Category Archives: Zone Reports

Nuclear Zone Report – November 2019

Read the report: Nuclear Zone Report – November 2019 [PDF]

The Nuclear Zone was a themed zone supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. It featured six scientists:

Mark Johnson, the winner of this zone, works at CERN on the ALPHA experiment, trapping individual atoms made out of antimatter.
Liam Gaffney studies radioactive or unstable isotopes at CERN, to help us understand how protons and neutrons bind together.
Laura Sinclair is a medical physicist specialising in nuclear medicine and diagnostic radiology.
Kasia Clarke is a PhD student whose group uses Diamond Light Source in studying new materials for nuclear reactors to allow them to produce energy in a safer, more reliable way.
Gina Parker works for a nuclear engineering company as a structural analyst making computer simulations of the cores of nuclear reactors.
Felix Warren is an apprentice on a scheme run by the UK Atomic Energy Authority and STFC, with an interest in fusion energy and communications.

Posted on January 15, 2020

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Microbe Zone Report – November 2019

Read the report: Microbe Zone Report – November 2019 [PDF]

The Microbe Zone was a themed zone supported by the Microbiology Society. It featured six scientists:

Tom Snelling is a research scientist studying cells in the body that fight back against germs.
Steven Rudder uses DNA sequencing to detect and explore genomes of bacteria inside humans and animals, to understand what makes us ill.
Jessica Mitchell is a post-doctoral researcher looking at ways people in poorer countries, without access to doctors, take care of their health.
Haafizah Hoosen is a PhD student investigating parasites and how we can stop them making us sick.
Clio Andreae is a senior scientist working within an infection team to help accelerate the development and testing of new antimicrobial compounds and vaccines.
Bruno Silvester, the winner in this zone, is a research scientist germs that cannot be killed by medicines.

Posted on January 15, 2020

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Meitnerium Zone Report – November 2019

Read the report: Meitnerium Zone Report – November 2019 [PDF]

The Meitnerium Zone was a themed zone supported by Wellcome. It featured six scientists:

Sarah Knight works at the University of York, exploring why we get distracted by background noise when we’re trying to listen to another person speaking.
Isaac Halstead is a PhD student looking at the psychological factors of gene editing attitudes – what makes a person support or oppose its use.
Hira Virdee is a space laser scientist, using lasers to increase the power of satellite solar panels.
Elena Maters, the winner of this zone, is studying how volcanoes affect our environment and why ash particles from different volcanoes influence chemistry and clouds.
Anisha Wijeyesekera is studying how diet can impact the bacteria in our gut, and how this can positively or negatively influence our health.
Alex Leide looks at how ceramics break at the nanoscale, to help design stronger materials.

Posted on January 15, 2020

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Health Behaviour Zone Report – November 2019

Read the report: Health Behaviour Zone Report – November 2019 [PDF]

The Health Behaviour Zone was a themed zone supported by the British Psychological Society. It featured four psychologists:

Jolel Miah, the winner of this zone, is a PhD student working within the prison service, giving motivation counselling to prisoners to help them make healthier decisions.
Emily Mattacola is researching how teenagers think about and behave around their health, and how this is impacted by their relationships with friends.
Amber Cronin is an Intelligence Co-ordinator, exploring how people have been treated when they’ve gone to the doctors or hospital or social services.
Alex Spiers is a PhD student interested in the mental health of teenagers, and researching the effect of mobile phone use on their mental health.

Posted on January 15, 2020

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Enquiry Zone Report – November 2019

Read the report: Enquiry Zone Report – November 2019 [PDF]

The Enquiry Zone was a themed zone supported by the British Psychological Society. It featured five psychologists:

Vassilis Sideropoulos is a research technician, whose project idea explores how visual patterns affect our attention.
Pizza Chow is a postdoctoral research fellow, and as the winner will develop her project idea, where students will test the problem-solving ability of their pets or local wildlife.
Line Caes is a lecturer in Psychology, who wanted to look at how parents can best help their children when they are in pain.
Kareena McAloney-Kocaman is a lecturer in Applied Health Psychology, proposing a project exploring whether we can teach people to be more creative.
Carolina Brett is a works in Health Psychology, whose project idea explores what makes us happy.

Posted on January 15, 2020

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Elements Zone Report – November 2019

Read the report: Elements Zone Report – November 2019 [PDF]

The Elements Zone was a themed zone supported by the Royal Society of Chemistry. It featured six scientists:

William Wiseman is a technical manager in industry who mixes zirconium with metal oxides to create ceramic materials used in places such as aeroplanes and oil rigs.
Thibaut Deviese is a chemist who uses the radioactivity of carbon isotopes to help archaeologists date objects.
Harry Wilkinson is a PhD student recreating iron and sulphur compounds usually found in the body with the aim of replacing unsustainable industrial processes.
Georgia Orton is a research scientist trying to make iron do the job of platinum in reactions using tiny cage structures called MOFs (metal organic frameworks).
Emily Sparkes is a PhD student who studies how well enzymes make and break bonds between silicon and oxygen.
Aimee Egglestone is an industry development chemist helping scientists to scale up their experimental reactions using carbon compounds to industrial levels.

Posted on January 15, 2020

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Electromagnetic Zone Report – November 2019

Read the report: Electromagnetic Zone Report – November 2019 [PDF]

The Electromagnetic Zone was a themed zone supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. It featured six scientists:

Sameed Muhammed is a research scientist at CERN, studying how matter and antimatter interact with each other.
Jose Brandao-Neto works at Diamond Light Source helping researchers discover new medicinal drugs using X-rays.
Joanna Barstow, the winner of this zone, uses data from spacecraft cameras to investigate the atmospheres of planets and exoplanets.
Heidi Thiemann is an STFC funded PhD student researching how variable stars change over time.
Freya Addison is a PhD student at the National Centre for Atmospheric Science using radar data to study clouds and insects.
Chris Rink is a masters student whose group uses ISIS and Diamond to study new magnetic compounds.

Posted on January 15, 2020

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Big Data Zone Report – November 2019

Read the report: Big Data Zone Report – November 2019 [PDF]

The Big Data Zone was a themed zone supported by the Institute of Physics. It featured five scientists:

Sreejita Ghosh is a PhD student developing a machine learning program which can identify rare diseases of the adrenal gland.
Sam Lawrence is a space scientist looking at patterns of galaxies to try and understand the physical laws that govern the universe.
Kate Winfield is an environmental data scientist archiving and preserving data from weather reports.
Anastasia Aliferi is a PhD student in forensic genetics, working on methods to find out how old someone is by looking at drops of their blood.
Adam Wootton is teaching AI systems to search through data and find damage, in order to repair roads and bridges.

Posted on January 15, 2020

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Darmstadtium Zone Report – November 2019

Read the report: Darmstadtium Zone Report – November 2019 [PDF]

The Darmstadtium Zone was a themed zone supported by Wellcome. It featured six scientists:

Simon Brown is a technician at University of Bath chemistry department.
Selen Ozbek is a psychologist, investigating how blindness affects the circadian rhythm of veterans and army personnel.
Paul Laurance-Young, the winner in this Zone, is a biomedical scientist in cellular pathology.
Nawapat Kaweeyanun is a space physicist looking at Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede, preparing for a mission to find out if it once hosted life.
Natalie Fowler is a clinical scientist working at a hospital, ensuring the correct machines are being used and are working properly for the sickest patients.
Katy Bruce is a PhD student in Forensic Chemistry, looking at whether traces of makeup at a crime scene could be used as reliable sources of evidence.

Posted on January 15, 2020

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MRC Festival Zone Report – June 2019

Read the report: MRC Festival Zone Report – June 2019 [PDF]

Read the report: MRC Festival Zone Report – June 2019 [PDF]

The MRC Festival Zone was a four-week-long online event funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) as part of the MRC Festival of Medical Research. 25 MRC researchers and technical staff put up profiles on the website, and 24 of these engaged with students throughout the month in live CHATs and the ASK section.

1,204 students from 33 schools all over the UK logged in to the zone over the four weeks. 79% of the schools were widening participation and/or underserved, an increase from 59% in 2018’s event.

In the ASK section, 342 questions were approved and sent to the researchers and technical staff, who between them wrote 2,072 answers.

63 online live CHATs took place during the event, including four evening CHATs where students could join in from home with their family. An average of six researchers came to each session, giving students a wide variety of roles and people to find out about.

Posted on July 31, 2019

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Space Zone Report – June 2019

Zone Report Preview - IAS J19 Space Zone

Read the report: Space Zone Report – June 2019 [PDF]

The Space Zone was a themed zone for primary schools supported by the Science & Technology Facilities Council and NCOP schools. It featured six scientists:

Nicolas Bonne studies galaxies and finds ways to allow people with sight problems to learn about space.
Laurence Datrier is researching ways to find out when neutron stars collide.
Emma Davies studies massive explosions from the Sun that can hit Earth.
Declan Jonckers organises the design and manufacture of Multi-Layer Insulations, a ‘space blanket’ which helps to keep a spacecraft’s temperature at the right level.
Bella Boulderstone, the winner in the Space Zone, tries to find the size of structures around supermassive black holes using dust as a space radar.
Ali Hussain develops instruments to generate light to interact with matter in space and show its properties.

Posted on July 15, 2019

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Plants Zone Report – June 2019

Zone Report Preview - IAS J19 Plants Zone

Read the report: Plants Zone Report – June 2019 [PDF]

The Plants Zone was a themed zone for primary schools zone supported by Wellcome. It featured six scientists:

Shannah Gates is a PhD student growing root cultures to be used in medicinal compounds.
Richard Gammons is researching how to use plants as chemicals to make fuels.
Matthew Alkan is investigating whether driving cars is changing the smells of plants, affecting bees that use a plant’s scent to find and pollinate it.
John Paterson is trying to understand how pollinators, like bees and hoverflies, know when the seasons are changing and why this is important for flowers and crops.
Emma Markham works at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council funding research which helps people and the planet.
Anna Gardner, the winning scientist, is a researcher of trees, studying how climate change might change oak leaves in the future.

Posted on July 15, 2019

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Particles Zone Report – June 2019

Zone Report Preview - IAS J19 Particles Zone

Read the report: Particles Zone Report – June 2019 [PDF]

The Particles Zone was a themed zone supported by the Science & Technology Facilities Council and NCOP schools. It featured six scientists:

Savannah Clawson, the winner of this zone, studies what happens when we smash particles of light together, using the ATLAS detector and LHC at CERN.
Philippe Gambron uses computers to work out what happened during the first moments of the Universe.
Lucy Budge is researching what happens when particles are smashed into each other at very high speeds.
Joanna Huang is a PhD student learning about particles and the fundamental laws of the universe.
Harrison Prosper tries to make sense of nature by colliding protons at the Large Hadron Collider.
Edoardo Vescovi is a theoretical physicst developing mathmatical models to measure the forces between particles.

Posted on July 15, 2019

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Mental Health Zone Report – June 2019

Zone Report Preview - IAS J19 Mental Health Zone

Read the report: Mental Health Zone Report – June 2019 [PDF]

The Mental Health Zone was a themed zone supported by The British Psychological Society with six psychologists:

Rob Dempsey, the winner of this zone, is researching how our perceptions of our social environment impact our mental and physical health.
Olly Clabburn is looking at stress for social workers and ways that it might be reduced.
Nicola Johnstone designs research studies to understand how emotions develop as people grow up.
Jasmin Moon supports adults whose job is causing a mental health problem or making their mental health worse.
Dennis Relojo-Howell runs a mental health blog, website and open access journal to address the stigma around mental health.
Caroline Brett is interested in what influences how we rate our wellbeing, whether it be our personal characteristics or our circumstances.

Posted on July 15, 2019

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Influence Zone Report – June 2019

Zone Report Preview - IAS J19 Influence Zone

Read the report: Influence Zone Report – June 2019 [PDF]

The Influence Zone was a themed zone supported by The British Psychological Society and included six psychologists:

Laura Fisk is a clinical psychologist at a GP surgery helping people with their mental health problems.
Kathryn Atherton uses research on human behaviour to come up with solutions to problems in society.
Ian Cookson’s research looks at how we can understand transport choices, particularly cycling, using the social identity approach.
Chris Fullwood is studying how people communicate and manage impressions in the online world.
Bogdana Huma teaches social psychology, with a focus on social influence and persuasion in real-life sales encounters.
Alex Lloyd, the winning psychologist, is trying to answer questions about when and why teenagers take risks.

Posted on July 15, 2019

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Hassium Zone Report – June 2019

Zone Report Preview - IAS J19 Hassium Zone

Read the report: Hassium Zone Report – June 2019 [PDF]

The Hassium Zone was a general zone supported by Wellcome and featured six scientists:

Helen Faulkner tests drugs to be sure that they are safe for patients to take.
Farah Elahi is completing a PhD looking at how virtual reality can improve young people’s mental health.
Dave Underhill, the winner of this zone, is an archaeologist who runs projects aimed at increasing public understanding of mining and quarrying industries.
Cheryl Williams analyses specimens from patients to help doctors with diagnosis.
Bastian Saputra is researching how to modify bacteria to make them glow in the presence of soil pollution.
Alun Owen is an Environmental Chemistry Technician who also teaches chemistry at university.

Posted on July 15, 2019

modjosh in 2019, Wellcome Trust, Zone Reports | 1 Comment

Bohrium Zone Report – June 2019

Zone Report Preview - IAS J19 Bohrium Zone

Read the report: Bohrium Zone Report – June 2019 [PDF]

The Bohrium Zone was a general zone supported by Wellcome. It featured six scientists:

Rob Ives, winner of the zone, is an in-vivo scientist creating better tasting medicines for children.
Imad Ouachan is developing new materials to protect offshore wind turbines blades from impacts.
Fern Johnson is a trainee clinical scientist in bioinformatics, working in the genetics department of a hospital.
Christian Gude makes plastics from waste gases using genetically engineered bacteria.
Carol Wallace is a research technician working in an immunology lab that specialises in fungal disease.
A sixth scientist unfortunately had to drop out at short notice.

Posted on July 15, 2019

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Water Zone Report – March 2019

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The Water Zone was a themed zone supported by Wellcome. In the zone were six scientists:

Silvia Imberti, who use neutrons to look at hydrogen bonds in liquids.
Scott Graham, who is currently working as a microbiologist in an animal disease laboratory following a role with Scottish Water.
Oliver Andrews, a lecturer who uses computers to investigate how global warming changes the oceans and marine life.
Natalie Lamb, a PhD scientist researching how to treat drinking water better.
Michelle Valkanas, who studies bioremediation and how can we use biological organisms to clean up the environment.
Lowri Evans, the winner of the zone, is a marine biologist interested in fisheries and Marine Protected Areas.

Posted on April 16, 2019

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Time Zone Report – March 2019

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The Time Zone was a themed physics zone supported by the Institute of Physics. In the zone were:

Zoe Wimshurst, the zone winner, who works with athletes to help them improve their vision, see things more quickly and increase the amount of time they have to make a decision based on their sight.
Hamid Ohadi, an experimental physicist who works with mirrors and lasers to test new theories.
Kai Guo, who works with satellites to find the position of objects on the ground.
Claire Greenwell, a PhD student researching super massive black holes.
Jose Eliel Camargo Molina, who tests different particle theories and how they link to the collapse of the universe.
Hannah Collingwood, who works on time issues in various large projects such as the Square Kilometre Array.

Posted on April 16, 2019

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Seaborgium Zone Report – March 2019

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The Seaborgium Zone was a general science zone supported by the Science & Technology Facilities Council. In the zone were six scientists:

Verity Fryer, a clinical scientist who analyses DNA in a hospital.
Sergio Adan Bermudez, a PhD student who uses lasers to research potential cancer cures.
Nick Werren, an STFC-funded PhD student and the winner of this zone, is a physicist who specialises in quantum biology.
Maria Walach, a physicist who studies the Earth’s magnetic field.
David Whitworth, an STFC-funded PhD student who studies dwarf galaxies.
Annette Raffan, a research technician who studies soil around plant roots and used Diamond Light Source for research.

Posted on April 16, 2019

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What can you do?

I want to take part with my class ❯

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What is I’m a Scientist?

I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here is an online activity where school students get to meet and interact with scientists.

It’s a competition between scientists, where the students are the judges.

Students challenge the scientists over intense, fast-paced, online live CHATs. Then they ASK the scientists all the questions they want to, and VOTE for their favourite scientist to win a prize of £500 to communicate their work with the public.

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