Pakistani-born scientist appointed to Scottish Science Advisory Council

Dr Abbasi became the first Pakistani appointed to the Scottish science council, advising ministers on science and tech

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Professor Qammer Hussain Abbasi, a distinguished academic and scientist originally from Murree and a graduate of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore, has been appointed as a member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council (SSAC) — Scotland’s highest scientific advisory body.

This council provides independent, expert advice to Scottish Ministers through the Chief Scientific Adviser on science and technology issues. Abbasi is the first-ever Pakistani to receive this honour.

According to the SSAC’s official website, Abbasi currently serves at the James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, as a Professor of Applied Electromagnetics and Sensing. He also acts as Co-Director of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Diversity-Led, Mission-Driven Research and Director for Communication Sensing and Imaging hub.

With a research portfolio exceeding £13 million and over 500 peer-reviewed publications in top international journals — including the prestigious Nature family — Abbasi is also the editor of 14 scientific books.

His wide-ranging work spans areas such as intergrated sensing and communication, 6G and 5G technologies, terahertz electronics, wireless and nano-scale communications, sensors, radio frequencies for healthcare, and even brain–machine interfaces.

He has received multiple accolades, including a Global Talent endorsement from the Royal Academy of Engineering, teaching excellence award and the Sensor 2021 Young Scientist Award. His multidisciplinary approach continues to bridge the worlds of electronics, computing, and biomedical engineering.

Notably, Abbasi was also appointed as an advisor to the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in November 2024, where he contributes policy recommendations related to converging technologies such as semiconductors, quantum computing, AI, and future telecommunications.

"My role in both bodies is to provide technical guidance to shape national science and innovation policy. These insights are passed on to the Secretary of State and ultimately to wider government. The goal is to converge emerging technologies to support sustainable economic growth," Abbasi said in an interview with The Express Tribune.

Adding to his list of historic achievements, he was recently elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) (the national academy of Scotland) — the same prestigious institution that once included luminaries like James Clerk Maxwell and James Watt. He is the youngest Pakistani ever to receive this honour.