2008 Judges:

Dr Philip Campbell
Editor-in-chief of Nature and Nature Publications

Dr Philip Campbell’s research background is in atmospheric physics, but his interest in journalism was kindled at university where he wrote about music. He soon realised he derived great enjoyment from understanding other people’s research and he joined Nature soon after in 1979, becoming Physical Sciences editor in 1982. He left Nature in 1988 to be the founding editor of Physics World, but returned to Nature in 1995 to become editor-in-chief.

In a personal capacity, he has advised or collaborated with the Wellcome Trust, US National Institutes of Health, the UK Office of Science and Technology and the European Commission on aspects of the life sciences and their impacts in society. He is also a trustee of Cancer Research UK. 

Pallab Ghosh
BBC Science Correspondent

Pallab Ghosh is a science correspondent for BBC News. He reports on developments in science, technology, medicine and environment for programs including The Ten O’clock News, The Today Programme, Newsnight and News 24. His awards include Technology Journalist of the Year and the Media Natural Environment Award.

Sir Brian Hoskins
Director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College

Sir Brian Hoskins is a Royal Society Research Professor and also Professor of Meteorology at the University of Reading. His degrees are in mathematics from the University of Cambridge and he spent post-doc years in the USA before moving to Reading, where he rose through the ranks and was Head of department for 6 years.

His research is in weather and climate, in particular the understanding of atmospheric motion from frontal to planetary scales.

His international roles have included being vice-chair of the Joint Scientific Committee for the World Climate Research Programme and President of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences. He has also had numerous UK roles, including playing a major part in the 2000 Report by The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution that first proposed a 60% target for UK carbon dioxide emission reduction by 2050. He is a member of the science academies of the UK, USA, China, Europe and Barcelona and has received a number of awards including the top prizes of the UK and US Meteorological Societies.

He was recently knighted for “Services to the Environment” and is currently the Director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change.

Sir Richard Sykes
Rector of Imperial College

Sir Richard Sykes became Rector of Imperial College London in January 2001. He was awarded a BSc in Microbiology from Queen Elizabeth College, University of London, a PhD in Microbial Biochemistry from Bristol University, and a DSc from the University of London.

He received a knighthood in the 1994 New Year's Honours list for services to the pharmaceutical industry. Before joining Imperial, Sir Richard had a thirty year career in pharmaceutical research and industry with Glaxo, subsequently Glaxo Wellcome, where he was Chairman and Chief Executive, and then GlaxoSmithKline, which he left as Chairman in 2002.

Sir Richard serves on a number of scientific, higher education and government committees. He is currently Chairman of the UK Stem Cell Foundation and of CATALYST, London's Council for the Advancement of Science and Industry.

He is a board member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England and recently accepted the role of Chair of the WHO International Advisory Board which oversees the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform.

 

Dr Paul Snaith
VP Shell Global Solutions

Paul Snaith was appointed Managing Director, Shell Research Ltd., (UK) and Vice President of Shell Global Solutions International BV in 2003. In his role as Vice President, Paul is responsible for research and development of Shell’s global fuel, lubricant and bitumen products.

Paul gained a B.Sc and PhD at Lancaster University in the UK, before his appointment as a Research Fellow at Reading University, also in the UK.

Paul joined Shell in 1985 in the research function of the agrochemicals business.  He then moved to Group Public Affairs as the science and technology focal point. Since then he has held a variety of positions including: Lubricant product manager roles in France; global fuel roles based in the UK; Sales and Marketing Director in Oman; General Manager for LPG in the Mediterranean, African and South American regions. Paul was also Marketing Vice President for the global LPG Business.

Paul is married to Janina and they have a daughter aged 14 and a son aged 12.

Lord Robert Winston President of Science and Society at Imperial College

Lord Winston runs a research programme in the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, on improvements in transgenic technology in animal models, with a long-term aim of improving human transplantation.  He has around 300 scientific publications in peer-review journals on reproduction and embryology. He is also Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University and has recently been appointed to the Chairmanship of Council of the Royal College of Music.

Robert Winston is committed to scientific education and regularly writes or hosts popular science programmes for the BBC's main channel, the Discovery and ABC networks. His many television series on different aspects of science have been shown in many countries overseas. Perhaps the best known is 'The Human Body' which won a record of three BAFTAs, an Emmy nomination and a Peabody award. Robert Winston has published fourteen books for lay readership:- 'What Makes Me Me' won the Aventis Prize in 2005, and 'The Human Mind' was short-listed for the same prize in that year. 'Human' won the BMA First Prize for the Best Popular Medicine Book in 2005. He regularly gives seminars in schools and universities.

 

Shell is the principal sponsor of the 2008 Imperial College Science Challenge.

Contact us: science.challenge@imperial.ac.uk Royal College of Science Union, Student Activities Centre, Beit Quad, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2BB Directions

 

© 2008 The Science Challenge Committee