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Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron science facility, has appointed Professor Sir Adrian Smith as its new Chairman. 

Professor Smith, who takes over from Lord Alec Broers, is a distinguished statistician with a breadth of in-depth experience in science and research, academia and politics, making him the ideal candidate for the role as Chairman.

From 2008-2012, Professor Smith was Director General for Science and Research at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), and in 1998, he became Principal of Queen Mary University, London. He is currently Vice-Chancellor of the University of London and Deputy Chair of the UK Statistics Authority.

Diamond Light Source Ltd. is a joint venture between the UK Government, via the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and the Wellcome Trust, with shareholdings of 86% and 14% respectively.

Now in its eighth year of operation, Diamond has established itself as a world-leading scientific research facility – used by over 3,000 researchers in a broad range of scientific fields each year, as well as over 70 different industrial companies. Professor Smith’s appointment coincides with a rapid phase of development for the facility: with 13 new experimental stations scheduled for delivery between 2013 - 2018, and the construction of a new cutting-edge imaging facility for the both the life and the physical sciences underway.

Speaking of his appointment, Professor Smith said: “I am delighted to have this opportunity to contribute to the next phase of development of Diamond, maintaining and enhancing its position as a leading-edge scientific facility and ensuring that the knowledge generated at the facility is widely disseminated in academe and industry, and fully exploited for the wider public good.”

Professor John Womersley, STFC Chief Executive, says: “There is wide agreement that scientific and technological excellence are critical to the UK’s future prosperity in an increasingly globalised knowledge economy. These are challenging but exciting times, and Sir Adrian’s broad knowledge of political, scientific and Research Council demands makes him an exceptionally good choice for steering Diamond’s future course. I very much look forward to working with him again."

Read the full story on Diamond’s website.