Science Communication Award - Previous Winners

Winners 2010

The 2010 Science Communication Awards were presented to Djuke Veldhuis (University of Cambridge) and Adam Hart (University of Gloucestershire) for their excellent work in communicating science to the public.

Rami Tzabar, Executive Producer for the BBC Radio Science Unit, and both winners spoke at the event. The passion that both winners had for science communication was obvious as they talked animatedly about their experiences.

Djuke (28) spoke candidly of how she engages with children, especially the ipod listening teenagers, by talking about science which relates to their everyday lives. Djuke also thanked Cambridge University for their “underlying structure, which was essential for successful public engagement.”

Djuke was incredibly excited to have won the New Researcher category and said:

“I am flattered, amazed and grateful that I have been recognised for something I love doing; more so because the existence of such awards highlights the increasing acknowledgement among institutions that science communication is to be taken seriously and can really benefit both the researchers and public.”

2010 winners of Science Communication Awards

Adam Hart winner of the Established Researcher category spoke of bees, science, communication and the importance of formulating networks and connections saying:

“Cross pollination of ideas and projects through networks provides more opportunities for teaching and research.”

The teaching and research opportunities which arise from science communication has often been overlooked by some academics, and Adam’s work illustrates how these three areas interlink and can actually work together. Of winning the award, Adam said:

“I am absolutely thrilled to win this award. I am one of the many people out there who are involved with communicating science to a wider audience and it is fantastic that the Society of Biology recognises the important work that we do.”

Winners 2009

The 2009 Science Communication Awards were presented to Ceri Harrop (University of Manchester) and Dr Susan Jebb (Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research) for their passion and dedication to communicating biological science to the public.

The winners accepted their awards and presented examples of their public engagement work at an event held on the 16th November. Both winners highlighted two issues: first, scientists have a responsibility to communicate their work to the public; second, science communication work needs to be underpinned by training and evaluation, and needs recognition alongside research and publishing papers.

Ceri Harrop (26), winner in the ‘New Researcher’ category, is a postdoctoral research assistant in the University of Manchester’s Faculty of Life Sciences, developing a 3D in vitro model of the human airways to study how asthma and other respiratory diseases can lead to changes in the structure and function of the airways. Ceri has used innovative approaches to explain science, and has built models, written and presented an educational TV program, taken part in radio broadcasts and held workshops, sometimes focusing on scientific themes outside of her own specialist area. Ceri is pictured here (left) accepting her award from Professor Nancy Rothwell, President.

Ceri has an infectious enthusiasm for both her research and her communication work: “At school I always wanted to know the what, when and why of things, how things happened, and I chose biology because I wanted to help people.

Ceri Harrop “It’s both highly rewarding and enlightening to take your research to a different audience. It gets you away from the lab bench, and helps you see your work from a different perspective. It was fantastic to be to be nominated and I was amazed and delighted to actually win the award. It’s a great honour.”

Asked what hurdles she has faced in her communication work, Ceri replied: “We have a duty to communicate with the public since we’re using public money. But it’s not recognised as an achievement [in the same way] as if I publish a paper or present at a conference. "

Ceri was nominated by Professor Martin Humphries, representing the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research.

The slides from Ceri's presentation are available (in three parts) on the right of this page.

Susan Jebb (44), winner in the ‘Established Researcher’ category, is Head of Nutrition and Health Research at the Medical Research Council Collaborative Centre for Human Nutrition Research (HNR). Her research focuses on the role of the diet in the causes and treatment of obesity and its related metabolic diseases. She also leads the HNR Communications team. Susan has carried out extensive communication activities about obesity in society with a variety of audiences, and her work has had significant impact and reach – especially with policy makers. She has used a range of methods to share knowledge of her science, including articles, public lectures, playing a key role in government advisory committees, and giving cookery demonstrations.

Susan said: “It is an honour to receive this award. Translating scientific advances into tangible improvements in the health and wealth of the nation hinges on excellence in science linked to effective communication and dissemination skills and strategies. The rewards of working with policy makers should not be underestimated as the need for policy informed by robust scientific evidence is now more important than ever. I am delighted that my contribution to science communication has been recognised in this way.”

Susan echoed Ceri’s sentiments about the poor recognition that science communication work currently receives, despite its importance. Susan writes nine articles a year for a health magazine with a circulation of 100,000, and commented wryly: “I’m convinced that my impact factor in my [magazine] articles is a great deal higher than my impact factor in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition”.

Susan added, “Science communication needs to be underpinned by training and evaluation. We need to develop centres of excellence that show what can be achieved. We also must develop solid measures of evaluation. "

Susan was nominated by Dr Ann Prentice, representing the Nutrition Society.

You can download a pdf copy of Susan's presentation from the section on the right.

Press Officers - help or hindrance...? A panel chaired by Sue Thorn (Chair of the Society's Membership Marketing and Communications Committee, pictured far left) and comprising (from left to right) Senior Press Officer Dr Helen Jamison (Science Media Centre), science journalist and broadcaster Sue Nelson, and pharmacologist Professor Clive Page (Kings College London) discussed the role of press officers in assisting (or hindering…!) the process of getting science stories from lab bench to newspaper. Sue Nelson said that she'd often heard press officers referred to as a necessary evil, and that journalists would much rather hear it from the horse's mouth. Nevertheless the panel agreed that those working in press offices had a vital role in disseminating scientific information in a format that journalists appreciate, and highlighted the importance of training to enable scientists to develop good communication skills.

Winners 2008

From the Flu to the Deep-blue: Top Communicators take Awards
The Biosciences Federation (BSF) presented its 2008 Science Communication Awards to flu researcher Ed Hutchinson (University of Cambridge) and ocean scientist Dr Jon Copley (University of Southampton) for their outstanding enthusiasm, commitment and innovation in communicating biological science to the public. Presentation of the awards was made at an event held on the 12th November at the Geological Society, London.

Ed Hutchinson
Ed Hutchinson (25), who came top of the ‘New Researcher’ category, is studying the genetics of influenza A for a PhD at the University of Cambridge. Ed has employed a variety of different methods - including magazine articles, podcasts, radio programmes, short talks for schools, and practical science sessions - to take biology to a wide range of audiences. An approachable manner and the use of everyday objects as props have enabled Ed to cleverly tackle an assortment of subjects from the basics of DNA to complex virology. He has also covered such hot topics as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), the importance of animal research, and the role of scientists and evolution. Ed was nominated by the Society for General Microbiology.

Dr Jon Copley
Dr Jon Copley (36), a marine ecology lecturer at the University of Southampton, won the ‘Established Researcher’ category. In addition to working full-time as a successful lecturer and researcher, Jon writes popular science articles, gives public lectures, and talks to schools and science festival attendees about the diversity and balance of life in the world’s seas. He is often interviewed by newspaper and magazine journalists and has featured on number of radio programmes and in television documentaries. Jon also draws on his experiences to provide others with valuable training in science communication: he runs courses for postdoctoral and PhD students at research establishments across the UK, often in his own free time. Jon was nominated by the Genetics Society.