A scientist of the Federal Research Center "KSC SB RAS" was elected as a professor of RAS. The Presidium of RAS approved the candidates for professors of RAS, elected by thirteen departments in various sciences. The title of "Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences" was awarded to 112 Doctors of Science under the age of 50, including Olesya Nikolaevna Kormilets (Makhutova), Doctor of Biological Sciences, leading researcher at the Institute of Biophysics of SB RAS.

Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences is an honorary academic title awarded by the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences for scientific achievements at the national or international level, as well as for active participation in the implementation of the main tasks and functions of the academy.

The title was established in 2015. It is awarded to Russian scientists not older than 50 years who carry out research or scientific and educational activities in various fields of knowledge and are not members of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The word "honorary" here emphasizes that the title reflects the recognition of scientific merit and gives the holder a professorial title, but there is no financial reward for this title.

Vladimir Fortov, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2013–2017, proposed to form a corps of professors of the Russian Academy of Sciences in order to increase the involvement of the leading representatives of the young generation of Russian scientists in the functioning of the Academy of Sciences and to create a personnel reserve for it.

Research work remains the priority task of the professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Therefore, one of the goals of conferring an honorary title was to increase the “reputation” of relatively young, by academic standards, but already seriously distinguished scientists.

Before the elections of 2022, 603 people had the title of professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 776 people participated in the election campaign this year. As a result, 112 new RAS professors were selected. Olesya Kormilets (Makhutova) became one of the six professors of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the Department of Biological Sciences. 42 people applied for the title in this discipline.

We congratulate Olesya Nikolaevna on the honorary title and wish her further success in her work!