https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/news/professor-helen-cross-elected-to-the-academy-of-medical-sciences/

Professor Helen Cross elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences

8 Jun 2026, 5:39 p.m.

Woman with brown hair sat on white sofa in black and white spotted dress with cartoon space characters in the background

Professor Helen Cross, Paediatric Neurology Consultant at GOSH and Director of the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, has been elected to the prestigious Academy of Medical Sciences in recognition of her outstanding contributions to epilepsy research.

She joins a Fellowship of over 1,500 leading researchers who have been selected for their work advancing medical science and improving health. The Academy plays a key role in supporting scientific talent and shaping health and research policy in the UK and internationally.

Professor Cross is also Prince of Wales’s Chair of Childhood Epilepsy and a Non-Executive Director at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

Her research focuses on complex epilepsies that begin in early childhood, including how different treatments – such as surgery and the ketogenic diet – can improve outcomes for children. Over her career, she has published more than 450 research papers and 50 review articles, and has edited five books, including a leading textbook on childhood epilepsy.

In recognition of her services to children with epilepsy, Professor Cross was awarded an OBE in 2015.

Professor Cross said:

“I am delighted and deeply honoured to have been elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

This reflects work undertaken over many years in collaboration with colleagues locally, nationally and internationally, furthering care for children with early onset epilepsies and striving to improve outcomes.

I look forward to contributing to the mission of the Academy in the future.”

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