It is with deep regret that the Centre notes the passing of Lord Robert May, Professor of Zoology at the University of Oxford, and advisor to the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk.
Lord May had a long and remarkably distinguished career in research and in science policy. His work was central to the development of the field of theoretical ecology, and he made hugely important contributions across population biology and epidemiology. Lord May also made highly important contributions to science policy, as Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government and Head of the UK Office of Science and technology (1995-2000) and President of the Royal Society (2000-2005). He was also a member of the UK Government’s Climate Change Committee and a trustee of the World Wildlife Fund-UK.
Professor Huw Price, CSER co-founder, said “Lord May was probably the most distinguished scientist my part of Sydney has ever produced. It was a particular honour and pleasure for me when he agreed to lend his support to CSER, in our early days. We are enormously grateful for his encouragement, and saddened by his passing."
We are tremendously grateful for Lord May’s support and guidance in establishing CSER, and for his lifelong work on many of the world’s most important scientific and environmental challenges.