Sir Philip Henry Montgomery Campbell FRS FRAS FInstP is a distinguished British astrophysicist and editor. Born in 1951, Campbell studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Bristol and later earned an MSc in astrophysics from Queen Mary College, University of London, followed by a PhD in upper atmospheric physics from the University of Leicester. His early research focused on the physics of the ionized upper atmosphere and radio propagation.
Campbell's editorial career began at Nature in 1979, where he became physical sciences editor in 1982. After a brief departure to launch Physics World, he returned to Nature as Editor-in-Chief in 1995, a position he held until 2018. During his tenure, he was responsible for maintaining the quality and integrity of the journal, as well as overseeing editorial policies and global editorial staff. He later served as Editor-in-Chief of Springer Nature until his retirement in 2023.
Beyond his editorial work, Campbell contributed to science policy and societal impact, working with various organizations, including the UK Office of Science and Innovation and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. He was also deeply involved in mental health advocacy, serving as chair of the board of trustees for MQ: Transforming Mental Health.
Campbell's achievements have been widely recognised. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1979, a Fellow of the Institute of Physics in 1995, and a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2024. He received numerous honorary degrees and fellowships, including an honorary fellowship from Queen Mary University of London in 2009. In 2015, he was knighted for his services to science.