Professor Helen Wilson appointed Director of the Isaac Newton Institute

The Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences (INI) has announced the appointment of Professor Helen Wilson as its new Director. Having served as chair of the INI’s Scientific Steering Committee, Professor Wilson is committed to the mission of the INI, and has long championed in-depth collaboration across the mathematical sciences.

Wilson is Professor of Applied Mathematics at University College London (UCL), where she studies the flow of non-Newtonian fluids. Alongside her achievements in research, teaching, and outreach, she has led the Nominating Committee of the London Mathematical Society and is on the editorial board of several academic journals. 

“The Isaac Newton Institute is a cornerstone of the UK mathematics community,” said Wilson. “It brings together top researchers from the UK and from all over the world to make mathematical breakthroughs. I'm honoured and excited to be the next Director, following in the excellent footsteps of Professor Ulrike Tillmann, especially at a time of potential growth.

“Over the last few years, the INI demonstrated that there was real national demand for more programmes than we had space for - and now we have a concrete plan to build that extra space we need. And as AI disrupts the traditional ways we have carried out mathematics research, the INI will be a central part of the way the UK mathematics community reacts and evolves.”

Wilson will succeed Professor Ulrike Tillmann, who ends her five-year term as Director in September. Under Tillmann’s leadership, the INI benefitted from additional funding that allowed the Institute to significantly expand its programming and strengthen its role as a home for ambitious mathematics and a meeting place for researchers from around the world. She will begin her next role as president of the International Mathematical Union this autumn, while maintaining her professorship at the University of Oxford.

“It has been a privilege to serve as Director of the Isaac Newton Institute over the past five years,” said Tillmann. “Throughout, it has been important for me that the Institute realises its scientific potential and its role as a national institute to the full. With its new leadership, I am confident that the Institute will continue to thrive.

“Professor Helen Wilson brings outstanding leadership and a strong understanding of the unique role the Isaac Newton Institute plays for mathematical scientists. Through her service as Chair of our Scientific Steering Committee, she knows the Institute exceptionally well, and I am delighted to support her as its next Director.”

As Director, Wilson will guide the Institute’s programme, while helping to broaden collaborations, support emerging areas, and strengthen connections with adjacent fields where mathematical thinking can make a decisive difference. 

The INI brings people together from different countries, disciplines and career stages to answer shared questions. Through focused programmes, workshops, and longer visits, the Institute provides a space where ideas can be tested, methods exchanged, and new partnerships formed, with benefits that reach far beyond any single field.

The INI remains committed to enabling outstanding mathematical research through open, international exchange.