Evoscope brings together a large, collaborative team of researchers dedicated to advancing inclusive educational research, with a particular focus on evolution education.
Led by Beth Morillo-Hall and supervised by leading experts in the field Professor Tiffany Taylor, Professor Laurence Hurst and Dr Adam Rutherford, the team is committed to ensuring that the work reflects diverse perspectives and promotes equity in education.
Beth Morillo-Hall
Beth is an accomplished Science educator, former Head of Department, and Assistant Headteacher, who has a wealth of expertise in creating stimulating, engaging, and accessible Science curricula. With a proven track record of leadership and innovation, she understands the challenges schools and educational institutions face in delivering exceptional learning experiences.
Her goal, through the development of Evoscope, is to ensure that every student has access to the engaging, inquiry-based opportunities that foster critical thinking, ignite curiosity, and bring the scientific process to life. Through this work, she aims to empower the next generation with the tools and inspiration to explore and understand the world around them.
Professor Tiffany Taylor
Tiffany is a professor of microbial ecology and evolution at the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath, with a passion for making science accessible and inspiring for all. A leading researcher in her field, she has a proven track record of innovation and excellence, using bacteria to uncover the secrets of evolutionary processes in real time. Her work, published in leading journals and supported by competitive grants, bridges fundamental science with real-world applications.
Beyond the lab, Tiffany is a passionate science communicator. Through her acclaimed Little Stories children's book series and creative outreach projects, she brings complex concepts to life in ways that ignite curiosity and foster critical thinking. Committed to mentorship and inclusivity, she strives to empower the next generation of scientists and innovators with the tools to explore, adapt, and thrive.
Professor Laurence Hurst
Laurence is a professor of evolutionary genetics at the Milner Centre for Evolution. He has a passion for understanding and teaching evolution, making it engaging and relevant for all. He is the founder of the genetics and evolution teaching project, under which he has conducted large-scale randomised controlled trials to determine the optimal way to teach evolution at secondary and primary level (allowing for time, syllabus and financial constraints), as well as performing nationwide survey work on attitudes to science. His work, for example, led to the discovery that teaching of evolution is most effective if genetics is taught first. He is often to be found in schools under the “Speakers for Schools” program.
He is the author of The Evolution of Imperfection (Princeton University Press, 2025), an evolutionary guide to some of the peculiarities of human genetics.
Dr Adam Rutherford
Adam Rutherford is a writer, broadcaster, and Lecturer in Biology and Society at UCL. His work explores genetics, evolution, and the history of science, with a particular focus on eugenics, race science, and science communication. His early research spanned evolutionary and developmental genetics, investigating sexual selection in stalk-eyed flies and the role of transcription factors in eye development and congenital blindness at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health.
Adam is a passionate and influential science communicator, dedicated to making complex scientific ideas accessible to all audiences, including children. He spent over a decade as an editor at Nature, writing, editing, and producing films and podcasts. He is also a prolific broadcaster, writing and presenting documentaries for the BBC on evolution, genetics, and the intersection of science and society. He was the host of Inside Science on BBC Radio 4 for eight years and is a regular presenter on Start the Week. Alongside Hannah Fry, he co-hosted The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry.
Adam’s commitment to science education extends to young audiences. His book Where Are You Really From? won The Week Junior Book Awards in 2024. His experience in science communication and public engagement, combined with his deep knowledge of evolution and genetics, makes him well-placed to explore how best to teach evolution to children in engaging, meaningful, and impactful ways.