US computer scientist Kathleen Fisher is poised to take the helm of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria), the UK funding organization that champions ‘high-risk, high-reward’ science. This announcement follows four months after Aria’s current CEO, Ilan Gur, revealed his plans to leave the position, having led the agency since its inception in 2022.
Fisher, who will assume the CEO position at Aria in February 2026, has previously occupied prominent roles at the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), the organization that inspired Aria. The cybersecurity initiatives spearheaded by Fisher during her tenure at Darpa were recognized as the agency’s most impactful programme of the last ten years. Subsequently, she directed Darpa’s Information Innovation Office, managing over 50 programmes with a budget of $500 million (£383 million).
Aria’s financial plan for its initial five years is established at £800 million.
Earlier in her professional journey, Fisher took on technical positions at AT&T Labs and has served as a professor at Tufts University in Massachusetts since 2011.
A statement on Aria’s website indicates that: ‘Kathleen will expand upon the groundwork Ilan has laid to guarantee that scientific advancements not only enhance knowledge but also revolutionize industries, lives, and communities.’
Commenting on X, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser Angela McLean characterized the appointment as ‘fantastic’. ‘As an experienced leader in the R&D sector, she will propel Aria’s vital effort to unleash scientific and technological advancements for the benefit of all,’ she remarked.