Prof. Gideon Henderson appointed as Chief Scientific Adviser to DEFRA

22 August 2019

Hertford alumnus Professor Gideon Henderson (Earth Sciences, 1986) has been appointed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as its new Chief Scientific Adviser.

Professor Henderson, who is a Professor of Earth Sciences at Oxford, and who until recently was the head of the Earth Sciences department, will be joining DEFRA this October.

He will be replacing Sir Ian Boyd, who has held the post for seven years.

Speaking about his appointment, Professor Henderson said: “I am thrilled to be joining Defra at a time when the environment is such a strong priority and there is an ever-growing public level of environmental awareness. The UK faces many challenges – among them responding to climate change and helping meet a net-zero emissions goal, as well as ensuring our food’s security and realising the goals of the 25-year environment plan.”

“I look forward to working closely with colleagues to help achieve these ambitions with the support of the UK’s excellent scientific research.”

Environment Secretary Michael Gove also commented on the appointment: “Sir Ian Boyd’s contribution to Defra’s work has been invaluable, and I am immensely grateful for all the advice he has provided over the past seven years, informing key government policies. I warmly welcome Professor Henderson to the role and look forward to working with him and seeing his positive impact on science in the department going forward.”

“It is absolutely crucial that all our policies are based on sound scientific advice to ensure we are addressing the UK’s most pressing environmental issues in a targeted and innovative way, and Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser is vital to this process.”

We wish Professor Henderson the best of luck in his new role!