Clare Matterson CBE appointed to Natural Environment Research Council

The NERC Council is responsible both for advising the NERC Executive Chair and making decisions on scientific, research and innovation matters. Council members represent research and innovation across higher education, industry and commerce, policy and/or civil society, reflecting different characteristics and professional backgrounds.

Clare has led engagement at the Natural History Museum for nearly two years, most recently overseeing the delivery of the Museum’s bold new vision and strategy to 2031, which also saw the Museum declaring a planetary emergency.

Prior to her appointment at the Natural History Museum, Clare worked for 18 years at the Wellcome Trust as Director of Strategy and Director of Culture and Society, where she led many initiatives, co-founding the Wellcome Collection, establishing the UK’s National science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Learning Centre and initiating ‘Our Planet Our Health’.

Clare has a Zoology degree from the University of Oxford, is a member of the US National Academy of Science’s LabX Advisory Board and a Trustee of the Horniman Museum.  She was awarded the Queen’s honour, CBE for services to public engagement with science.

Speaking about her appointment to the NERC Council, Clare said: "We are facing a planetary emergency, but there is hope, and I believe science, research and innovation hold the keys to unlocking this. ’m delighted to be joining the NERC Council, and working together I hope together we can make our future safer and stronger for people and planet.”

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Notes for editors

Natural History Media contact: Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5654/ (0)779 969 0151 Email: press@nhm.ac.uk

About the Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is both a world-leading science research centre and the most visited natural history museum in Europe. With a vision of a future in which both people and the planet thrive, it is uniquely positioned to be a powerful champion for balancing humanity’s needs with those of the natural world.

It is custodian of one of the world’s most important scientific collections comprising over 80 million specimens. The scale of this collection enables researchers from all over the world to document how species have and continue to respond to environmental changes - which is vital in helping predict what might happen in the future and informing future policies and plans to help the planet.

The Museum’s 300 scientists continue to represent one of the largest groups in the world studying and enabling research into every aspect of the natural world. Their science is contributing critical data to help the global fight to save the future of the planet from the major threats of climate change and biodiversity loss through to finding solutions such as the sustainable extraction of natural resources.

The Museum uses its enormous global reach and influence to meet its mission to create advocates for the planet - to inform, inspire and empower everyone to make a difference for nature. We welcome over five million visitors each year, our digital output reaches hundreds of thousands of people in over 200 countries each month and our touring exhibitions have been seen by around 30 million people in the last 10 years.