Monthly Archives: October 2014
Planning the future of UK science – ‘the best job in government’?
By Dr Supatra Marsh, BBSRC Policy Fellow at the Society of Biology At a Science and Technology Committee meeting last week, Chair Andrew Miller MP introduced the new Minister for Universities, Science and Cities, Rt Hon Greg Clark MP as having ‘the best job in government’. Greg Clark spoke passionately about his desire to ‘bring … Continue reading
Biology Week 2014 – was it all worth it?
Jon Kudlick is director of membership, marketing and communications at the Society of Biology The last time I blogged about Biology Week was two weeks before the start of our second one in 2013. Now with our third Biology Week in the bag, and before planning gets under way for next year, we need to … Continue reading
Dual-use for Dummies
Dr Supatra Marsh, BBSRC Policy Fellow at the Society of Biology, is organising Policy Lates: Dodging a biological bullet – what can we learn from the US and Europe about Biosecurity? During my BBSRC science policy fellowship at the Society of Biology I have been organising the next Policy Lates event focussing on dual-use research. … Continue reading
How do you know if a PhD is right for you?
Rudi Verspoor, a PhD student at the University of Liverpool shared his volunteering experiences, which convinced him to pursue a PhD, at the Life Sciences Careers conference in Liverpool. Further conferences will be taking place in London and Staffordshire later this month. You might wonder what makes some students pursue a PhD and not others. … Continue reading
Get Up, Stand Up for Science!
Written by Dr Supatra Marsh, BBSRC Policy Fellow at the Society of Biology, founder of Art Neuro, and member of the Voice of Young Science network. Sense About Science is a charity that works to ensure science is reported accurately in the media. They hold many workshops including the ‘Standing up for Science’ media workshop for … Continue reading
Society of Biology visits Party Conferences
Dr Laura Bellingan FSB is Director of Science Policy at the Society of Biology. This evening, the Society of Biology will host their Biology Week Reception at the House of Commons. This follows the Society’s experts’ participation in panel discussions, arranged by the Science Council, at the three main political party conferences this season. Labour … Continue reading
Chemistry Nobel Winners are Asset to Biology
Amanda Hardy AMSB is schools and colleges officer at the Society of Biology. She writes about this year’s Nobel Prize for Chemistry, and its impact on biology. The 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded jointly to Eric Betzig, Stefan W. Hell and William E. Moerner “for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy”. All three … Continue reading
Malaria control drains financial and human resources
Professor Robert Sinden is head of malaria cell biology at The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford. He will be speaking at the Biology Week Debate: ‘Malaria eradication – Can we do it? Should we do it?’ at the Royal Institution on Thursday 16th October. Together with HIV and tuberculosis, malaria imposes one of the highest … Continue reading
Practical skills set job candidates apart at AstraZeneca
Donna Watkin is the Global Graduate Programme Manager at AstraZeneca, where she is responsible for the recruitment of biology graduates. At AstraZeneca we recruit from a broad range of chemical and biological disciplines – we look for much more than whether job candidates have a relevant degree title. In order to be successful in our … Continue reading
How green is your routine?
Ahead of the Natural Capital Initiative summit Valuing our Life Support Systems in London this November, Jules Pretty FSB, Professor of Environment and Society at the University of Essex, explores the links between our health and the environment. Physical activity improves both mental and physical health, yet annually inactivity results in 1.9 million deaths worldwide annually, … Continue reading