It’s only a matter of weeks before I’m a Scientist starts in March so it’s time to announce the scientists and schools taking part.

The event will be running from 12th-23rd March, coinciding with National Science and Engineering week. Zones such as Energy and Sports tie in particularly well with this year’s theme Our World in Motion.

Schools

Over 100 schools will be taking part and as usual there’s a big variety in schools involved, from Weymouth to Glasgow, and even Hungary. We’re hoping that, as in previous events, energy levels will be high and classes at these schools will have a great experience. One teacher in June 2011 said: “You could have powered a small town off the energy the kids produced this during our session”. 

Scientists

As ever competition for scientists was very tough, and choosing the final scientists to take part was challenging. We had to turn down lots of scientists doing fascinating research. Scientists have thoroughly enjoyed previous events. One scientist who took part in June 2011 recently tweeted: “You’ll have the best 2 weeks of your life. Also the most exhausting 2 weeks. Then withdrawal!”

 Electromagnetic Zone

Sponsored by the Science & Technology Facilities Council.

Scientists

Sam Vinko	University of Oxford	I use the world’s most powerful X-ray lasers to recreate in a laboratory the conditions found in the heart of planets and inside the sun.
Mario Campanelli	University College London	Trying to understand what comes out of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva
Elizabeth Pearson	Cardiff University	I study some of the most distant galaxies we can see at the moment using the Herschel Space Telescope, a very fancy infrared camera in orbit which shows us the heat from a galaxy’s cosmic dust.
Clare Burrage	University of Nottingham	Galaxies are flying apart from one another faster and faster, nothing we know about in Physics can explain this so I try to work out what new mysterious substance is the cause.
Ben Smart	University of Edinburgh/CERN	The largest machine ever created by mankind is buried underground just outside the city of Geneva, and I use it to blow stuff up, recreating the big bang so that I can find out how the universe works!

Schools

Dixons City Academy, Bradford
Cheadle Hulme High School, Cheadle Hulme
Whitgift School, Croydon
Winterton Comprehensive School, Winterton
St Benedict’s School, Ealing
Lampton School, Hounslow
The King’s School, Ottery St Mary
Park View School, Chester-le-Street
Arnold Hill Academy, Arnold
Thistley Hough Hill School, Penkhull
North Chadderton School, Chadderton
Ernulf Academy, St Neots
St Anselm’s Catholic School, Canterbury

Energy Zone

Sponsored by the RCUK Energy Programme.

Scientists

Laurence Harwood	University of Reading	I am an organic chemist who tries to find ways of making molecules that have useful activity, from anti-cancer and anti-AIDS drugs to substances that are able to clean up nuclear waste.
Jack Snape	University of York	Fusion is the energy source that makes stars shine right across the universe. I work on a project to try and make it happen here on earth, in a magnetic machine called a tokamak, which could provide the human race with energy for millions of years.
Gill Menzies	Heriot Watt University	I look at what life will be like in the year 2050 – what will our buildings be made of; how will we keep ourselves warm; how will we travel; will we go to virtual schools?
David Redpath	University of Ulster	Design and production of lower cost solar energy conversion and storage systems.
Akram Alomainy	Queen Mary, University of London	I research green radios, low-power electronics and intelligent wireless devices that will save us power, time and energy by picking the best way to communicate.

Schools

Honywood Community Science School, Coggeshall
Bearsden Primary School, Bearsden
St Thomas More School, Crewe
Rudolf Steiner School, Kings Langley
Kingsmead Community School, Wiveliscombe
Benton Park, Rawdon
Ysgol Dinas Bran, Llangollen
The Royal Docks Community School, Custom House
John Hanson Community School, Andover
Gateacre School, Gateacre
Deyes High School, Maghull
The Gilberd School, Highwoods
Bournemouth School for Girls, Castle Lane West

Gallium Zone

Scientists

Viv Lyons	The Home Office	I am a physicist who helps the police catch criminals, I use my scientific background to test whether the equipment they use is up to the job.
Sean Murphy	Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine	I use a high tech printer to print new skin on patients with severe burns and battlefield wounds.
Lena Ciric	University College London	I study the billions of bacteria found in and around the human body and why antibiotics don’t work on some of them.
Laura Waters	University of Huddersfield	Developing alternatives for testing new drugs so scientists don’t need to test on animals anymore.
Asif Naseer	University of Glasgow/ Henry Wellcome research centre	Playing with DNA/genes to cure cancer and other diseases.

Schools

Broadoak Maths and Computing College, Weston-Super-Mare
Ursuline High School, London
Brentwood County High School, Brentwood
Sheffield Park Academy, Bessacarr
Nisai Virtual Academy, Thornaby Place
Dunblane High School, Dunblane
Bramdean School, Heavitree
Dover Grammar School for Boys, Dover
Ysgol Tregib, Ffairfach
Abingdon School, Abingdon
City of London School, London
King Henry VIII School, Coventry
The Toynbee School, Chandlers Ford
Lucton School, Herefordshire
Birchwood High School, Bishops Stortford

Germanium Zone

Scientists

Katherine Haxton	Keele University	I make big beautiful molecules, some look like snowflakes, others like honeycombs, and use them to deliver chemotherapy drugs in a way that will make the patient better, faster with fewer horrible side effects.
Jon Brenton	University of Sheffield	I work on developing semiconductors to produce hydrogen (a future vehicle fuel) from water using just sunlight.
Darren Logan	Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute	My lab studies genes that control instinctive behaviours, such as fighting, sex and fear.
Daphne Ng	National University of Singapore	I study pond scum otherwise known as microalgae and how they can make useful products for us, as well as save our planet from overheating.
Cathal Breen	University of Ulster	Hello!  Do you want to see amazing images?  I can see into people’s bodies.  I can show you their heart pumping, blood flowing and lots of other exciting things.

Schools

MidKent College, Medway Road
Lordswood Girls School, Harborne
The Warwick School, Redhill
Harrogate Ladies’ College, Harrogate
Hurstmere School, Sidcup
Macclesfield College, Macclesfield
Holmfirth High School, Thongsbridge
British International School Budapest, Hungary
Ermysted’s Grammar School, Skipton
Ursuline High School, London
Chichester High School for Girls, Chichester
Marshalls Park School, Romford
The Marlborough School, Woodstock
University of Chester Church of England Academy, Ellesmere Port
Trentham High School, Trentham

Quantum Zone

Sponsored by the Institute of Physics.

Scientists

Suzanne McEndoo	Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh	I’m a quantum information theorist, which means I use mathematics to understand the behaviour of “ultracold” atoms and figure out how to harness the weirdness of quantum systems to make future computers and technology.
Robert Thompson	University College London	I look at funky crystals which conduct electricity in weird ways; to do this I use powerful lasers and really large microscopes. Did you know even some plastics conduct electricity!
Martin Austwick	University College London	Cities are like humanity’s coral reefs: huge, complex shells of stone teeming with human life – I use physics and maths to work out what makes them tick.
Marcus Gallagher	Liverpool University/Riken	I am currently using very powerful X-ray lasers to try and see tiny structures within cells and other biomolecules.
James Boone	University of Sussex	I model damage in graphite on the tiniest scale to help understand how it behaves on a big scale for the nuclear power industry

Schools

Parliament High School, London
Longdendale Community Language College, Hollingworth
Sir John Colfox School, Bridport
Sirius Academy, Hull
Kirk Hallam Community Technology & Sports College, Kirk Hallam
Budmouth College, Weymouth
The Ridgeway School, Wroughton
Camden School for Girls, London
Carlton Bolling College, Bradford
Golden Hillock School, Sparkhill
Backwell School, Backwell
Brockenhurst College, Brockenhurst
Blackfen School for Girls, Blackfen

Selenium Zone

Scientists

Vicky Young	Edinburgh University	The ovary is the only organ in the body that does not scar and I am trying to find out why. This could lead to treatment of other organs which do scar, like the liver, and can lead to organ failure and extreme pain.
Ken Dutton-Regester	Queensland Institute of Medical Research	I use advanced sequencing technology to identify mutations in DNA that cause the development of melanoma (skin cancer); to design new and successful drugs to treat patients with the disease.
John Prytherch	National Oceanography Centre, Southampton	I’m an oceanographer, I use measurements made on board ships to learn how the ocean and atmosphere affect one another during storms, violent conditions in which it is challenging to get sensors (and sea sick scientists) to work well.
Jarvist Frost	Imperial College London	I design molecules for making solar cells which convert sunlight into electricity and which may be an enormous future power source for the whole world.
Indi Ghangrekar	University of Manchester	Getting excited about the brain – complicated, confusing and controlling, it makes us the individuals we are!

Schools

Notre Dame High School, Glasgow
Tiverton High School, Tiverton
Pate’s Grammar School, Cheltenham
Roundwood Park School, Harpenden
Fitzharrys School, Abingdon
Culcheth High School, Culcheth
Spen Valley Sports College, Roberttown
St Bonaventures School, Forest Gate
Park-High School, Colne
Lord Lawson of Beamish School, Durham
Moor End Academy, Crosland Moor
Great Marlow School, Marlow
Wick High School, Wick

Space Zone

Sponsored by the Institute of Physics.

Scientists

Nasim Bharmal	University of Durham	Real time image sharpening for astronomy, by removing the effects of atmospheric twinkling.
Leila Battison	University of Oxford	How did life get started and evolve on earth, and can we find life out in space?
Karen Masters	University of Portsmouth	I use information about the shapes of galaxies provided by the citizen scientists at Galaxy Zoo (www.galaxyzoo.org) to look for clues about how galaxies formed and how they change over cosmic time.
Catherine Rix	Cranfield University	I am part of a team of scientists and engineers who are designing and building an instrument to look for evidence of past or present life on Mars
Adam Stevens	The Open University	I’m trying to figure out if there’s life on Mars, specifically by looking for that well known by-product of life – methane!

Schools

The Urswick School, Hackney
Bushey Academy, Bushey
Hillside High School, Bootle
Trinity Catholic High School, Woodford Green
Mount House School, Tavistock
Howell’s School, Cardiff
Drumchapel High School, Drumchapel
Balby Carr Community Sports and Science College, Balby
Woodkirk Academy, Tingley
Grove School, Market Drayton
New College Durham, Sacriston Road
Convent Of St Jesus & Mary’s Language School, Harlesden
Buxton School, Leytonstone
Great Sankey High School, Great Sankey
Moreton School, Busbhury
St Brigids School, Denbigh

Sports Science Zone

Sponsored by The Physiological Society.

Scientists

Steve Faulkner	Loughborough University	My research focuses on how body temperature may be manipulated in order to improve sports performance
Justin Lawley	Prifysgol Bangor University	I put humans in very uncomfortable situations such as extreme cold, heat and altitude to see how the body works, for example, I study whether human brains expand when people climb
Gavin Devereux	University Campus Suffolk	Squeeze this, and push that – how certain types of exercise can make your heart and blood vessels healthier!
Fiona Hatch	University of Hull	I look at how your heart may be different from your mum’s or dad’s heart and even your granny or granddad’s heart.
Audra Benjamin	St George’s, University of London	I look at the split personality of the lung; releasing liquid then taking liquid in.

Schools

West Thames College, Isleworth
Westfield Community Technology College, Watford
Carluke High School, Carluke
Passmores Academy, Harlow
Lathom High School, Skelmersdale
Sacred Heart High School, London
Thurstable, Tiptree
Smithycroft Secondary School, Riddrie
Trinity CE High School, Hulme
Sir William Ramsay School, Hazlemere
Henlow Middle School, Henlow
Turnford School, Cheshunt
City of London Boys School, London