Professor of Neurobiology Scott Waddell FRS is a founding member of the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour and Principal Research Fellow in Basic Biomedical Science. In 2022, he became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and became Fellow of the Royal Society this year. The Waddell group studies neural circuit properties of memory-directed behaviour, using the fruit fly. In 2014, Prof Waddell's research was recognised with the Liliane Bettencourt Prize for the Life Sciences, and last year he received a prestigious Wellcome Discovery Award to get to the heart of the neural mechanisms behind memory and motivation. His lab's latest research, published in Nature in April 2023, revealed a detailed neural circuit mechanism that explains how multisensory learning improves memory performance.
Professor Waddell joins Professor Manuela Zaccolo as Deputy Head of Department, taking over from Associate Professor Helen Christian, who has been appointed to the role of Associate Head of Division for Education.
Professor Waddell said: "I am honoured to have this role in DPAG under David Paterson. I am very happy to contribute to this great department and I hope the Deputy post makes my mentoring more widely accessible to the faculty that need it."
Head of Department Professor David Paterson said: "I am delighted that Scott has accepted this new role as he will provide outstanding academic mentorship to colleagues. He will also join the senior leadership team of the department that shapes our academic direction"