RC HARWELL - Key Persons
Alec is our Physical Sciences Technician who works flexibly to support the day-to-day running of the laboratories. Together with Oliver Hodson and Lucy Roff, he maintains stock of our consumables, provides maintenance of equipment and facilities and offers the support our users require.
Andrew manages technical support for the Physical Science Laboratories. Together with Lauren Cater, he has day-to-day responsibility for the safe and efficient running of our laboratories and manages the team of technicians that support our activities.
Job Titles:
- Director of Life Sciences at Diamond Light Source
- Our Executive Board
David is Director of Life Sciences at Diamond Light Source and is responsible for both beamlines (X-ray, IR and UV) as well as the electron Bio-Imaging Centre (eBIC), a key part of Diamond's Life Sciences programme. In addition to this, he works on the structure of viruses, structural vaccinology and anti-viral drug discovery. His group have been part of international collaborations studying the structures of the SARS-CoV-2 proteins and interactions with antibodies. The research provides better understanding of how antibodies work against the virus and how variant viruses escape some of these antibodies. The teams at Diamond have also been involved in finding new drugs and helping to identify existing drugs that could be repurposed in the fight against COVID-19. David is also Professor of Structural Biology at the University of Oxford, and Director of Instruct-ERIC.
Job Titles:
- Executive Board
- Our Executive Board
Alan has accountability for the leadership and development of STFC's National Laboratories' Large Scale Multi-disciplinary User Facilities; including the ISIS Muon and Neutron Source, the Central Laser Facility and RAL Space, including the newly constructed National Satellite Test Facility. In addition he has corporate responsibility as a member of STFC's Executive Board for the planning and implementation of the organisation's Strategic Delivery Plan.
Alan joined STFC in September 2020 from Rolls-Royce where he held a number of senior positions including Director of Engineering and Technology for the Rotatives and Transmissions business and as Global Head of Materials Engineering. In these roles he managed a number of large global Engineering and Technology teams.
Before working for Rolls-Royce, Alan spent seven years as the Chief Executive Officer for National Metals Technology Centre (NAMTEC), where he was responsible for securing multi-million pound UK and European science and technology programmes; covering the Aerospace, Defence, Nuclear, Energy, bio-medical and Advanced Materials industries. Earlier in his career Alan led the Metallics business group at DERA Farnborough, an agency of the MoD, before becoming the Technical Director at Firth Rixson Forgings, where he was responsible for developing the company's technical strategy and the development of new opportunities into the Aerospace, Automotive, Energy and Nuclear sectors.
Alan's career has spanned science and engineering in academia, industry and the public sector and he has well established networks within UK government.
Job Titles:
- Executive Board
- Our Executive Board
- Team Leader for the Advanced Manufacturing and Clean Growth Sector at BBSRC
Dr Colin Miles is Head of the Strategy and team leader for the Advanced Manufacturing and Clean Growth sector at BBSRC and is chair of the Executive Board of the Research Complex at Harwell.
Colin has worked in a number of different areas in the research council system, including plant sciences, biomolecular sciences, structural biology, biochemistry, cell biology, drug delivery, bioinformatics, synchrotron, neutron and laser facilities, stem cells, regenerative medicine and systems biology.
His current role is to lead a team in BBSRC to help increase the capacity and capability of the UK academic base in research, training and knowledge exchange activities in clean growth research. This is being achieved through developing national and international partnerships within UKRI, with other European nations and countries such as Argentina, Brazil and India with a particular focus on the use of wastes and residues as feedstocks. His most recent role in his portfolio of activities is to manage BBSRC's participation in anti-microbial resistance research and training through both national and international collaborations.
Gemma provides specialist support for our Biophysical Instrumentation capability. She works directly with users to help them design, perform and analyse information arising from experiments.
Job Titles:
- Executive Board
- Joint Head of Research Infrastructure at EPSRC - UKRI
Dr Luke Davis is Joint Head of Research Infrastructure at EPSRC-UKRI, where he leads a team of colleagues developing and delivering strategy for the UK research base in both Capital and Digital Infrastructure often delivering initiatives in parallel. This involves working closely and developing relationships with Academia, Government and Policy Makers and Industry. He is also the programme lead of the £48m ExCALIBUR (Exascale Computing Algorithms for the Benefit of UK Research) Programme which is funding research into software and skills to ensure the UK is ready for the exascale era in High Performance Computing, as well as a representative of EPSRC on the UKRI Digital Research Infrastructure Committee. He is also responsible for the EPSRC World Class Labs Budget which funds Core Equipment, Strategic Equipment and National Research Facilities.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Board
- Executive Board
- Head of Molecular and Cellular
- Head of Molecular and Cellular Medicine at the Medical Research Council
Dr Megan Dowie is the Head of Molecular and Cellular Medicine at the Medical Research Council (MRC). Megan obtained both her BSc in Biomedical Sciences and PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Auckland, where she then remained as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at their Centre for Brain Research. She then joined the University of Oxford as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow within MRC's Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit for four years before moving onto the role of Programme Manager at MRC.
Michal provides specialist support for our Electron Microscopy capability (including CryoElectron Microscopy). He works directly with users to help them design, perform and analyse information arising from experiments.
Zuzanna has oversight of all of the laboratory activities, managing lab organization, working with our Senior Technicians and new and existing users to develop strategies for meeting their needs. She also manages the team of technicians and scientific support specialists. Zuzanna works with commercial companies to help them to access Research Complex facilities and to establish their operations in the RCaH laboratories. As the Research Complex Departmental Health and Safety representative, Zuzanna takes an active role in management of health and safety matters.
Elizabeth is responsible for maintaining the smooth running of Research Complex's administration, including managing the process of welcoming new groups and individuals into Research Complex, ensuring appropriate access is given and any essential requirements for approval are met.
Hannah oversees all internal and external communications. She works with key stakeholders within Research Complex and across the wider campus to ensure the outcomes and achievements of our research are communicated and recognized by the widest possible audience, including UKRI and Government.
John is responsible for the strategic and operational running of Research Complex. As interim director, he oversees laboratory and building management, in addition to leading the core team, and collaborating with group leaders to ensure the delivery of world-leading, multidisciplinary research.
Lauren manages technical support for the Life Science Laboratories. Together with Andrew Reading, she has day-to-day responsibility for the safe and efficient running of our laboratories and manages the team of technicians that support our activities.
Job Titles:
- Executive Board
- Our Executive Board
Lucy is our Life Sciences Assistant Technician who works flexibly to support the day-to-day running of the laboratories. Together with Alec Samler and Oliver Hodson, she maintains stock of our consumables, provides maintenance of equipment and facilities and offers the support our users require.
Michael, together with Seb Bertram, is responsible for the management of Research Complex IT security, database management, installation, use and maintenance of IT software and hardware (including printers and other devices). He provides the key interface with wider STFC and site services, ensuring that information security at Research Complex is in line with UKRI guidance and policy.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Board
Job Titles:
- Executive Board
- Our Executive Board
- Programme Manager at the Medical Research Council
Robert Deller is a Programme Manager at the Medical Research Council (MRC) within the Molecular and Cellular Medicine Board (MCMB). Robert's responsibilities cover the structural studies and biophysics patch at MRC, looking at structural biology and biophysical approaches to understand biological function and activities that underpin the physical and life sciences interface with respect to health.
Job Titles:
- Research Complex at Harwell
Ryan is responsible for the management of Research Complex building, facilities and utilities. He is responsible for ensuring Research Complex is adequately maintained; liaising with our Estates team to manage repairs, planned maintenance and building projects.
Seb, together with Michael Hopkins, is responsible for the management of Research Complex IT security, database management, installation, use and maintenance of IT software and hardware (including printers and other devices). He is responsible for ensuring users can access our networks and IT utilities as well as scoping and ordering of any new hardware to be used at Research Complex.
Tina is responsible for maintaining the smooth running of Research Complex's administration, including managing the process of welcoming new groups and individuals into Research Complex, ensuring appropriate access is given and any essential requirements for approval are met. Tina also provides PA support to director David Payne.