Edith Heard awarded Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Former EMBL Director General Edith Heard recognised for services to science and international collaboration.
Photo credit: Kinga Siring/EMBL
Edith Heard, former Director General of EMBL, has been named a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours List in the UK. The award recognises her contributions to international science and her role in strengthening UK-France scientific relations.
The honour is awarded for exceptional service overseas or in international affairs. Heard’s career exemplifies this through her leadership roles in France, the UK, and at EMBL, an intergovernmental organisation supported by 29 member states.
Heard led EMBL as Director General from 2019 until early 2025, overseeing the creation of EMBL’s ambitious ‘Molecules to Ecosystems’ programme and advancing EMBL’s mission to serve life sciences across its member states.
