Paul Walton, Scholar-in-Residence at Digital Futures from August to October 2025, has been elected Foreign Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The election took place on 14 January, when the Academy welcomed new members to its classes for mathematics, physics, chemistry and social sciences.
Based at the University of York (UK), Professor Walton is a leading researcher in bio-inorganic chemistry, focusing on metalloproteins and how metal ions—especially copper—drive chemical reactions in living systems. His work has improved our understanding of how nature breaks down tough biomaterials such as cellulose and chitin, knowledge that is important for the development of sustainable biofuels.
One of Walton’s key scientific contributions is the discovery of the “histidine brace”, a unique chemical structure in which a copper atom is bound at the start of a protein in a three-point coordination. This architecture acts as a powerful catalyst, enabling oxygen to break strong carbon–hydrogen bonds and changing how researchers understand enzymatic oxidation.
Walton earned his PhD from the University of Nottingham in 1990, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley. He joined the University of York in 1993 and later served as Head of the Department of Chemistry from 2004 to 2010. Over his career, he has received numerous awards for research, teaching and leadership.
He has strong connections to Sweden, having been Jubilee Professor at Chalmers University of Technology in 2020, a guest researcher at KTH, and most recently Scholar-in-Residence at Digital Futures, hosted by Professor Sandra Pauletto, Associate Director Mobility, Digital Futures. During his stay, he gave a seminar on 9 October 2025 titled “Gender equality in sciences – why is it taking so long?”, reflecting his long-standing engagement with equality and inclusion in academia.
“My time in Sweden, most recently as Scholar-in-Residence at Digital Futures, has been truly inspiring. Being elected as a Foreign Member of Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Chemistry is a great honour and strengthens my commitment to collaboration between Swedish and international research communities,” says Paul Walton.
Alongside his scientific work, Walton is widely recognised as an advocate for gender equality in science, with more than 20 years of experience as a speaker and advisor. His election highlights both his scientific achievements and his broader impact on the international research community.
