King's College London

Three King’s mathematicians have been appointed fellows of the new Academy for the Mathematical Sciences, joining leading UK mathematicians from academia, industry, education and government, to help shape national policy and address major societal challenges.

Professors Margaret Brown, Dan Abramson and Owen Patashnick join an inaugural cohort of 100 mathematical pioneers including Anne Keast-Butler (Director of GCHQ), James Maynard (Fields Medallist), Bobby Seagull (maths teacher, author, and television broadcaster), David Silver (Vice President of Reinforcement Learning at Google DeepMind), and Jamie Frost (founder and Chief Mathematician at Dr Frost Maths).

Sir Jonathan Coles, Chief Executive of United Learning, and a member of King's Council has also been appointed a Fellow.

Modelled on the UK’s other National Academies, the Fellows have been recognised for outstanding contributions to research, education and the application of mathematics across society. They will collaborate through the Academy, working on issues such as pandemic preparedness, climate modelling, AI safety, quantum technologies, national security, and the design of future maths curricula.

Margaret Brown is Emeritus Professor of Mathematical Education in the School of Education, Communication & Society at King's, and a founder and Chair of Trustees of MathsWorldUK. Her research focuses on the development of mathematical understanding in secondary students, including the teaching, learning, assessment of, and attitudes to mathematics in all phases from early years to undergraduate and adult numeracy.

Dan Abramson is a Professor of Practice in Mathematics Education at King’s, and CEO of the University Maths Schools Network (U-Maths), leading work to grow and sustain the Maths School movement.

Owen Patashnick is a Professor of Mathematics jointly at King’s and the University of Bristol, working in arithmetic geometry and related fields. His work centres around creating explicit computable tools, techniques, and algorithms, and using them to explore deep mathematical structures.

Professor Rachel Bearon, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences is a Trustee of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences, and has helped establish the Academy over the last three years. She said,

“I am thrilled that three of the founding cohort of Fellows are from King's College London.

"Margaret Brown is a distinguished expert in mathematics education’ and played a key role in the establishment of the King's Maths School; Dan Abramson was the founding head of the King’s Maths School and is passionate about supporting young people from diverse backgrounds to engage deeply with mathematics; Owen Patashnick is director and scientific lead for the London branch of the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research, a highly successful partnership between the UK government and the UK mathematics community.

“I look forward to working with them all to unleash the power, value and beauty of mathematical sciences."

Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), said:

“Mathematics sits at the heart of the UK’s scientific and technological strength and is essential to the development of the industries of the future, in exciting fields like AI and quantum.

"The Academy for the Mathematical Sciences’ inaugural Fellows represent the very best of this national capability, and I commend the Academy for bringing them together. Their expertise strengthens our security, boosts productivity and supports high‑quality jobs across the country, so it is only right that they are celebrated."

Professor Dame Alison Etheridge DBE FRS, the President of the Academy for Mathematical Sciences, said,

“I’m delighted to welcome our inaugural Fellows — individuals of exceptional distinction who collectively advance the mathematical sciences through discovery, leadership, education and real-world application.

“As Fellows of the Academy, they will come together in service of the wider public good: bringing independent expertise to bear on national priorities, championing excellence in mathematics education, strengthening the UK’s research and innovation base, and helping to ensure that mathematics continues to deliver opportunity, resilience and prosperity across our four nations.”