Professor Leslie Ann Goldberg and Professor Michael Wooldridge elected as Fellows of the Royal Society

Two members of the department have been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society in recognition of their outstanding contributions to computer science and artificial intelligence. 

Professor Leslie Ann Goldberg and Professor Michael Wooldridge are among more than 90 researchers from around the world elected this year. Election to the Fellowship is one of the highest honours in the scientific world, awarded to individuals who have made impactful contributions to knowledge. The new Fellows join a prestigious lineage of Royal Society members including Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Dorothy Hodgkin, and Stephen Hawking. 

Their contributions reflect the highest standards of scientific endeavour. Whether advancing our understanding of vaccines or exploring the transformative potential of mathematics and computation, their work exemplifies the enduring value of curiosity, creativity and rigorous inquiry. Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society

Professor Goldberg is Head of the Department, and her recognition comes shortly after her appointment this year to the inaugural cohort of Fellows of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences. Her research focuses on the design and mathematical analysis of randomised algorithms, with applications spanning networks, statistical physics, learning, and computational complexity.  

Professor Wooldridge is Ashall Professor of the Foundations of Artificial Intelligence. He has played a major role in the development of the global AI research community through leadership positions and has published more than 450 scientific articles on the subject. He was awarded the Faraday Prize and Lecture from the Royal Society in 2025. 

Professors Goldberg and Wooldridge join other members of the department previously elected to Fellowship of the Royal Society, including Professors Marta Kwiatkowska, Nigel Shadbolt, and Ian Horrocks.