Enhancing research culture

The Science Communication Ambassador project in 2024 is one of 20 initiatives helping enhance our research culture across the University of Bath.

Supported by Research England’s Enhancing Research Culture Fund, students produced content sharing research from their departments in new and exciting ways.

Ambassadors were selected from undergraduate and postgraduate courses, covering the breadth of subjects across the Faculty of Science.

Chemistry

Ross Jackson

Ross is in his third year of a PhD Research Programme in the Department of Chemistry. His research is focused on inorganic chemistry, particularly the main group elements and organometallics, including metal-metal bonded species.

Using his research interests as inspiration, Ross has taken a deep dive into redox reactions, sharing a recent discovery about beryllium that has overturned some long-held assumptions in the world of chemistry.

Eleanor Trudinger Charnley

Eleanor is in her second year of a PhD Research Programme in the Department of Chemistry.

She worked with Ross to share how a quick new bedside test could help detect potentially life-threatening bacterial infections in newborn babies.

Computer Science

Jack McKinlay

Jack is in his third year of an integrated PhD in Accountable, Responsible and Transparent Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Computer Science.

Human trafficking impacts millions of people worldwide, with Artificial Intelligence technologies being developed to combat it. However, its effectiveness remains uncertain, and legal and ethical concerns are growing.

Jack met with fellow PhD student, Thao Do, to learn more about her research on the opportunities and risks of using artificial intelligence in combating human trafficking.

Caroline Morton

Caroline is a second-year undergraduate student, pursuing an integrated master's in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence.

As Earth's temperature rises, so does the incidence of devastating storms. Caroline joined computer science researchers to understand how AI can help accurately categorise and predict storms using as little data as possible, making the technology more accessible to the most at-risk countries.

Life Sciences

Ellie Adams

Ellie is studying for an MSc in Biotechnology, specialising in sustainable biotechnologies in the Department of Life Sciences.

In the face of a growing global energy crisis, she's been meeting with researchers across the university to understand whether food waste can be given new life as the biofuel of tomorrow.

Ellie Jarvis

Ellie is in her third year studying for a PhD in biology. Her research not only sees her carrying out experiments, but she also engages the public in her research, asking them to help her gather data on how fruit flies self-medicate with alcohol.

Driven by her interest in science communication and public engagement, Ellie explored how researchers in the Department of Life Sciences are sharing their work with wider audiences.

Physics

Ben Dowsett

Ben is a second-year undergraduate student, studying for an integrated master's in Physics.

Ultraviolet light is well-known for the damage it can cause, however, some wavelengths can kill viruses and bacteria, helping sanitise surfaces and tools. Ben met with researchers in the Department of Physics who are exploring how nanostructuring can open the door to designing more efficient LED lights for sterilisation in the hospitals of tomorrow.

Daisy May

Daisy is a second-year undergraduate student studying for a BSc in Physics.

Fibre optics have become commonplace, with many of us taking advantage of the technology to experience superfast internet connections in our homes. Daisy met with researchers from the Department of Physics to find out more about our unique on-site fibre fabrication facility and learn more about other ways the fibres can be used at the cutting edge of physics research.

Emily Robson

Emily is a second-year undergraduate student studying for a BSc in Physics with Astrophysics.

She's keen to make physics more engaging and relatable to a wider audience, and was joined by two senior lecturers and researchers to share a 'day in the life'. Her short-form, social media-friendly videos take audiences behind the scenes of real physics research and uncover more about what goes on in some of the labs on campus.

Watch a day in the life of Patricia Schady as she studies the cosmic evolution of the universe.

Watch a day in the life of Philippe Blondel as he gives a tour of his lab for testing underwater sonar equipment.