Green-eyed over Greenfield
The nomination of one of Oxford University's most high-profile professors, Baroness Susan Greenfield, to the fellowship of the Royal Society has sparked a controversial row within its membership.
It emerged that the Oxford neuroscientist and senior research fellow at Lincoln College had been put forward as one of the 535 candidates for 44 places among the prestigious fellowship after current Royal Society members leaked her name to the press.
It has been reported that a number of fellows, who wish to remain anonymous, have threatened resignation should the Oxford researcher be successful. Claims have been made that she has progressed through self-promotion rather than the quality of her research. One fellow told The Telegraph newspaper that if Baroness Greenfield was successful, Newton "would turn in his grave" because it would deny a more deserving scientist the award. Nominations are meant to be confidential and last week the Royal Society said it was considering disciplining the fellows responsible for the leak.
Baroness Greenfield is no stranger to controversy. She has gained an increasingly high media profile in recent years, becoming known as a scientific communicator for her explanations of complex jargon in layman's terms. She hasappeared regularly on television and in the media, not just for her science but also her dress sense. Her long blonde hair, bright lipstick and penchant for miniskirts have made her the odd one out in a white coat world.
She also has her supporters, however. John Stein, professor of physiology at Magdalen College, told The OxStu, "I think Susan is being very badly treated by someone who's jealous of her public success...If her science is under criticism then it should be specific so that she could answer the criticisms."
The Royal Society is the UK's national academy of science and a fellowship is one of the top accolades in the British scientific arena, awarded for outstanding work in a specific field. It has been criticised in the past for being too Oxbridge male-orientated, although MPs in 2002 reported that they had found no evidence of discrimination as the percentage of female fellows mirrored the number of women in senior ranks of science. Currently, out of 1244 British fellows, 53 are women.
Baroness Greenfield said in a statement to The OxStu: "I don't understand how or why my nomination has been made public. I think it is a great pity that those who do not have the courage to identify themselves can make unsubstantiated criticisms both of my science and of my activities in public communication."
Photo: Frederic Aranda
12th Feb 2004