President: James Dolan
James is a PhD student at the Nano Science and Technology Doctoral Training Centre. His research, an interdisciplinary collaboration between three groups in the Department of Engineering and the Cavendish Laboratory, concerns the investigation and application of novel photonic and optoelectronic nanomaterials. Prior to studies at Cambridge, James graduated with an MEng in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford, where he specialised in electrical, electronic and control engineering. He is particularly interested in the role of scientific evidence in highly politicised situations and the potential for innovative scientific and technological policy solutions to break political deadlock.
VP (Events): Harry Armstrong
Harry is a PhD student at the Babraham Institute, Cambridge. His research focuses on the function of the gene repression family Polycomb and understanding the importance of the three dimensional organisation of the genome in different cell types. Harry completed a BSc in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Glasgow before moving to Cambridge.He is interested in the development from evidence to policy and the role of effective communication when engaging both the public and policy makers with complex scientific ideas. He particularly enjoys communicating science to the public and has been involved in projects at the Royal Society, school visits and science festivals.
VP (Marketing and Communications): David Bosworth
David is a PhD student in the Materials Science Department, Cambridge. His research focuses on the fabrication and testing of nanoscale structures for fuel cells and photonic devices. David completed his MSci in Natural Science at Cambridge before starting his PhD. David has an interest in the relationship between science and policy, specifically the role of science in advising policy decisions. He also takes an active interest in science outreach and has run a series of events promoting science to younger people.
VP (Publications): Jenni Stuart
Jenni is a PhD student at the University of Cambridge Pathology Department. Her research focuses on how viruses evade the host innate immune response, utilising vaccinia virus as a model system. Prior to commencing her PhD, Jenni obtained an MRes in the study of infection and immunity and a BA in Zoology from the University of Cambridge. Jenni is particularly interested in the role of scientific evidence in the development of education policy and she is also passionate about the importance of effective communication of scientific developments to both the public and policy makers.
Head of Internal Operations: Manuel Schroeter
Manuel is a PhD student at the University of Cambridge Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute. His research focuses on network analysis and modelling of the developmental trajectories and self-organisational principles of neuronal networks at the cellular level. Before starting his PhD, Manuel obtained a MSc in Neuroscience and Psychology from Ludwig-Maximilian University and the Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry Munich. Manuel is interested in evidence-based approaches to policy development both at the national and EU level, and ways to make the political decision making process more transparent and accessible to the public.
Chairman: Patrick Wollner
Patrick is a PhD Student at the University of Cambridge Engineering Design Centre. His research focuses on design processes and methodologies for the development of mobile touchscreen devices. Patrick previously worked in the field of computer vision and holds a BA and MEng from the University of Cambridge. He also writes a weekly column for the Austrian daily newspaper Kurier reporting on emerging consumer technologies. Patrick is particularly interested in the intersection of technology and policy on a national and EU level, especially in the field of eHealth and networked mobile computing.
Publications Team: Claire Armstrong
Claire is a PhD student in the Department of Materials Science at Cambridge University. Her research focuses inkling low cost solar cells using oxides which have been fabricated by a novel technique. Claire completed her BA and MSci in Materials Science at Cambridge before starting her PhD. Outside her research, Claire has been involved in various science outreach activities, including helping to organise the annual science festival for the Department of Materials Science. Claire enjoys learning German at the university’s language centre, doing Bikram yoga and rowing for Queens’ College.
Events Team: Apurva Chitnis
Apurva Chitnis is a third year undergraduate Engineering student at Emmanuel College. He has recently been intrigued and interested by the political and ethical issues posed by new technologies, such as Google Glass, which are inexorably tied to their power to change society. As such, he recognises the need for both a voiced public opinion and evidence based political guidelines to understand the impact of modern developments. Having completed a broad, general course of engineering, Apurva is now specialising in Information and Computer Engineering, and he looks forward to a more connected and democratic world.
Marketing and Communications: Fiona Docherty
Fiona is a third year PhD student on the British Heart Foundation funding programme based in the Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on stem cell based therapies for cardiovascular disease. Before starting her PhD in 2009, Fiona obtained an MPhil in Cardiovascular Research from the University of Cambridge and a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Edinburgh. Over her time in Cambridge Fiona has been involved with a number of societies including the student-run science magazine BlueSci. Fiona is interested in the ways in which science communication and the media can be used to influence science policy decisions.
Public Communications: Helen Ewles
Helen is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge. Her current research focuses upon the viral morphogenesis of Herpes Simplex Virus and Vaccinia Virus. Helen obtained her PhD in 2011 from Imperial College London, and completed her undergraduate studies at University College London. Helen is particularly interested in how important scientific subjects at the interface of science and policy are communicated to the public.
Head of CUSPExSPI Alliance and Founding President: Alberto García-Mogollón
Alberto is a PhD candidate at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. His current research examines the development of innovation policy-making processes in the emerging smart grid sector. This research on the electricity sector also analyses how regional or national policies have affected the introduction of smart grid innovations in the context of a globalising technological space. Alberto is passionate about the interplay of government, industry and academia as catalysers of innovation and technological change for the benefit of society.
External Liason: Joe Gladstone
Joe Gladstone is a PhD researcher in Behavioural Economics at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. Joe works on large-scale field experiments to test behavioural theories in real-world contexts, particularly in the area of financial decision making. Before Cambridge, he studied Psychology and Neuroscience at Oxford University. Joe is interested in evidence-based approaches to policy development, particularly the use of randomised control trials, and regularly meets with the Behavioural Insights Team in the Cabinet Office. Outside of his PhD research, Joe volunteers as a mentor to encourage disadvantaged pupils to apply to elite universities through ‘The Brilliant Club’ charity. He also has a background in high-level debating tournaments and rows for King’s College, Cambridge.
External Liaison: Grace Gottlieb
Grace is a third-year Cambridge undergraduate studying Natural Sciences, specialising in Genetics, and hopes to pursue a career in science policy after graduating. She has gained experience in biomedical policy through an internship at the Wellcome Trust, where her work focused on how to incentivise data sharing in scientific research. Grace is also interested in the complex interplay between the media, public perceptions of science, and policy formation.
Fundraising Advisor (Co-Founder): Tim Guilliams
Tim is interested in startups, entrepreneurship and technology transfer. He strongly believes in the importance of knowledge exchange between academia, government and industry. As Co-founder of Healx3, he is excited about the challenge of helping deliver the next generation of therapeutics to patients in need. Prior to Healx3, Tim performed a secondment placement with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) on University-Industry interactions and cluster dynamics in the area of Life Sciences. He obtained his PhD in the field of Biophysical Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge in 2013, where his research related to the development of antibody fragments (Nanobodies) as potential therapeutic and biophysical tool for Parkinson’s disease. Before moving to Cambridge, Tim obtained an MEng in Bio-Engineering from the University of Brussels (VUB).
External Liaison: Tom Hird
Tom is a PhD student at the University of Cambridge Department of Public Health and Primary Care. His research focuses on the burden and aetiology of non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa and the implications for policy in the region. Tom obtained an MPhil in Public Health from the University of Cambridge and a BSc in Biology from Imperial College London and has previously been involved with projects for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Global Health and the Ministry of Health, Botswana. Tom is interested in the process of evidence-based policy development, particularly in mobilising scientific knowledge for use in policy development in developing countries.
Events Team: James Hynard
James is a Masters student in the History and Philosophy of Science Department, having previously studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge. His research focuses on how the social context influenced the practice and reception of natural philosophy and natural history in eighteenth century Britain and France. James is interested in the roles and responsibilities of scientists in public positions and the pressure they experience to conform to policy expectations, as well as the use of science diplomacy to encourage positive diplomatic relations and to promote international scientific co-operation.
Publications Team: Teresa Krieger
Teresa is a PhD researcher at the Gurdon Institute, looking at the role of stem cells in brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders. She previously studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge and MIT, and has undertaken research projects at the interface of physics, biology and medicine. Teresa is interested in how an evidence base for policy decisions can be established in an unbiased way and communicated efficiently to policymakers and the public. She also enjoys teaching and outreach activities, and hopes that empirical thinking can empower people to engage critically in the political process.
Finance and Fundraising Team: Sarah Morgan
Sarah Morgan is a PhD researcher in the Theory of Condensed Matter Group in the Physics Department. Her research focuses on the theory of open quantum dynamics in nanoscale systems, in particular the role of quantum mechanical effects in photosynthesis and the use of a new technique called 2D spectroscopy to characterise physical systems. She has also recently undertaken a 6 month secondment to BIS, working in the EPSRC Funding Unit on the UK Quantum Technologies Programme. Sarah enjoys teaching and outreach activities and is interested in education policy and increasing the visibility of women in science.
Treasurer: Stephanie O’Donnell
Stephanie is studying an MPhil in Conservation Leadership. With a background in ecological research, her work prior to Cambridge has been in both academia and the private sector. Her experience in endangered species research and the development of carbon forestry projects required her to work closely with policy makers and sparked her interest in science communication. Stephanie is particularly interested in the role policy can play in meeting the ecological and sustainability changes for the future.
Events Team: Edward Oughton
Edward is a PhD researcher at The Cambridge Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research (4CMR), The University of Cambridge and currently works on Work Stream 3 of the Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (ITRC). His research investigates how the evolution of the physical Internet infrastructure has impacted on the economic development of cities. Edward has active research interests and experience in a range of urban, regional, national and international issues, in a variety of fields, from economics to geography to innovation studies. Through his work on evolutionary economics he has developed a special interest in innovation, entrepreneurship and technological development, particularly how the policy nexus intersects these key areas and impacts on economic development. Edward previously spent time at Cambridge completing his MPhil in Planning, Growth and Regeneration during which he completed a policy review for Gateshead Council.
Marketing and Communications Team: Christina Schweitzer
Christina is a PhD researcher and Gates Cambridge Scholar at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and the University of Cambridge. Her PhD studies in immunology focus on the discovery and characterization of novel receptors for antibodies and viruses inside cells. Christina completed her BScE in Chemical Engineering in 2013 from Queen’s University in Canada, with a specialization in biomedical and biochemical engineering. In 2013, Christina was the Deputy Leader of the Opposition at the Queen’s Model Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons in Ottawa, and is interested in the intersection between engineering, science, medicine and politics. Christina is developing her skills as a writer on policy-related issues, and has authored articles for CUSPE Communications and The Gates Scholar magazine.
Finance and Fundraising: Jessica Sorge
Jessica is a PhD student at the Department of Pharmacology, Cambridge. She is interested how temperature-sensing receptors are involved in pain sensation and how they can be used as a drug target for pain treatment. Her current research focuses on the organisation of a specific Drosophila membrane protein. Before starting her PhD, she obtained a BSc in Biomedical Science at the University of Kent, which also included a Year in Industry at Eli Lilly and Company.
Events Team: Mary Zhang
Mary is a PhD student in Psychology at the University of Cambridge. Her research is mostly concerned with the enhancement of happiness, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being of the general public. The ultimate goal of her research endeavours to understand how psychological ideas, concepts and theories can be effectively translated in the public domain. Before starting her PhD, Mary obtained an MPhil in Social and Developmental Psychology from the University of Cambridge.
