Dame Lesley Anne Glover Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire FRSE FASM is a Scottish biologist and academic.
Education
Glover was educated at the High School of Dundee and the University of Edinburgh gaining a first class Bachelor of Science honours degree in Biochemistry in 1978. She went on to study at King"s College, Cambridge for a Master of Philosophy degree in 1979 and a Doctor of Philosophy 1981 on the biosynthesis of halobacterial membrane proteins.
Career
She was Professor of Molecular biology and Cell biology at the University of Aberdeen before being named Vice Principal for External Affairs and Dean for Europe. She also served as Chief Scientific Adviser to the President of the from 2012 to 2014. Previously, from August 2006 to December 2011, she was the first ever Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland, where her role was to further enhance Scotland"s reputation as a science nation.
She was joint chair of the Scottish Science Advisory Committee and served on the Scottish Council of Economic Advisers until her appointment to the in 2012.
Glover holds a Personal Chair of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Aberdeen, along with honorary positions at the Macaulay and Rowett Institutes, and the University of New South Wales, Sydney. Glover"s role as Chief Scientific Adviser included provision of independent expert advice on any aspect of science, technology and innovation as requested by the President of the She also acted as an ambassador for European science, both promoting and communicating the benefits and values of science in Europe.
She presided over a substantial growth in the role of the Chief Scientific Adviser, from a position with almost no resources to an influential voice in European science policy. She consistently emphasised the need for the "s science policy to be firmly based on evidence.
On 13 and 14 November 2014, it was reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation and The Times that the Chief Scientific Adviser"s post would be abolished, following lobbying from nongovernmental organisations, including green groups who disagreed with Professor Glover"s support for genetically modified crops, after the president of the Jean-Claude Juncker decided to close the Bureau of European Policy Advisers.
An article in New Scientist earlier in the year highlighted the controversy concerning the proposals for abolition.
Membership
Royal Society of Edinburgh]
Glover is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Institute of Biology, the Royal Society of Arts, and the American Society for Microbiology and was a council member of the Natural Environment Research Council from 2001-2011.