Prof. Sir Mark Welland

Professor Sir Mark Welland is currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Special Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor on China and Director of Research in Nanoscience at the University of Cambridge. Previously he was Director of the Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge (2001-2008 and 2012-2022), Head of Electrical Engineering, University of Cambridge (2015- 2018), Director of the Maxwell Centre, University of Cambridge (2019-2023) and Master of St Catharine’s College, University of Cambridge (2016-2023).

In addition to his role with the University of Cambridge, Professor Sir Mark Welland has been Chief Scientific Advisor in the UK Ministry of Defence since 2008; where he directs the science and technology programme and chairs the Investment Approvals Board. He stepped down from this role in December 2011.

He began his scientific career in nanotechnology at IBM Research in New York, developing one of the first scanning tunnelling microscopes. He later moved to Cambridge where he founded the Nanoscience Centre, a purpose-built facility at the University which undertakes a variety of nano-related research programmes of an interdisciplinary nature.

This was the base for the Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration (IRC) in Nanotechnology of which Sir Welland was the Director and whose highly successful legacy has been far reaching. He current research covers a number of aspects of nanotechnology ranging from sensors for medical applications to understanding and controlling the properties of nanoscale structures and devices.

In 2002 his contributions to nanotechnology research were recognised through his election to Fellowships of the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2011 he was awarded the ‘Office of the Secretary Defence Medal for Exceptional Public Service’ - the highest level non-career award given by the Secretary of Defence and the ‘NNSA Gold Medal' for his 'outstanding leadership and wise counsel as Chief Scientific Advisor to the United Kingdom’ by the US Departments for Defence and Energy.

He was awarded his knighthood in the 2011 Birthday Honours list. He is also a Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge.

He was elected an Honorary Fellow of Worcester College, University of Oxford in 2017 and Honorary Fellow of St Catharine’s College, University of Cambridge in 2023. He was awarded Honorary Doctorates in Science from the University of Bristol (2014) and the University of Bath (2024) and an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering from the University of Bradford (2018).