Appointments

The Royal Society has announced the winners of its 2009 awards, medals, royal medals and lectures. The UK's independent academy for science presents the awards annually in recognition of research achievement.

The Copley Medal, the world's oldest prize for scientific achievement, was awarded to Sir Martin Evans, director of the School of Biosciences at Cardiff University, for his seminal work on embryonic stem cells in mice. Royal Medals were presented to: Chintamani Rao, research professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, India; Ronald Laskey, honorary director, MRC Cancer Cell Unit, University of Cambridge; and Christopher Dobson, professor of chemical and structural biology, University of Cambridge.

The Davy Medal went to Jeremy Sanders, head of the School of Physical Sciences, University of Cambridge. The Sylvester Medal was awarded to Sir John Ball, professor of natural philosophy, University of Oxford. The Gabor Medal was awarded to Gregory Challis, professor of chemical biology, University of Warwick. The Armourers & Brasiers' Prize went to Anthony Kinloch, head of the department of mechanical engineering, Imperial College London. The Michael Faraday Prize was awarded to Marcus du Sautoy, professor of mathematics, University of Oxford.

The Rosalind Franklin Award was given to Sunetra Gupta, professor of theoretical epidemiology, University of Oxford. The Croonian Lecture was awarded to Sir Alec Jeffreys, research professor, University of Leicester.

The Bakerian Lecture went to Donal Bradley, head of the department of physics, Imperial College London. The Ferrier Lecture was awarded to Colin Blakemore, professor of neuroscience, University of Oxford. The Leeuwenhoek Lecture was presented to Robert Webster, chair of the department of infectious diseases, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Tennessee.

The Clifford Paterson Lecture went to David MacKay, professor of natural philosophy, University of Cambridge. Finally, the Francis Crick Lecture was awarded to Jason Chin, Trinity College fellow, University of Cambridge.

Malcolm Gillies, City University London's former vice-chancellor, has joined Gresham College's council. Professor Gillies' four-year post will see him meeting with other board members to discuss financial, academic and policy matters. The institution, named after its founder Sir Thomas Gresham, the Elizabethan financier and merchant, has provided free public lectures for more than 400 years.

The head of The Robert Gordon University's Gray's School of Art is to retire after three years at the helm. During his time at Robert Gordon, Stuart MacDonald, an alumnus of the institution, supported the development of its Centre for Design and Innovation and worked to strengthen the school's links with creative and cultural organisations. Professor MacDonald's career also includes an eight-year stint as director of The Lighthouse in Glasgow, Scotland's national centre for architecture and design.

Roger Vickerman has been appointed dean of the University of Kent's European campus in Brussels. He is currently professor of European economics at Kent, and also director of the university's Centre for European, Regional and Transport Economics, which he founded in 1993. Professor Vickerman will take over from John Macgregor in September.

The University of Birmingham's former vice-chancellor will be the next chair of the Science and Technology Facilities Council. As the firm favourite to assume the role, Michael Sterling was recently given a pre- appointment grilling by the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee. Professor Sterling is also former head of Brunel University and a former member of the Royal Academy of Engineering's council.

A professor of law at the International Islamic University in Pakistan has been appointed a research fellow at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. Farkhanda Zia Mansoor will focus on criminal law and the rights of children in Iran and other Muslim states as part of the institute's three-year project on human rights in Iran.

The University of London's Institute of Musical Research has recruited a new director. John Irving joins from the University of Bristol, where he was professor of music history and performance practice. Professor Irving's research interests include the keyboard and chamber music of Mozart and English music from the Elizabethan period. He replaces Katharine Ellis, who was made inaugural director in December 2005.

Bill Davies has been appointed international director at Lancaster University's faculty of science and technology. His remit will include developing Lancaster's international policy and cultivating direct links with companies abroad, such as overseas industrial placements, and international research partnerships. Meanwhile, Awais Rashid has been recruited as director of Lancaster's SciTech Graduate School, which offers integrated training in science and technology. Professor Rashid also takes on the position of associate dean for postgraduate studies.

Malcolm Foley has taken on the role of dean of the faculty of business and creative industries at the University of the West of Scotland. Professor Foley joins after 18 years at Glasgow Caledonian University, where he held a number of posts, including head of the cultural business division and acting dean of the Caledonian Business School.

An academic from the University of Bath has become the first non-US editor of the American Geophysical Union's journal, Radio Science. Paul Cannon is a part-time professor of radio science and systems at Bath. He is also a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Two deans have been recruited by the University of Sunderland. Graeme Thompson, the current regional director for Tyne Tees and Border Television, will take on the position of dean of the faculty of arts, design and media. Viv Kinnaird, who led the development of international education and work-based learning as associate dean at Sunderland, has been appointed dean of the faculty of business and law.

Research that has helped to reduce work-related ill health and injuries has been commended by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Neil Budworth, visiting lecturer at Loughborough University, and Steven Sadhra, director of education for occupational health at the University of Birmingham's Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, have been awarded Distinguished Service Awards by the safety charity for their work in the field.