A PROFESSOR at the University of Reading has joined an exclusive list of world-leading scientists after he was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society.

Jonathan Gregory joined the likes of Stephen Hawking, Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton on Friday, May 5.

The Royal Society is the world's oldest scientific academy and has been at the forefront of enquiry and discovery since its foundation in 1660.

Professor Gregory said: “I am surprised and honoured by my election.

"This is a recognition of the value to society of the climate science, which I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to contribute to, with the collaboration and support of many people over many years, in the working environments offered by the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, the National Centre for Atmospheric Sciences and the Met Office Hadley Centre.”

New fellows are elected through a peer review process, culminating in a vote by existing fellows based on scientific excellence.

Following a first degree in physics at the University of Oxford and a PhD in experimental particle physics at Birmingham, professor Gregory changed his area of research because of scientific interest and personal concern about climate change caused by human activity.

He joined the newly-formed Met Office Hadley Centre in 1990 and became a professor at the University of Reading in 2006, three years after joining the climate division of the National Centre for Atmospheric Science.

Professor Gregory uses complex computer simulations of the climate system and combines this with observational evidence to understand how much the planet will warm due to unnatural causes.

He has made substantial and world-leading contributions as lead author to three crucial reports for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

A total of 50 scientists were elected as fellows this year, with 10 elected as new foreign members.

Venki Ramakrishnan, president of the Royal Society, added: “The new fellows of the Royal Society have already contributed much to science and it gives me great pleasure to welcome them into our ranks.”

Fellows of the Royal Society are elected for life and are designated by the letters FRS after their names.