Dr Sheena Cruickshank is the academic lead for the public engagement of science at Manchester University. As part of the Manchester Immunology Group, much of her work focuses on immunology and specifically infection and parasitology. Her current research focuses on defining and developing biomarkers to help manage gut inflammation found in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. So basically we evolved to have parasitic diseases On earliest...
Professor Barry Marshall is an Australian physician, Professor of Clinical Microbiology at the University of Western Australia and the winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine for his discovery, along with Dr Robert Warren, of helicobacter pylori and its relationship to the cause of peptic ulcers. Their particular process of discovery has become something of science legend. As well as the...
Professor Peter Doherty is an Australian medical researcher specialising in infectious diseases. His research with Rolf Zinkernagel into how the body’s immune cells protect against viruses won them both the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1995. In 1997, Peter was also named Australian of the Year, made a Companion of the Order of Australia and named by the National Trust as one...
Professor Fiona Wood is a plastic surgeon specialising in burns. She is the director of the Royal Perth Hospital burns unit and a Clinical Professor at the University of Western Australia. Along with Marie Stoner, Fiona developed the revolutionary ‘spray on skin’ for burns victims, which has changed the way burns victims can be helped across the globe. Following the 2002 Bali bombings, she...
Professor Patrick McGorry is a psychiatrist and Professor of Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne, and is probably best known for his development of early intervention services for youth. He is a strong campaigner for youth mental health in Australia and is a director of Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, and a founder of Headspace,...
Baba Brinkman is a Canadian rapper and poet who is best known for combing science and literature with hip-hop music. In 2009 he wrote and performed ‘The Rap Guide to Evolution’ which was deemed the first peer-reviewed rap show. His show ‘Ingenious Nature’ played to critical acclaim off-Broadway in 2012. Dr Heather Berlin is an American neuroscientist who obtained her doctorate in experimental neuropsychology. ...
Tim Spector is a Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at Kings College London as well as the Director of the Department of Twins Research and Epidemiology at St Thomas’ Hospital. In 1993 he was the founder of the UK Twins Registry which remains one of the largest collections of genotype and phenotype information on twins in the world. He is also a successful popular science...
Dr Stuart Derbyshire is an associate professor and faculty member of the University of Birmingham where he conducts research in the area of functional pain: that is pain that cannot be explained by injury or disease. There clearly is a nervous system that’s necessary for pain, heads full of sawdust do not complain of pain. On getting interested in science Actually it was a...
Ben Goldacre is a medical doctor, academic, broadcaster and best-selling author who specialises in ‘bad science’ from drug companies, the media and quacks. He is perhaps best known for his book, and regular Guardian column, ‘Bad Science’ and it’s follow up ‘Bad Pharma’. He is currently heading up the AllTrials campaign, a quest for drug companies to publish the results of all clinical...
Suzi Gage is a final year PhD student at the University of Bristol. She works in translational epidemiology studying the associations between substance abuse and mental health. She also blogs for the Guardian on matters of epidemiology and science as well as playing in a band, Glis Glis. I wrote to Jim’ll Fix It wanting to know how neon lights worked. On becoming...
Dr Pip Garner is a bone biologist and post doctoral research fellow at the University of Leeds who works on the variability in the human spine. As well as research and lecturing, in 2012 she was recognised by The Society of Biology for her science public communication work which has included demonstrations at the Cheltenham Science Festival and the organisation of a forensics summer...
Roger Kneebone trained first as a general and trauma surgeon, working both in the UK and in Southern Africa. After finishing his specialist training, he decided to become a general practitioner. In the 1990s he pioneered an innovative national training programme for minor surgery within primary care, based around intensive workshops using simulated tissue models and a computer-based learning programme. In 2003, Roger left...
Tania Browne spent 20 years working as a chef before deciding to return to school to study epidemiology and health science. She writes about health, science and statistics for a number of different sites including SciLogs and the Guardian. When I was a kid I didn’t really think that science was something that I could possibly do. On getting involved with science My...
Jo Cartwright is a biomedical graduate who, having spent time working in palliative care, gained an in-depth knowledge of the issues surrounding choice and compassion at the end of life. She is currently the press manager at UK charity Dignity in Dying who campaign to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill, mentally competent adults. I think at the core of what Dignity in...
Rachael Dunlop is a medical doctor and researcher based in New South Wales, Australia. She works primarily in ALS and neurodegeneration research and is also a regular guest on the SkepticZone podcast as Dr Rachie. In 2010, she won the Shorty Award for health. The only way that we can really counteract misinformation online is to put out good information. On working in...
Alan Henness is one of the co-directors and co-founders of The Nightingale Collaboration, which was set up with the aim of improving the protection of the public by campaigning for misleading healthcare claims to be withdrawn and those responsible held to account. During Simon Singh’s libel case with the British Chiropractic Association, Alan personally submitted over 500 complaints to the statutory regulator regarding misleading...
Simon Singh is a best selling science writer with a PhD in particle physics. His written works include ‘The Code Book,’ ‘Trick Or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial,’ ‘The Big Bang’ and ‘Fermat’s Last Theorem.’ The latter was turned into a BAFTA winning documentary which he also directed. Simon is a prominent figure in the skeptical scene and campaigns for changes to the...
Rose Shapiro is a British journalist who contributes regularly to several publications including the Guardian and the Independent. She is best known for her book ‘Suckers: How Alternative Medicine Makes Fools of Us All’. Sadly I felt in a naive kind of way, if you show people the evidence, it will make people reconsider. On becoming interested in science I’ve always...
Lucy Thorne is a virologist and biochemist focusing her research on the norovirus. A FameLab finalist, Lucy is also a communicator of science giving talks at festivals and events across Britain. It’s infectious disease that I think is really exciting. On getting involved in virology So all throughout, I’ve always loved the sciences; in particular I’ve loved studying in detail how our bodies...
Kevin Fong is a Wellcome Trust Public Engagement Fellow, co-director of the Centre for Aviation Space and Extreme Environment Medicine, expert on space medicine, anaesthetist, physiology lecturer, author and television and radio presenter. His programmes have included ‘Space Shuttle: The Final Mission’ for the BBC and ‘Extreme A&E’ for Channel 4. His first book, ‘Extremes’, was released in 2013. I do worry a...