Mary Bownes

Mary is an Emerita Professor of Developmental Biology at the University of Edinburgh. She is also a trustee of the National Museums of Scotland, and Program Convenor for the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Mary ran a team investigating genetics, developmental biology, molecular biology, and endocrinology. She also taught these subjects at all levels to undergraduates and trained a large number of PhD students. She became Head of the School of Cell and Molecular and Biology. She was involved in a lot of initiatives relating to the training of postgraduate students and in public engagement, not just with science but across the whole university sector in Edinburgh. She also established strategic partnerships for the university with organisations in Scotland that are involved in education and research including RZSS.

Mary went on to be senior vice principal at the University of Edinburgh.