We are delighted to share that His Majesty King Charles III has confirmed Professor Sir David Baulcombe as the next Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. Professor Baulcombe will succeed Professor Dame Sally Davies when she steps down later this year.
Professor Baulcombe is the Regius Professor of Botany Emeritus at the Department of Plant Sciences, where he was Head from 2009 to 2017, and has been a Fellow of Trinity College since 2009. His research into plant genetics has not only benefitted crop science but also led to a new class of treatment for human diseases that affect thousands of people worldwide.
Professor Baulcombe will be the 41st Master of Trinity College when he takes up the role in October 2026 – a Crown appointment for up to eight years, made by the Monarch on the recommendation of the College.
Professor Julian Hibberd, current Head of Department, said: “We are delighted by Sir David’s appointment as Master of Trinity. His ground-breaking research and visionary leadership have left a lasting legacy, and this is a wonderful recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the collegiate University and the wider scientific community."
Professor Baulcombe is a Fellow of the Royal Society, and since 2024, has been the Biological Secretary and a Vice President of that organisation. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, an International Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and a Lifetime Member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. In 2009, he was made a Knight Bachelor for his contributions to plant science and genetics.
His research interests have included plant hormones, disease resistance, virology and what has become known as RNA silencing.
In 1999, while researching how plants protect themselves from viruses, Professor Baulcombe and his postdoctoral colleague Dr Andrew Hamilton discovered very small fragments of RNA in plants that suppress or ‘silence’ the expression of genes.
The ‘silencing’ RNA that they discovered is also found in other organisms including animals. In plants these silencing RNAs block the expression of viral genes, but Professor Baulcombe and his colleagues realised that they could also target other genes including those that cause disease.
Following the patenting of this research and licensing to a pharmaceutical company, several drugs based on these silencing RNAs have been developed to treat serious genetic disorders. More drugs based on this breakthrough discovery are in the pipeline.
Professor Baulcombe has a strong interest in addressing the more equitable use of new biotechnology in the agriculture of developing countries and for sustainable crops everywhere, and he played a key role in establishing the Crop Science Centre, a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and Niab, which opened in 2020. The centre’s research is focused on reducing reliance on chemical inputs and maximising crop productivity, particularly for the world’s poorest farmers.
Image: Professor Sir David Baulcombe in the Fellows’ Garden at Trinity College, Cambridge. Credit: Elly White/Trinity College Cambridge.
Adapted with permission from an article by Trinity College published on 15 June 2026. Read the original article.