More than one hundred members of the RSB attended this year’s Annual General Meeting to oversee the appointment of five new Council members and the announcement of the next RSB President.

Five new members were elected to positions on Council and a new Honorary Secretary was appointed following Professor Christopher Kirk CBiol FRSB completing his five year term.

Professor Caroline Austin FRSB and Professor Hilary MacQueen FRSB were elected by members to Council to join the College of Individual Members, whilst Dr Paul Hoskisson FRSB was elected by representatives of the Society’s Member Organisations to join the College of Organisational Members.

In addition to the elected places, Professor Claire Wathes FRSB and Dr Louise Leong FRSB were appointed to fill skill gaps on Council.

Dr Mark Downs CBiol FRSB addresses members at the AGM

RSB President Professor Dame Jean Thomas Hon FRSB confirmed the appointment of Professor Richard Reece CBiol FRSB as the Society’s new Honorary Secretary, and announced the appointment of Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow FRSB as her successor, to assume the role of President from May 2018.

Dr Mark Downs, CSci FRSB, chief executive of the Society, commented: “We are delighted to welcome five new members to our Council. They bring a wealth of experience which will help ensure the Society has the skills and knowledge it needs as we move towards our second decade of operation.

I look forward to working with them to support the work of the Society and to advance the biosciences, and I thank those that are stepping down for their dedicated work and support of the Society during their tenure.”

Annual reports were given by RSB Directors Dr Laura Bellingan FRSB and Rachel Lambert-Forsyth CBiol CSci FRSB on the past year’s successes for the Society, and what lies ahead for membership, policy and public affairs.

Members approved the financial accounts of the Society for the financial year October 2015 - September 2016, and authorised the RSB Council to appoint haysmacintyre as the Society’s auditors for the next financial year and to set their remuneration.

Members voting on motions presented at the AGM

Following the AGM the annual Charter Lecture, entitled “What is the purpose of Higher Education?" was delivered by the new Honorary Secretary, Professor Richard Reece. Richard has been an RSB trustee since 2013 and is professor of molecular biology and associate vice-president at The University of Manchester.

The full biographies of our current Council Members are now online.

The draft AGM minutes will be available on our website soon.