Speaker biographies
Dr Emma Weitkamp
An academic and science writer, Emma has experience in both the academic and private sectors. Current interests focus on writing about science for a variety of audiences, from children through to policy makers, and the use of visual media to engage young people with science.
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Ms Rosie Wilby
In 2004, singer songwriter Rosie Wilby turned to stand up comedy after encouragement from fans who enjoyed her between-song banter almost as much as the songs themselves. Immediate success in the prestigious So You Think You’re Funny competition kick started a whole new career strand. Appearances in the finals of Funny Women 2006, Funny Bones 2006 and Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year 2007 followed. An autobiographical show ‘Olympic Swingball Champion 2012’ enjoyed well-attended runs at Edinburgh Fringe 2006 and Brighton Fringe 2007. Then ‘Rosie Wilby: I Am Nesia’ was unveiled at Edinburgh Fringe 2008 and, as a result, she was asked to perform the spoof scientific memory lecture at the Science Communication Conference as well as at the Dana Centre at London’s Science Museum, at Brighton Fringe and Leicester Comedy Festival. Recently she made her Australian debut headlining a sellout womens’ comedy night Girl Corrupted at the 200 capacity Supper Club in central Sydney as part of the Mardi Gras festival. Rosie presents Behind The Mic on Resonance FM and was Radio 5 Live’s comedy tennis correspondent at Wimbledon 2008. Rosie does actually have a science degree - in Electronic Engineering. www.rosiewilby.com or www.myspace.com/rosiewilbycomedy for more info
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Dr Clare Wilkinson
Clare Wilkinson is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication working at the Science Communication Unit, UWE, Bristol. Clare's academic background is in the social sciences and she has worked on a variety of projects exploring the social and media reception of science, technology and health-related issues. Clare has published in journals including Science Communication and Health, Risk and Society. She has recently co-written the book Nanotechnology, Risk and Communication for Palgrave Macmillan.
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Dr Andy Williams
Andy Williams is the RCUK Research Fellow in Risk, Health and Science Communication at Cardiff University's School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies. He teaches and researches on media representations of health and science, and has a particular interest in the relations between journalists and their news sources, especially those who work in public relations.
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Professor Robert Winston
Robert Winston is the first Professor of Science and Society at Imperial College London, a university with one of the strongest international science bases. In this role he will focus on improving communication and public engagement with science. Concentrating on advancing the understanding and interaction between scientists and the public through a range of initiatives that will include conducting research into the most effective methods of science engagement and evaluating its impact, he will be using his experience and contacts to co-ordinate and build on existing outreach activity, establishing a dedicated schools laboratory and seminar facility based at the College to give pupils and teachers experience of hands-on science in areas such as DNA analysis and robotics.
He has around 300 scientific publications in peer-review journals on reproduction and embryology. He is also Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, Chairman of the Royal College of Music and was voted ‘Peer of the Year’ by his fellow Parliamentarians in June 2008 for his expertise and work on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. Robert Winston is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, an Honorary Fellow of Queen Mary College, and holds honorary Fellowships of the Institute of Biology, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He has been awarded honorary doctorates at sixteen universities.
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Dr Nick Winterbotham
Nick is Chairman, of ASDC ( the Association for Science and Discovery Centres) and Chief Executive of Millennium Point & Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum. Nick started his professional life as a Latin teacher in Norwich in 1976. His first museum post was in Great Yarmouth as a Museum Teacher with the Norfolk Museum Service, 1979-81. As Education Officer in Nottingham (1981-9) he set up and led the Green’s Mill Science Centre team. Since 1989 he has served as: Director of Tullie House in Carlisle, Director of Eureka in Halifax, Deputy Head of the National Railway Museum in York, Head Of Museums & Galleries in Leeds, Art Officer for York Hospitals NHS Trust, Heritage Consultant, and Lecturer for Hull York Medical School. In 2005 he was awarded a PhD in education by the University of Nottingham and his interests are cycling, travel, theatre and literature.
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Ms Julie Worrall
Project Director for Community University Engagement East, Julie Worrall joined UEA in 2005, after 19 years in public and voluntary sector roles in housing, social policy and criminal justice. She is a member of UEA’s Enterprise & Engagement Executive and the Association of Universities East of England Community Engagement Group.
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Mr Ed Yong
Ed Yong is an award-winning science writer based in London. By day, he works as a Health Information Manager at Cancer Research UK and writes for the charity’s Science Update blog. By night, he writes the blog Not Exactly Rocket Science as part of the ScienceBlogs community, and has just published a book of the same name, collecting articles from the blog. He won the Daily Telegraph Science Writer Award in 2007 and has since freelanced for various publications including New Scientist, the Guardian, SEED, Nature, the Daily Telegraph and the Economist. Ed finds writing in the third person strange and unsettling.
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An academic and science writer, Emma has experience in both the academic and private sectors. Current interests focus on writing about science for a variety of audiences, from children through to policy makers, and the use of visual media to engage young people with science.
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Ms Rosie Wilby
In 2004, singer songwriter Rosie Wilby turned to stand up comedy after encouragement from fans who enjoyed her between-song banter almost as much as the songs themselves. Immediate success in the prestigious So You Think You’re Funny competition kick started a whole new career strand. Appearances in the finals of Funny Women 2006, Funny Bones 2006 and Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year 2007 followed. An autobiographical show ‘Olympic Swingball Champion 2012’ enjoyed well-attended runs at Edinburgh Fringe 2006 and Brighton Fringe 2007. Then ‘Rosie Wilby: I Am Nesia’ was unveiled at Edinburgh Fringe 2008 and, as a result, she was asked to perform the spoof scientific memory lecture at the Science Communication Conference as well as at the Dana Centre at London’s Science Museum, at Brighton Fringe and Leicester Comedy Festival. Recently she made her Australian debut headlining a sellout womens’ comedy night Girl Corrupted at the 200 capacity Supper Club in central Sydney as part of the Mardi Gras festival. Rosie presents Behind The Mic on Resonance FM and was Radio 5 Live’s comedy tennis correspondent at Wimbledon 2008. Rosie does actually have a science degree - in Electronic Engineering. www.rosiewilby.com or www.myspace.com/rosiewilbycomedy for more info
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Dr Clare Wilkinson
Clare Wilkinson is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication working at the Science Communication Unit, UWE, Bristol. Clare's academic background is in the social sciences and she has worked on a variety of projects exploring the social and media reception of science, technology and health-related issues. Clare has published in journals including Science Communication and Health, Risk and Society. She has recently co-written the book Nanotechnology, Risk and Communication for Palgrave Macmillan.
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Dr Andy Williams
Andy Williams is the RCUK Research Fellow in Risk, Health and Science Communication at Cardiff University's School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies. He teaches and researches on media representations of health and science, and has a particular interest in the relations between journalists and their news sources, especially those who work in public relations.
Return to speaker page
Professor Robert Winston
Robert Winston is the first Professor of Science and Society at Imperial College London, a university with one of the strongest international science bases. In this role he will focus on improving communication and public engagement with science. Concentrating on advancing the understanding and interaction between scientists and the public through a range of initiatives that will include conducting research into the most effective methods of science engagement and evaluating its impact, he will be using his experience and contacts to co-ordinate and build on existing outreach activity, establishing a dedicated schools laboratory and seminar facility based at the College to give pupils and teachers experience of hands-on science in areas such as DNA analysis and robotics.
He has around 300 scientific publications in peer-review journals on reproduction and embryology. He is also Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, Chairman of the Royal College of Music and was voted ‘Peer of the Year’ by his fellow Parliamentarians in June 2008 for his expertise and work on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. Robert Winston is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, an Honorary Fellow of Queen Mary College, and holds honorary Fellowships of the Institute of Biology, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He has been awarded honorary doctorates at sixteen universities.
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Dr Nick Winterbotham
Nick is Chairman, of ASDC ( the Association for Science and Discovery Centres) and Chief Executive of Millennium Point & Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum. Nick started his professional life as a Latin teacher in Norwich in 1976. His first museum post was in Great Yarmouth as a Museum Teacher with the Norfolk Museum Service, 1979-81. As Education Officer in Nottingham (1981-9) he set up and led the Green’s Mill Science Centre team. Since 1989 he has served as: Director of Tullie House in Carlisle, Director of Eureka in Halifax, Deputy Head of the National Railway Museum in York, Head Of Museums & Galleries in Leeds, Art Officer for York Hospitals NHS Trust, Heritage Consultant, and Lecturer for Hull York Medical School. In 2005 he was awarded a PhD in education by the University of Nottingham and his interests are cycling, travel, theatre and literature.
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Ms Julie Worrall
Project Director for Community University Engagement East, Julie Worrall joined UEA in 2005, after 19 years in public and voluntary sector roles in housing, social policy and criminal justice. She is a member of UEA’s Enterprise & Engagement Executive and the Association of Universities East of England Community Engagement Group.
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Mr Ed Yong
Ed Yong is an award-winning science writer based in London. By day, he works as a Health Information Manager at Cancer Research UK and writes for the charity’s Science Update blog. By night, he writes the blog Not Exactly Rocket Science as part of the ScienceBlogs community, and has just published a book of the same name, collecting articles from the blog. He won the Daily Telegraph Science Writer Award in 2007 and has since freelanced for various publications including New Scientist, the Guardian, SEED, Nature, the Daily Telegraph and the Economist. Ed finds writing in the third person strange and unsettling.
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