We are delighted to announce that the Vice Chancellor has appointed Professor Stephen Montgomery as the third Prince Philip Professor of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Cambridge. The University created the Prince Philip Professorship in 2007, to mark the 30th anniversary of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh’s Chancellorship.

The Board of Electors unanimously elected Professor Montgomery to be the next Chair and the Department is thrilled to welcome him to this very prestigious post.

Steve trained for his PhD here in the Zoology Department with Professor Nick Mundy. He subsequently held post-doctoral positions at UCL and Cambridge before moving to the University of Bristol to take up a faculty position and where he has been ever since.

Steve’s research focuses on the interactions between nervous systems and behaviour, using mainly insects as a model system. His aim is to understand how nervous systems evolve, how they define the way that individuals behave and how this contributes to the evolution of biodiversity. His research blends cutting edge laboratory techniques in genomics and connectomics with behavioural and ecological research in the field. 

Steve will take up the Prince Philip Chair in the summer of 2026. We will announce the date of his inaugural lecture and accompanying festivities in due course.

Our Head of Department, Professor Rebecca Kilner said, ‘Steve’s breadth of research expertise is exceptional and will create collaborative opportunities for almost everyone in the Department. I’m sure everybody in Zoology will join me in celebrating this exciting appointment. We are looking forward to welcoming him back to Cambridge.’