Outstanding Manchester scientist elected as Fellow of the Royal Society
18 Jun 2024
Director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Professor Michael Garratt honoured for his “significant contributions to our understanding of the world around us” - and beyond
Professor Michael Garrett, Director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in recognition of his “invaluable contributions to science”.
Professor Garrett is one of more than 90 exceptional researchers across the world to be selected by the Royal Society – the UK’s national academy of sciences.
He is the inaugural Sir Bernard Lovell chair of Astrophysics at the University and has a broad scientific interest, including the study of the distant universe via high resolution radio observations. He is also active in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) and is currently chair of the International Academy of Astronautics SETI Permanent Committee.
He is a leader in the field of astrophysics and was responsible for the final design, construction, and operational phases of the International LOFAR Telescope, and while Director of the Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (2003-2007), he developed the technique of wide-field Very Long Baseline Interferometry and spearheaded the roll-out of real-time VLBI (e-VLBI) across the European VLBI Network and beyond.
He was also instrumental in finalising the original design concept for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope.
“It’s an honour to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society,” Michael said.
“I look forward to collaborating with other fellows on a wide range of issues relevant to science and society. My election also highlights the high regard in which the community holds astrophysics in Manchester and reflects the significant growth of the field of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) over the past decade.”
Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, said: “This new cohort have already made significant contributions to our understanding of the world around us and continue to push the boundaries of possibility in academic research and industry. It is an honour to have them join the Fellowship.”
For a full list of the newly elected Fellows and Foreign Members of the Royal Society, visit: