University of Liverpool medical statistician Dr Laura Bonnett has been awarded the Rosalind Franklin Award Lecture for Physical Sciences and Mathematics by the British Science Association as part of its prestigious Award Lectures for 2018.
Laura joins six other top UK researchers who have been recognised for their innovative work and engaging communication skills, following a competitive selection process. They join an illustrious group of previous Award Lecture recipients that includes Professor Brian Cox, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Professor Richard Wiseman.
Each Award Lecture winner will be celebrated at the British Science Festival in Hull later this year, where they will give a special talk about their innovative research.
Laura will talk about how her work made huge shifts in the law, influencing the DVLA to change their driving rules for people with epilepsy. She will explore ‘risk’ and share her experience of the life-changing applications that statistics has in epilepsy research.
On receiving the accolade, Laura said: “I’m delighted to have been awarded a British Science Award Lecture, it’s an amazing opportunity. I’m passionate about sharing the work I do and showing how statistics can be used to improve peoples’ lives.”
The Award Lectures have been presented at the British Science Festival since 1990. They celebrate and promote front line research being carried out in the UK by talented early-career scientists. The Awards recognise researchers’ excellent communication skills and their ability to demonstrate the social and societal aspects of their work.
Ivvet Modinou, Head of Engagement at the British Science Association, said: “We’re delighted to announce this year’s cohort of Award Lecturers. They’re a hugely talented group who are at the forefront of their fields and who bring their research out from the labs and into the public domain, for everyone to share, learn from and enjoy. We received many high-quality applications, which made the decision process extremely tough. I wish them the best of luck for the coming year and I look forward to working with them all and hearing their fabulous talks at the British Science Festival this September.”
This year’s British Science Festival will take place later from Tuesday 11 to Friday 14 September, hosted by the University of Hull, with over 100 events on campus and throughout the city. It provides an opportunity to meet researchers face-to-face and discuss cutting-edge research, innovation and ideas in science, technology and engineering.
All events are free, but booking is required, as spaces are limited. Booking is now open at: www.britishsciencefestival.org