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Jim is professor of the public engagement in science at the University of Surrey where he also holds a chair in nuclear physics and heads the nuclear theory research group. He is a best-selling author of a number of popular science books and has given public lectures around the world. He is also a regular contributor and presenter on radio and television science programmes. Jim is a member of Council of the British Association and sits on the advisory committee of the Cheltenham Science Festival. His portrait is on permanent display in the National Portrait Gallery as one of the '21 Faces of UK Science'.
Dr Jan Barfoot, 30, did a PhD in cancer biology at the University of Edinburgh. She started communicating science during this time and got hooked! She is now deputy director of the Scottish Initiative for Biotechnology Education (SIBE) at the University of Edinburgh. Here, she facilitates engaging hands-on/brains-on biotechnology and bioethical workshops for school students and the public and is heavily involved in training science communicators. One of the highlights of her year is a 10 day science fun house ('Discover Science with the University of Edinburgh') which she organises as part of the Edinburgh Science Festival. Jan's science communication motto is "Love your subject, know your audience and enjoy yourself!"
Louisa Bolch currently commissions around 70 hours of primetime science based programming each year for Channel 4 and their new digital channel More 4. She has spent the last decade working in television, starting in arts documentary before moving into factual programmes 5 years ago. Science at Channel 4 is a broad church and Louisa's recent commissions range from dramatised visions of our GM-human future, through a series devoted to the stranger shores of modern sexuality, to a distinctly un PC bio-diversity format.
A Cardiff science graduate, Julia works for Green Bay Media where she has just finished producing a health/medical series for ITV WALES. She was one of only six finalists chosen from around the world to take part in wildlife film-making master class from Animal Planet last summer, and recently attended the BAFTA's as the Welsh winner of the Orange/BAFTA short film competition.
Tom is the the science correspondent for Channel 4 News.
His reports appear on the evening news show with Jon Snow and the Channel 4 News at Noon. As well as science, his patch covers the environment, rural affairs and medicine. Tom started out as an entomologist, studying the dynamics of insecticide resistance among bugs eating cotton in America's deep south. Tom trained in journalism at New York University before
working as a producer for America's National Public Radio and for an independent TV production company in New York. Before joining Channel 4 News Tom worked as reporter for Nature magazine in London.
Neil is an award winning programme maker who has produced and directed shows for all the major British terrestrial and digital TV channels as well as broadcasters in the US and Canada. Over the last ten years he’s worked with a diverse range of on-screen talent - old and young: from Valerie Singleton to Kate Thornton, Noel Edmonds to Richard Hammond. In addition to established presenters he’s also nurtured and developed several new faces. Neil works for Twofour Broadcast - The UK's largest regional independent TV production company and the one voted "most admired" by its peers in an industry poll. His scientific knowledge amounts to one Physics GCSE fail. Good luck.
Alastair Fitter is an ecologist at the University of York, currently Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research there and a Fellow of the Royal Society. His research is mainly underground, on biodiversity in the soil - especially on the mycorrhizal fungi that live symbiotically in the roots of almost all plants - and how this hidden bit of the carbon cycle affects and responds to climate change. He is also a keen naturalist and has written several popular natural history books.
Claire Fox is the director of the Institute of Ideas (IoI), which she established to create a public space where ideas can be contested without constraint. Claire initiated the IoI while co-publisher of the controversial and ground-breaking current affairs journal LM magazine (formerly Living Marxism). The IoI has since worked with a variety of prestigious institutions in Britain and abroad. Claire has a particular interest in education and social issues such as crime and social exclusion. She is highly critical of authoritarian developments such as New Labour's 'antisocial behaviour orders'. Claire is a panellist on Radio 4's The Moral Maze and is regularly invited to comment on developments in culture, education and the media on TV and radio. She writes regularly for national newspapers and a range of specialist journals. She has a monthly column in the MJ (municipal journal). Claire previously worked as a mental health social worker and as a lecturer in English literature.
David Glover is a new Deputy Commissioning Editor for History and Science at Channel 4 in the UK. He also works in conjunction with More 4 - Channel 4's new sister channel. David is currently commissioning a wide of range of programmes. Particularly he is looking for new approaches to popular subject matter, as well as looking for ways to make less obvious subject matter appealing to a wide audience. David joined Channel 4 after working for years at Windfall Films devising and producing a number of innovative and award winning programmes including The Tourist Trap, DNA and The Heist.
Jacqui Hayden is Head of Development at IWC Media - Scotland's biggest independent television company. The company produces content as varied as "Location, Location, Location" for Channel 4; the forthcoming Protestant Revolution series for BBC4; Mountain for BBC1 and stunt show "Mission Implausible" for SKY. A key part of Jacqui's job is to develop projects with established presenting talent and to discover new stars - especially in the area of Specialist Factual programming. In the past 18 months Jacqui has been involved in developing projects for presenters including: Griff Rhys Jones, Robbie Coltrane, Professor Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawking.
Roger is science editor of The Daily Telegraph, which has published several thousand of his articles since 1986. A regular broadcaster on the BBC and the winner of several journalism awards, Highfield is the author of Can Reindeer Fly?, The Science of Christmas, The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works, and coauthor of such highly acclaimed books as The Arrow of Time and The Private Lives of Albert Einstein.
Roy Lowry is a Senior Lecturer and Teaching Fellow at the Centre for Chemical Sciences at the University of Plymouth. In addition to entertaining (and educating!) undergraduates, he performs a chemistry demonstration show called “Pyromania!” in local schools under the banner of the Royal Institution and is billed as the resident “stand up chemist” at a local science fiction convention. Previously, he has been awarded a Public Partnership Award by the EPSRC and a Media Fellowship by the British Association. In August 2006, Roy became the holder of the Guinness World Record™ for the most firework rockets launched in 30 seconds.
Dr Mark Lythgoe is a neurophysiologist and Director of the new Experimental MRI Unit at UCL. Mark develops novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques for brain and heart imaging and investigates possible therapies for stroke and epilepsy. He is also interest in the neurobiology creativity, specifically the sudden onset of artistic creativity following stroke. He is passionately involved in the public engagement of science and has collaborated with a wide variety of artist to create works from sculpture to film. In 2005 he received a Biosciences Federation Science Communication Award, which rewards scientists who make an outstanding and consistent contribution to communicating science to the public. Mark has recently designed and produced the experimental space AfterImage, which investigates light and our perception of colour, as part of the Dan Flavin exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, which opens in Jan 2006. Mark has presented a documentary series for the BBC on the science of attraction and compatibility 'Is this the one?' and a Channel 4 programme investigating the neuroscience behind genius 'The Secret of Einstein's brain'. He has recently finished a series for the Discovery Channel on the interaction of electricity with the human body and brain. He currently a consultant/contributor for a BBC2 programme on the effects of acupuncture on the brain, and is looking into the neuroscience behind various science fiction films (Discover Channel). For 2006 Mark will also present a new series for BBC Radio 4 on the evolution of language called 'Say what you think'
Dr Peter Martin studied engineering science at Oxford University and chose to become a chemical engineer whilst investigating various pasty materials for his PhD at Cambridge University. Following this he decided to spend three years thinking about how bubbles get formed in bread doughs as a researcher at, what is now, Manchester University. Since 2004, Peter has been a lecturer in chemical engineering back in Oxford, where he now runs projects ranging from 'how does ice cream flow?' to the foaming of biosurfactants. He has written widely in both academic and popular publications, and in 2006 launched engagingcogs, a forum for free and open discussion of how society thinks about engineering.
Dr Mark Miodownik received his BA in Materials Science from St Catherine's College, Oxford in 1992, and his Ph.D in turbine jet engine alloys from Oxford University in 1996. In 1997 he was employed in the USA as a research scientist at Sandia National Laboratories and in 2000 was appointed a lecturer at Kings College London. In 2003 he was awarded a NESTA fellowship to create a Materials Library as interaction space for designers, architects and artists to collaborate with materials scientists. His main research is in the areas of self-healing materials and biological tissues. He is a member of the Materials Research Group at King's, and has currently two PhD research students and research contracts with Sandia National Laboratories, EPSRC and BBSRC. He has published 40 refereed journal and conference publications and 3 book chapters. In 2004 he co-presented a BBC2 TV pilot called 'Chain Reaction'. Recent interaction with the press includes interviews on BBC Radio 4's Material World and on BBC Radio 5 Live. His Materials Library was featured in a short film commissioned by NESTA which was shown at the Royal Institution and Cheltenham Science Festival. The British Council also commissioned a short film of the Materials Library for a Beautiful Physics DVD to celebrate the Einstein centenary which was distributed globally. He is a member of the Cheltenham Science Festival Advisory Group.
William Morris graduated from the Queens University of Belfast with degrees in Electrical Engineering and Electronics.
He spent the following 21 years in a wide variety of senior posts with Short Brothers Ltd. (now Bombardier Aerospace) in Belfast. These posts included Head of Missile Research; Total Quality Manager; Vice President of Engineering and Quality, and Vice President and General Manager in which he led the development of several innovative new products and processes, including the Javelin Missile and the Learjet 45 business jet.
Following his period at Shorts he was seconded to Queens University Belfast as Professor of Aerospace Engineering where he created an Aerospace Research Centre and several new taught courses.
William subsequently joined the research facility of Nortel Networks in Northern Ireland and led a major expansion of its capability.
Since 2001 William has been operating as a consultant, advising on multi-disciplinary R&D activities for a range of large and small clients. and in 2003 took up a role as Adviser for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in Northern Ireland, with responsibility to accelerate the flow of technology from Universities to local companies.
He has three grown up children and is a keen jogger and mountain walker in his spare time. His hobby is digital photography and computer tinkering.
Having discovered she was possibly the world's worst bench scientist, Vivienne Parry became a media tart instead, specialising in science and medicine. She has presented Tomorrow's World, reported for Panorama and been a columnist for the News of the World. She writes regularly for the Times, Guardian and Mail on Sunday and is also the Science Editor of Good Housekeeping (as well as their agony aunt). She presents a wide range of programmes for Radio 4, including the very popular 'Inside the Ethics Committee' series. She also teaches scientists how to communicate their work better.
Heather Reid was born in Paisley, Scotland and studied physics at Edinburgh University. After studying for a Masters degree in Image Processing at Edinburgh's Meteorology department she joined the Met Office in 1993 and became BBC Scotland's weather forecaster in 1994. She is a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society and has an honorary lectureship in the Physics and Astronomy Dept at Glasgow University. Heather was awarded a Public Awareness of Physics prize for her science communication work from the Institute of Physics in 2001. Heather also works part-time at Glasgow Science Centre developing weather shows and workshops for schools and the public.
Dr Alice Roberts is a lecturer in anatomy at the University of Bristol. She has degrees in medicine and anatomy, and over 8 years of experience teaching anatomy to everyone from medical students to senior consultants. She is committed to promoting public engagement with science and medicine, working with the university’s schools outreach programme to encourage pupils to consider careers in these areas. She has also contributed to several television series, including appearing as a bone expert on Time Team and as a presenter on BBC2’s Coast series. Most recently she presented BBC2's popular health series, Don't Die Young.
Wendy is a physicist with a passion for communication. After a degree in Physics and Music at Cardiff University and vague intentions of becoming a sound engineer, she got side-tracked at Techniquest Science Discovery Centre and worked there as an education manager and presenter for five years. In 2002 she set up her own science communication company called 'science made simple' delivering live science shows for schools and festivals, and training the next generation of science communicators. Wendy has presented a number of programmes on ITV Wales and was part of the first ever all-female team on Scrapheap Challenge. She is officially rubbish at welding...but can play the theremin, saxophone and african drums (a bit).
Dr Gill Samuels is a physiologist and neuropharmacologist by training. In April of 2005, she retired from the position of Executive director of science Policy and Scientific Affairs, Europe, Pfizer Global Research and Development. Before her appointment as Director of Science Policy, she was Director of Cardiovascular Biology for Pfizer contributing to the discovery of several new medicines, now marketed. Her most recent work has focussed, at different times, on the science base: and on issues of healthcare in the UK, the OECD and in LDC's. She has served on two government Commissions (Human Genetics and Intellectual Property Rights) and as Chair of the Bioscience Futures Forum. In addition she is Chair of the Cheltenham Science Festival, a Special Advisor to the Science Museum, a member of the Council of the Royal Institution, and a member of the NESTA Fellowship committee. Gill Samuels was awarded the CBE for services to the Bioscience and Pharmaceutical Industry in 2002, and in 2005 the CBI honoured her with the first Women of Science Award.
Jem designs, builds and invents for a living. He has a degree in aeronautics and a seemingly bottomless knowledge of the principals of science. He's a qualified welder and builds almost everything by hand. So if anyone can, perhaps Jem'll fix it.
Jem’s not a total stranger to TV either. He used to invent kids’ dream gadgets on ITV’s “Home On Their Own” with Ulrika Jonsson a few years back. He was the man behind the machines and experiments on BBC2’s “Science Shack” and has been a regular behind the scenes engineering consultant on “Scrapheap Challenge” since being a very young on-screen expert in 2001.
In 2006 Jem presented a couple of series for channel 4.In “Men in White” (a fairly irreverent Sunday evening science show) he’s one of three young scientists who answer cries for help from members of the public. “Wild Thing I Love You” was a groundbreaking Sunday evening nature conservation show. In it Jem worked with wildlife experts to examine situations where man was putting nature under too much pressure.
Kathy is Professor of Public Engagement in Science and Engineering at Bristol University and communicates science in many ways, including co-Directing the Cheltenham Festival of Science. Kathy appears on various programmes for the BBC and sits on the Government's top science advisory panel, the Council for Science and Technology.
Chris Walker is Head of Development at True North Productions, a Leeds-based independent production company with a strong history of attention-grabbing film making.
He joined True North in January 2006, to associate produce the highly successful BBC1 series Animal 24/7. Prior to that he worked in Current Affairs at BBC Manchester on a wide range of films including the Bafta nominated Nurseries Undercover. His past credits also include Radio 4 discussion series The Commission, Channel 4 / France 2 science film Ascent of the Red Planet, How the War was Spun for BBC3, and Brookside (but don’t hold that against him).
"If we don't talk about science, there may be no science to talk about - that is why FameLab is so important"
. As our patron, Paul supports the aim of the competition to raise the profile of science communication. A Nobel Prize winner in Physiology for his discovery of the key regulator of the cell cycle, Paul is currently President of the Rockefeller University in New York. He was knighted in 1999 for services to cancer research and believes that science communication is essential both for society and for the scientific world.
© Cheltenham Festivals 2006/7
