a social enterprise on a mission to empower a generation of STEM changemakers for a just and sustainable future.  Youth STEM 2030’s inclusive, empowering and impactful programmes have empowered 2,500+ youth in over 80 countries as STEM changemakers to tackle the world’s biggest sustainability challenges.  Mhairi’s expertise lies in creating meaningful, inclusive and participatory youth inclusion in decision-making, embedding authentic youth voice in STEM, climate and impact-driven organisations through Youth STEM 2030’s consultancy and training services.  Mhairi is a 776 Foundation Climate Fellow and Scotland’s first National Geographic Young Explorer, and was the Winner of the 2022 Young Scot Environment Award.

Megan obtained a BSc in Geology from the University of St Andrews before joining the GeoEnergy research group at the University of Edinburgh where she investigated the risks and environmental impact of shale gas operations during her PhD. Since 2019, she has worked at The Geological Society seeking to strengthen the capacity of the geoscience community to engage in all aspects of public policymaking. In her current role, she is responsible for providing geological information to support evidence-based policy making, communicating the value and importance of geoscience knowledge and skills, and representing the geological community to stakeholders across society, the Government, the media, other scientific communities and with the public. Megan leads on the Society’s policy engagement activity such as responses to Government consultations and parliamentary inquiries. She also leads on strategic policy work, producing thematic statements and briefing notes in collaboration with expert advisors. 

Gill Reid is Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Southampton and was Head of School between 2016 and 2020.
 
Born and raised in Grangemouth, Scotland, Gill obtained both her BSc and PhD at the University of Edinburgh, before being appointed to a lectureship in Chemistry at Southampton in 1991.
Her research focuses on synthetic coordination and organometallic chemistry and their use in chemical vapour deposition and electrodeposition for the controlled growth of functional semiconducting thin film and nanostructured materials. These have important applications, such as solid-state memory, thermoelectric energy harvesting and battery materials. She also works on the development of metal-chelate binders for fluorine-18 towards positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and is the author of over 350 research papers.
She previously served as an Å·ÃÀAV Trustee (2011-15) and chaired the Outreach Working Group until 2018. Gill was appointed President-Elect of the Å·ÃÀAV in 2020 and served her two-year term as President of the Å·ÃÀAV from 2022 to 2024. In 2024 she was awarded a CBE for services to the chemical sciences and inclusion and diversity.

Willie is the Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for North-East Fife (constituency) since 2016. Before this, he was an MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife (Region) between 2011 and 2016 and MP for Dunfermline and West Fife from 2006 to 2010. Willie is the party’s spokesperson for Education, Economy and Communities and has previously served as party leader.
 
Willie serves as a member of the Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee and sits on the Parliamentary Bureau. Prior to entering elected politics Willie worked in communications and campaigns.

Professor Semple took up the role of CSA for Scotland in August 2025. He is also currently a Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Professor of Outbreak Medicine and Child Health at the University of Liverpool. He qualified in medicine from the University of Oxford after completing a PhD in Clinical Virology at University College London and a Bachelor's Tripos in Cell Pathology, Immunology, and Virology at Middlesex Hospital Medical School.
Professor Semple has been studying severe viral outbreaks since 1989 and co-founded ISARIC  in 2012. He has led research on HIV/AIDS, Bronchiolitis, Influenza, Ebola, Mpox, COVID-19, and Hepatitis and in 2019, he received a Commonwealth Award for his ongoing work with Ebola Survivors.

He has served as UK Government advisor during the 2009 Swine Flu pandemic, on the WHO Scientific Advisory Committee for the Ebola Emergency - STAC-EE (2014–2017), the New Emerging Respiratory Viral Threats Advisory Group - NERVTAG (2014–2023), and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies - SAGE for COVID-19 (2020–2022). He was appointed OBE in 2020 for his contributions to the COVID-19 response and was elected a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health by distinction in 2022.

Natalie is a Policy Advisor at the Å·ÃÀAV, specialising in environmental health and chemical pollution. With a background in academic research on contaminants in water and the environment, she has worked on projects addressing pharmaceuticals, PFAS, and other chemicals of emerging concern. Natalie has experience in both UK and EU policy, advising on water quality and chemical regulation. She is an advocate for science-led policy and public engagement, regularly speaking at events and webinars. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Sustainable Technologies from the University of Bath, where she also was also a Postdoctoral Researcher. Natalie is committed to improving public and environmental health through evidence-based policy,

Sean is Chair of Future Construction within the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh and Director of the Centre for Future Infrastructure at the Edinburgh Futures Institute. He currently leads the UKRI £4.5M Centre for Net Zero High Density Buildings and leads the MSc programme on Future Infrastructure, Climate Change and Sustainability. He works extensively with industry and public sector across innovation, future products, net zero and resilience for climate change.

Bill took an English degree at Edinburgh University, and worked for 39 years as a journalist in Aberdeen, Dundee, Carlisle and Glasgow. He was a BBC Radio News Producer and Editor, and from 2001-2020 presenter of Good Morning Scotland. He is married with three grown children and lives in Bonnybridge

Brian Whittle is a Scottish Conservative MSP for South Scotland and Shadow Minister for Public Health, Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport. He is a former professional athlete and Olympian, best known for running his leg of the 1986 European Championships with only one shoe – still achieving a personal best time.

Brian trained as an industrial chemist prior to his career in athletics and later spent several years in business as a director of various companies working across several sectors, including developing software for the healthcare industry.

He was first elected as an MSP for South Scotland in 2016.  He is a Member of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee at Holyrood and sits on Cross Party Groups for various subjects including renewable energy, sport, and health inequalities. He is interested in tackling the root causes of poor health and health inequalities across Scotland, including access to physical activity.