Professor Jim Al-Khalili

Professor Jim Al-Khalili is a theoretical physicist and science communicator, renowned for making complex scientific concepts accessible to a broad audience through his extensive broadcasting and written works. After co-presenting the Channel 4 documentary ‘The Riddle of Einstein’s Brain’ in 2004, Professor Jim Al-Khalili went on to be awarded the Royal Society of London Michael Faraday Prize for science communication in 2007, solidifying his reputation as a leading figure in making complex scientific concepts accessible to a broad audience. Professor Al-Khalili earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in nuclear reaction theory in 1989 from the University of Surrey, following a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1986. He returned to the University of Surrey in 1991, and in 1994, secured an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Advanced Research Fellowship, establishing himself as an authority in mathematical models of exotic atomic nuclei.

Recognizing his continued public engagement in STEM, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2021. Most recently, in 2023, Professor Al-Khalili was elected as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, reflecting his multidisciplinary impact. He continues to be an active academic, teaching undergraduate physics, supervising PhD students, and leading cutting-edge research projects, including ‘The Quantum Arrow of Time,’ a collaborative initiative involving several universities.