Page 48 - Eclipse - Autumn/Winter 2023

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Professor John Hutchinson elected

Fellow of the Royal Society

ohn Hutchinson, Professor of
Evolutionary Biomechanics,
has been elected a Fellow
Jof the Royal Society (FRS),
in recognition of his outstanding
contribution to science. John joins
a select group of scientists to be
awarded an FRS and is one of only
a few RVC members of staff to be
granted this honour.
The Royal Society is a self-governing
fellowship made up of eminent
scientists, engineers and technologists,
who are elected for life through a
peer review process based on a
substantial contribution to science and
the improvement of knowledge of the
natural world.
Professor Hutchinson’s research
straddles the fields of evolutionary
biology and biomechanics, with an
emphasis on how very large animals
stand and move, as well as how
locomotion evolved in different groups of spent two years as a National Science Professor Oliver Pybus FRS, Vice
land vertebrates, especially across major Foundation Bioinformatics Postdoctoral Principal for Research & Innovation at the
evolutionary transitions. Fellow at Stanford University. RVC, said: “Election to the fellowship of
the Royal Society is a great achievement
He has studied an extensive range of He joined the RVC as a Lecturer in and honour for any scientist. Professor
extant and extinct animals, from birds and Evolutionary Biomechanics in 2003, Hutchinson’s election recognises his
crocodiles to elephants and dinosaurs, becoming a professor in 2011. world-class research, which is notable
using a combination of theoretical and In addition to his role at the RVC, John not only for its excellence but also its
experimental techniques, such as motion holds the position of President-Elect of interdisciplinary scope and public impact.”
analysis, 2D static mechanics or complex the International Society of Vertebrate
3D fully dynamic computer simulations. Morphology. He performs roles as an
John’s research has been featured in Editor for Proceedings of the Royal Society
more than 500 online/print news stories B and Associate Editor at the open access
since 2002, and his team’s work has journal PeerJ. He is also a Fellow of the
appeared in 20 major TV documentaries, Linnean Society of London, the Zoological
including the BAFTA award-winning Society of London, the Anatomical Society
Inside Nature’s Giants, 2016’s (UK), the Higher Education Academy (UK)
Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur, and the Royal Society of Biology.
Attenborough and the Giant Elephant; Upon receiving the honour, Professor
and Apple TV’s 2022 Prehistoric Planet. Hutchinson said: “This is a great
Professor Hutchinson gained his honour and privilege. My career has
bachelor’s degree in Zoology at the benefitted from the robust support of my
University of Wisconsin, in 1993. He family, my research team and external
received a PhD in Integrative Biology from collaborators, the RVC and much more.
the University of California in 2001 and I am enormously grateful for this.”

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