The UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, has appointed Professor Kate Robson Brown, the Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact at University College Dublin (UCD) to the Board of Trustees of the UK’s Natural History Museum. The Natural History Museum is a world-leading scientific research centre and one of the world’s most visited museums.

At UCD Professor Kate Robson Brown leads both UCD Research and NovaUCD and is the University’s AI Champion.

Commenting on her appointment Professor Kate Robson Brown said, "We are living through a period of digital transformation in which data generation and management, data science and AI are impacting on many aspects of our lives and opening up opportunities for new ways of working and engaging with the communities we serve.

It is a privilege to be joining the Natural History Museum’s Board of Trustees at a time when the organisation is seeking to realise the opportunities presented by digital technologies to deliver its core missions."

Professor Robson Brown is a Professor of Engineering Mathematics and Biological Anthropology. She is also a member of the Ireland National Advisory Forum for Space Research, an Honorary Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute for Data Science and AI, President of the European Low Gravity Research Association, co-chair of the UK Space Academic Network, and a visiting Professor in Data Science at Strathmore University in Nairobi.

Prior to joining UCD she was Director of the Jean Golding Institute for Data Science and AI at the University of Bristol. Her research explores the computational modelling of the microstructure and performance of living tissues and manufactured materials and their response to changing and extreme environments, including space. She has a collaborative ESA and UKSA funded experiment currently in orbit on the ISS.

In addition to Professor Robson Brown, Tanuja Randery has also been appointed to the Museum’s Board of Trustees. Tanuja Randery is VP and Managing Director of Amazon Web Services (AWS) UKI, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), where she is responsible for setting EMEA strategy and guiding the company’s growth across the region.

Lord Hall of Birkenhead CBE, Chairman of the Natural History Museum said, “I am delighted to welcome our two new Trustees to the Natural History Museum. Tanuja Randery and Professor Kate Robson Brown are both leaders in their fields and will be fantastic additions to the board. I look forward to working with them on our mission of creating advocates for the planet.”

Prior to joining AWS Tanuja Randery held senior leadership positions at Schneider Electric, BT Global Services, COLT and EMC. She is a former Partner at McKinsey & Company, where she was responsible for leading enterprise transformation projects in the technology and industrial sectors.

Tanjuja Randery said, "The Natural History Museum is an institution that stands at the intersection of scientific discovery and public education. Through its combination of science, technology and the natural world, it is uniquely positioned to tell the story of our planet and catalyse action for its protection. I look forward to using my experience in digitalisation and business modernisation to support the Museum in its strategic ambition to increase global accessibility to its work, its archives, and its insights.”