Martin Rees is renowned for his seminal contributions to our understanding of the nature of the Universe. Highlights of his research work include the elucidation of the physics of galaxy formation and clustering, quasars, black holes, gamma ray bursts, and the cosmological constant. The impact of his research can be quantified by the remarkable number of citations of his published work (over 32,000 citations, with a Hirsch index of over 90).

He has made the subject of cosmology accessible to the wider public through his books and many lectures. In addition to his outstanding research in cosmology, he has been a wise and energetic leader of the scientific community as a former President of the Royal Society and Master of Trinity College Cambridge, and through his role as Astronomer Royal.

In 2010, he gave the second of his Reith Lectures, entitled “Surviving the Century”, at the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff. It focused on global environmental challenges. He has also written extensively about the philosophical implications of modern cosmology.