New Gresham Professor elected

St John's is delighted to announce that Professor Katherine Blundell OBE, our Supernumerary Research Fellow in Astrophysics, has been elected as Gresham Professor of Astronomy. This prestigious post has previously been held by Sir Christopher Wren and Sir Martin Rees and involves the holder giving a series of lectures on their research.

Commenting on her appointment, Professor Blundell said:

'I’m delighted to have been appointed as Gresham Professor of Astronomy. It is a joy to talk with schoolchildren around the world who’ve not had the opportunities that I’ve had, and to engage and inspire them through my research.  I look forward to sharing my science even more widely through Gresham College and its esteemed lecture series.'

Professor Blundell's first lecture series will be called 'Cosmic Concepts', looking at how concepts developed in physics and cosmology have led to some of our most surprising discoveries about the Universe.

Gresham College was founded in 1597, an independent institution funded from the estate of Sir Thomas Gresham, to give free educational lectures to the general public. The College's 130 annual lectures and events in the City of London are free and open to all. Gresham Professors include some of the most important and inspiring speakers and academics in many categories, including Law, Music and the Environment.