Brian Bowsher to lead STFC

Physical scientist Brian Bowsher has been appointed chief executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

Bowsher was managing director of the National Physical Laboratory for more than six years, until he retired in June 2015. He has also served on the STFC council. He will take up his post as chief executive on 1 November, succeeding John Womersley, who has been appointed director general of the European Spallation Source.

Jo Johnson, the universities and science minister, has described Bowsher as a “highly respected scientist, with extensive experience leading world-class science laboratories”. Johnson issued a statement saying that Bowsher’s experience on the STFC council made him “the ideal person to promote the UK’s scientific expertise and extend our international collaborations”.