Lewis Wolpert (2007-2008)

Lewis Wolpert is Emeritus Professor of Biology as Applied to Medicine in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at University College London. He is a developmental biologist and a well-known advocate for public scientific literacy. Lewis formulated the theory of positional information, a central concept that describes how cells morph correctly within the embryo. As an author and broadcaster, Lewis champions the value of science. He has also helped to raise the profile of mental illness through a part-autobiographical book about depression. Lewis served as Chair of the Committee on the Public Understanding of Science and is a patron of the British Humanist Association. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and is a Commander of the British Empire.