UK GRAND FINAL Produced and created by

WELCOME: COMPERE: Louise Emerson Quentin Cooper Cheltenham Festivals CEO Writer, broadcaster and presenter.

JUDGES: Mary Ryan: Professor of Materials Science & Nanotechnology at Imperial College London, currently working amongst an interdisciplinary team researching interfacial Kyle Evans nanoscience and its wide ranging applications in technology and arts. Dallas Campbell: TV presenter, actor and writer, recently returned from Kazakhstan Kyle is a folk singing mathematician by trade where he live covered Tim Peake’s launch into orbit for the BBC. A regular host of BBC and in his spare time likes to do more maths Four’s Horizon Guide series. Dallas also co-presented BBC One’s popular Bang Goes Chris Basu and more folk singing. An A Level mathematics the Theory science show and Channel 5’s popular Gadget Show. teacher at Barton Peveril College, Kyle is always looking for new and inspiring ways to After a stellar career as a small animal vet Ben Garrod: Primatologist Ben Garrod has worked on conservation projects as far communicate his love of maths to his sometimes involving highlights such as operating on an afield as Uganda, Sumatra and more recently at the Zoological Society of London. slightly apprehensive audience. Currently based at the Institute of Zoology, Ben was recently on our small screens anesthetised goldfish, fending off parrot attacks, alongside Sir David Attenborough on Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur. Ben has and convalescing numerous cute and cuddly Having toured the UK in a folk band for the also recently fronted his own documentary series, Secrets of Bones, on BBC Four. animals, Chris longed for a bigger challenge. last ten years Kyle recently had his unexpected big break on BBC Radio 4 as a solo artist, re So after taking up a PhD Chris decided to focus performing his Oxford Regional Final winning FINALISTS: his attentions on some of the largest land piece on logarithmic love for the nation. 1. Alex Conner 4. Maneesh 6. Bert Rutten 9. Chris Basu mammals he could find, giraffes. Now in the 2. Frank Machin Kuruvilla 7. Amy Jenkins 10. Kyle Evans third year of his PhD with the Royal Veterinary @kevans84 College, he is dedicating his research to looking 3. Kate Storrs 5. Robert 8. Jason Taylor Thompson at the trade-offs of evolution across the animal kingdom – starting with his favourite giraffes of course! @thebadlizard

Interval Act Kathryn Harkup – Who will win the science Olympics? A is for Arsenic Find out at FameLab, the global science communication competition, co- produced alongside the British Council. Watch 26 finalists from across the No one has used more poisons, more often and more world battle it out to become the FameLab International Champion 2016. accurately than Dame Agatha Christie in her classic Hosted by Quentin Cooper. crime novels. Her toxic tally totals over thirty different compounds which she used to bump off over 100 International Semi-Finals International Final characters. The Queen of Crime may have been writing Wednesday 8 June, Cheltenham Ladies' Thursday 9 June, EDF Energy Arena, UK FINAL fiction but it wasn't all made up. Chemist and author College Parabola Arts Centre, GL50 3AA Imperial Gardens, Cheltenham GL50 1QA Kathryn Harkup will explore the science and history of 11am-12.30pm, 1.30-3pm, 4-5.30pm 8.30-10.30pm just a few of Christie's killer compounds. Expect country Free no ticket required Book online at cheltenhamfestivals.com or call Box Office on 01242 850270. houses, red-herrings, chemical clues and magnificent Partner International Partner moustaches. @FameLabUK #famelab @FameLabUK #famelab @cheltfestivals #cheltscifest cheltenhamfestivals.com/famelab @cheltfestivals #cheltscifest cheltenhamfestivals.com/famelab EUROPEAN PATENT AND TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS UK FINALISTS 2016 Bert Rutten Bert used to be a forklift driver in the Netherlands but now works in a lab in Cambridge thanks to his PhD in Cardiovascular Biology. He hopes to inspire others with his story that it is never too late to go back to academic study, and that an appreciation for science is a wonderful way to discover the world around you. Working to develop ultra-sensitive immunoassays that can detect miniscule amounts of protein in blood, Bert is currently trying to create a reliable blood test system which will enable heart attacks to be predicted Kate Storrs Maneesh Kuruvilla before the onset of symptoms. @bertrutten

Kate is excited to take part in FameLab as (in her Maneesh is a Neuroscience PhD student raised in own words) it gives her a chance to ‘wax more India and currently studying at the University of lyrically about science than would normally be St Andrew’s. His PhD subject of navigation looks appropriate in a science meeting’. into how our memories process information to determine where we are in relation to where we Kate has made it to the final as a result of brilliant want to be. A regular contributor to his university regional performances but also heavy peer Bright Club nights, he collates his own Vlog pressure from ‘friends’ forcing her to enter in with short films looking at memory research Frank Machin the first place. An expert explainer of how ‘what alongside numerous other topics: including you’ve seen can impact the way your mind glitzy guest interviews with Canadian rock Frank is a Biochemistry graduate who is now processes what it is about to see’, Kate’s day to bands, Olympians and Bruce Lee Mani – the only Alex Conner studying for his PhD in Plant Molecular Biology. day work leaves her pondering why it is that Indian guitarist to win Rolling Stone Magazine’s On some days in Frank’s lab, he likes to alter the some things look like cats and others don’t. Alex is a senior lecturer at the University of ‘Guitar Player of the Year’ award twice. genes from the seeds of his flowering Venus fly Birmingham Medical School. A geneticist by @katestorrs trap; and on other days he finds himself working @mkuruvilla degree with a molecular biology PhD, Alex’s with perfectly preserved 10,000 year old varied role involves both active research and Amy Jenkins Jason Taylor branches dug up from the peat bogs of Scotland. teaching responsibilities. He describes himself as ‘just a gardener who Amy began her academic career with an Jase has an MEng in Computer & Information Alongside his team, Alex is currently researching takes gardening a lot more seriously now’. Robert Thompson undergraduate degree in Psychology at Swansea Engineering from Cambridge and decided experimental treatments to better combat Frank’s goal for the future is to tackle food University before moving ahead with two to take part in FameLab after becoming an brain swelling found in patients following a security and scarcity which currently affects Robert is a research fellow based in the London masters degrees, one in Sport Psychology and enthused audience member in Oxford last trauma or stroke. When not researching and millions of people worldwide. Centre for Nanotechnology and Electrical Engineering the second in Neuropsychology. Now studying year. Jase works at Sharp research labs in lecturing, Alex describes his real love as science Department of UCL. He humbly describes his role as for a PhD in Subjective Cognitive Impairment Oxford as an Algorithms Engineer, researching communication, regularly contributing to his @necrobiology predominantly being 'locked in a windowless room Amy is focused on research that will identify mathematical and software solutions destined local Bright Club nights, as well as conducting shooting laser beams about'; but don’t be fooled: Alzheimers disease 10-12 years before current for future commercial electronic products. Jase outreach workshops at local schools. Robert has a degree in Physics from Durham, an diagnoses standards. Amy often finds herself is currently working on next-generation touch @alexconnerbham Tweet live from Electronic and Electrical Engineering PhD from UCL, asked by concerned family and friends if they panel technology for smartphones, tablets and and a secondary teaching and public engagement should worry about their occasional memory interactive whiteboards. Describing what he the final using @ degree from Imperial and Canterbury Christ Church. lapses and so hopes to dispel the myths enjoys most about his job he notes 'the time and FameLabUK and He can often be found covering Sinatra classics and surrounding this devastating disease. flexibility for creativity and the freedom to come up with something genuinely new that might one #famelab various show tunes in a small bar off of the West End. @amyjenkins6565 day wind up in people's pockets'. @FameLabUK #famelab @FameLabUK #famelab @FameLabUK #famelab @cheltfestivals #cheltscifest cheltenhamfestivals.com/famelab @cheltfestivals #cheltscifest cheltenhamfestivals.com/famelab @cheltfestivals #cheltscifest cheltenhamfestivals.com/famelab