SciDev.Net
Science and Development Network
News, views and information about science, technology and the developing world
People
SciDev.Net involves a wide range of individuals, working together towards common goals. As well as its users, SciDev.Net has:
Trustees
The Board of Trustees sets the overall direction of SciDev.Net and monitors its operation, both through an annual meeting of the full board, and quarterly meetings of its executive committee.
Each trustee is selected for their knowledge and experience of the issues that we cover. Two thirds come from, or are based in, developing countries.
Current membership of the board of trustees is as follows:
Andrew Bennett, chair
Andrew Bennett chairs SciDev.Net’s board of trustees and is a former executive director of the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture. He is president of the UK Tropical Agricultural Association, a member of the Council of the Overseas Development Institute (United Kingdom) and chair of trustees of the Centre for International Forestry Research, Indonesia. Andrew was director of rural livelihoods and environment for the UK’s Department for International Development, providing advice to government ministers. He was awarded the UK Companion: Order of St Michael and St George for his services to foreign nations and has over 40 years experience in international development in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Pacific and Caribbean.
Country: United Kingdom
Lidia Brito has extensive experience working with local, national, and international organisations. She provides technical expertise and political support in: good governance issues, energy, higher education, science and technology, ICT and their affects on social development. She holds an MSc and PhD in forest sciences and a degree in forest engineering. As the first minister of higher education, science and technology of Mozambique (2000 – 2005) and deputy vice-chancellor of Eduardo Mondlane University (1998-2000), she accumulated extensive experience in higher education, science and technology, information and computer technology (ICT) and innovation policies and programmes. In the past year and half Lidia has advised the mayor of Maputo on strategic planning and external relations. She has served as a member of many international boards and has participated in several congresses and world summits.
Organisation: Eduardo Mondlane University
Country: Mozambique
Abdallah Daar is senior scientist and co-director of the programme on life sciences, ethics and policy at the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health, University Health Network, Toronto. He is professor of public health sciences and professor of surgery at the University of Toronto, and is also director of ethics and policy at the McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine. He has helped to start two medical schools in the Middle East and held the position of chair of surgery in Oman. He has been an expert advisor to a number of international organisations, including the World Health Organization and the office of the UN secretary general. Daar recently chaired the external review committee of the WHO/World Bank/UNDP/UNICEF sppecial Programme on Tropical Diseases Research and Training and is a member of the African Union High-level Panel on Modern Biotechnology. He is a fellow of the Royal Society (Canada), the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and of the New York Academy of Sciences. His awards include the Hunterian Professorship of the Royal College of Sciences and the Anthony Miller Award for Research Excellence. In 2005 he was awarded the UNESCO's Avicenna Prize for Ethics and Science.
Organisation: McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health, UHN/MCMM at University of Toronto
Country: Canada
Nadia El-Awady is a freelance science journalist and media consultant. She is a board member of the World Federation of Science Journalists and founding president of the Arab Science Journalists Association. She was the managing science editor at IslamOnline.net for several years and has freelanced for several international media organizations such as SciDev.net, Cosmos Magazine, and Seed Magazine. After leaving IslamOnline.net she was program manager with the International Center for Journalists on a six-month training project for Egyptian journalists in investigative reporting. In recent years she has been the Middle East regional coordinator of a World Federation of Science Journalists’ training project for journalists in Africa and the Arab world. Nadia has won two international awards for her work. She holds a B.Sc. in medicine from Cairo University and an MA in journalism and mass communication from the American University in Cairo.
Country: Egypt
Judith Francis is the Senior Programme Coordinator of Science and Technology Strategies at the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (the Netherlands). Her background is in science, technology and innovation management. She holds two M.Sc. degrees and earned a certificate in Science, Technology and Innovation Policy from Harvard University. She is the author of numerous publications and edits the CTA S&T Portal on the Knowledge for Development website.
Country: The Netherlands/Trinidad
Ji Fusheng is a former director general of the Department of Fundamental Research and High Technology of the People's Republic of China, and science counsellor of China's permanent mission to the United Nations. He is currently an independent consultant in information technology to several governmental and non-governmental organisations, playing an active role in public policy issues related to science and technology. Fusheng also edits two journals in computer science.
Country: China
Nalaka Gunawardene is director and chief executive officer of TVE Asia Pacific, a regional media foundation that communicates about sustainable development and social justice through television, video and the web. Trained as a science writer and development journalist, Nalaka has 20 years of experience in public communication, initially in the mainstream media and later in the development sector. He has also worked with IUCN (The World Conservation Union), consulted for several UN agencies in Asia, and is a board member of Panos South Asia. Organisation: TVE Asia Pacific
Country: Sri Lanka
Khotso Mokhele is vice-president of Scientific Planning and Review for the International Council for Science. He also chairs the board of directors for Mittal Steel South Africa. Previous appointments include the presidencies of the National Research Foundation (South Africa) and the Foundation for Research Development. Khotso was also the founding president of the Academy of Science of South Africa. He holds a PhD in Microbiology from the University of California.
Country: South Africa
Philip Rowley holds several senior positions, including the chairmanship of the audit committee of ARM Holdings PLC and his service as a non-executive director of HMV Group PLC. He is also a member of the National Development Board of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). Philip was chairman and CEO of AOL Europe until March 2007 and has extensive experience in the financial and publishing sectors. He is a qualified chartered accountant, holds and B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and is a fellow of the Royal Society of the Encouragement of Arts, Manfactures and Commerce.
Country: United Kingdom
Gérard Toulouse is a member of the joint Ethics Committee for the French National Institute for Agricultural Research and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development. During his distinguished career he has founded the La Ferthé foundation, chaired the Standing Committee on Science and Ethics for ALLEA, and was a founding member of the National Academy of Technologies of France. Gérard specialises in theoretical physics and has written several books.
Country: France
Consultants
SciDev.Net employs a number of part-time consultants to provide dedicated editorial, marketing and other services for the regions and topics we cover.
Our regional coordinators drive our networks in China, Latin America and the Caribbean and South Asia. They are pivotal in managing the future direction of the networks. They build partnerships with key organisations, coordinate editorial input on the website, promote SciDev.Net and manage their teams of consultants and freelancers.
China
Gong Yidong, China news editor yidong.gong@scidev.net
Yidong oversees the commissioning, writing, editing and translation of Chinese material. He has been a full-time journalist with Xinhua News Agency, the largest news platform in China, since 1999. He mainly writes feature stories covering science, public health and environment topics. His writings have been published in the likes of Science and South China Morning Post. His main interest includes the interaction between S&T and society, sustainable development and science policy, among others.
Liu Zhenhua, regional consultant
Luisa Massarani, regional coordinator americalatina@scidev.net
Luisa Massarani is based in Brazil, and is responsible for coordinating SciDev.Net’s freelance correspondents and other key individuals and organisations in Latin America and the Caribbean. She also coordinates meetings, workshops and other training events on science communication and science journalism. Luisa is a science journalist, has a PhD in science communication, and has published several scientific papers and books in this field. She coordinates the nucleus of studies on science communication at Museum of Life/Fiocruz in Rio de Janeiro, which hosts SciDev.Net Latin America.
Paula Leighton, regional consultant paula.leighton@scidev.net
Paula Leighton is a science journalist based in Chile, and has a master's degree in electronic media. She has been writing articles for SciDev.Net since 2004, and also assists Luisa Massarani and works on SciDev.Net promotional activities. She Paula was formerly a journalist for Enlaces, a science programme broadcast by public television in Chile, and was the editor of the science and health section of the nation newspaper La Tercera. She now writes about science and health for El Mercurio, another national newspaper in Chile.
Lisbeth Fog, regional consultant
Lisbeth Fog is based in Bogotá, Colombia, and is responsible for editing SciDev.Net's Spanish articles, sometimes translating English versions into Spanish. She also acts as a freelance correspondent. Lisbeth has been a science writer since 1984, and holds an MSc in science reporting, from Boston University, United States, where she travelled as a Fulbright scholar. She produces daily one-hour science show for Colombia’s national radio, and writes about science and development issues. She also writes profiles of Colombian scientists for www.universia.net.co and teaches science journalism at Universidad Externado de Colombia.
Organisation: Universidad Externado de Colombia
Country: Colombia
Daniela Hirshfield, regional consultant daniela.hirschfeld@scidev.net
Daniela is a science journalist based in Uruguay who assists Luisa Massarani. She writes about science, technology and health for Búsqueda, a weekly newspaper in Uruguay, and is editor of a magazine. Daniela also is assistant professor at the Universidad Católica del Uruguay where she teaches science journalism.
T V Padma, regional coordinatorpadma@scidev.net
T V Padma reports on science from India, coordinates freelance contributions from the region and liaises with key organisations that partner with SciDev.Net activities. She has a post-graduate degree in science from the University of Delhi, India. She has worked as a science correspondent with the Press Trust of India, and ran development communication projects for Panos South Asia. She also writes for Nature Medicine and New Scientist.
Sanjay M. Johri, regional consultant
Sanjay M Johri is a journalist and lecturer from India, in addition to writing news stories he undertakes significant promotional work for SciDev.Net in South Asia. He has 20 years journalistic experience in the fields of science and politics and is head of the Maharana Institute of Communication Studies, where he teaches professional journalism and mass communication. He has authored the book 'Out in the Field – A Reporter's Guide' and produced three documentaries. Sanjay is also the secretary of the Indian Science Writers Association and co-founder of the Media Communication Research Foundation (MCRF) in India.
Organisation: Maharana Institute of Communication Studies
Country: India
Christina Scott, African news editor christina.scott@scidev.net
Christina is a journalist and author in South Africa, where she coordinates SciDev.Net's contributors from 40 sub-Saharan Africa countries. Previously editor of the South African Broadcasting Corporation's science desk, she launched award-winning weekly television and radio science programmes and continues to do live radio. Christina mentors African reporters through the World Federation of Science Journalists. Her latest book, published by Heinemann, is aimed at promoting health in children and teens across Africa.
Our topic consultants have a broad knowledge of their fields and are able to guide and assess the relevance and timeliness of content in their topic gateways.
Hannah Chalmers
Hannah Chalmers started working on carbon capture and storage (CCS) in 2003. She has a first degree in mechanical engineering and a general interest in energy policy and environmental issues. In 2006, Hannah was awarded a UK Energy Research Centre multidisciplinary PhD studentship and is expecting to graduate from the Centre of Environmental Strategy at the University of Surrey in the UK in late 2009. She is also a part-time research assistant in the Energy Technology for Sustainable Development Group in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Imperial College London.
David J. Grimshaw
David is Head of the New Technologies International Programme with Practical Action and is currently seconded to the Kathmandu office in Nepal. The vision of this programme is: a world where science-led new technologies deliver products which fulfil human needs rather than consumer wants. He previously held academic positions at the University of Leeds and Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, and Cranfield School of Management. He has a PhD in information systems from Warwick Business School. Recently completed research includes Connecting the First Mile, Podcasting in the Andes, and Nano-dialogues in Zimbabwe. He has just completed collaboration with the Universities of Sussex, Lancaster, and Durham on an ESRC funded project entitled, "Delivering Public Value from New Technologies".
Athar Osama
Athar Osama holds a PhD in public policy with a specialization in science, technology, and innovation policy. He works for a London-based technology commercialisation consulting, management, and venture capital company. In the past, Osama has worked on a variety of issues dealing with science and innovation policy including: management of innovation; research and development management and measurement systems; financing of new technologies; entrepreneurship and venture capital; and technology-based economic development. He has also specially focussed on systems of innovation, venture capital industries, information and communication technologies, and higher education systems in developing countries. He is the founder of the Pakistan Research Support Network andMuslim-Science.com. He writes widely on issues at the intersection of science, innovation, and development for a range of print and online publications. Osama has a BSc in aeronautical engineering from the Pakistan Airforce Academy, where he also won the coveted Sword of Honour.
Science communication
Marina Joubert
Marina Joubert pioneered a science communication unit at South Africa’s National Research Foundation. She expanded its activities extensively before starting out as an independent science communication consultant in 2005. She teaches science communication and media skills to scientists and research students, and lectures occasionally in science journalism at two local universities. Marina has an MSc in food science from the University of Pretoria, as well as a postgraduate (Honours) degree in journalism from Stellenbosch University. She is passionate about sharing science with society, especially with young people in developing countries.
Contributors
Most of the material on the website is written by freelance contributors, the majority of whom are based in developing countries We are committed to increasing the percentage of content provided by freelancers from developing countries. In the first half of 2007, southern-based contributors produced, on average, 85% of our news and 94% of our commissioned features.
We are always keen to hear from those who would like to contribute material to the website. For further information, visit 'Writing for SciDev.Net'.
Staff
David Dickson, director and editor of the website editor@scidev.net
David is director of SciDev.Net. He was news editor of Nature from 1993 to August 2001, and was the journal’s Washington correspondent from 1977 to 1982. Originally a graduate in mathematics, he has also worked for The Times Higher Education Supplement (1973-1977), Science (1982-1989) and New Scientist (1989-1992).
Naomi Antony, editorial assistant news@scidev.net
Naomi helps run the news desk at SciDev.Net, searching for news stories and subediting articles. She has a BSc (Hons) in geology and an MSc in science communication, both from Imperial College London. Naomi joined the team in November 2007, shortly after completing her MSc.
Jan Evetts, website support technician support@scidev.net
Jan provides in-house technical support for the website. He previously worked as a consultant analyst on social housing projects for the United Kingdom’s Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Jan holds a degree in chemistry from Imperial College, London.
Carmen Fishwick, editorial production assistant production@scidev.net
Carmen helps run both the editorial and production teams at SciDev.Net. She has a BA in communications and an MA in international relations and development from the University of Warwick. Before joining SciDev.Net, Carmen worked for English language magazines and newspapers in Shanghai and Beirut, and has held communication and production roles at Human Rights Watch and the BBC.
Clair Grant-Salmon, marketing manager marketing@scidev.net
Clair manages the planning, development and monitoring of marketing and communication activities at SciDev.Net. Clair has a background in marketing and business management within publishing, and has worked with a number of scientific publishers, including Earthscan, UK. Clair holds a BA (Hons) degree in Economics and Business Management and a CIM Diploma in Marketing.
Alexandra Ife, deputy director deputy@scidev.net
Alexandra is responsible for overseeing SciDev.Net’s international marketing, regional development and income generating strategies of SciDev.Net. She has extensive professional experience in the communications business, including five years with AOL Europe. Prior to joining SciDev.Net in September 2008, Alexandra was general manager of the not-for-profit organisation 'Science for Humanity'.
Aisling Irwin, news and features editor news@scidev.net
Aisling commissions news and feature articles for the website, and oversees their editing. Before joining SciDev.Net she was a freelance journalist writing mostly about science and development from Indonesia, Zambia, Angola and Cape Verde. She graduated in Chemistry and has an MSc in the History and Philosophy of Science. She was science correspondent for The Daily Telegraph, in London, for four years, and also worked for the Times Higher Education Supplement. She has written two books.
Andrew Lee, web production manager production@scidev.net
Andy manages the editorial production of all material posted on the website, and oversees website development projects. Before joining SciDev.Net in May 2007, Andy was a production editor at the Royal Society (United Kingdom). He has a PhD from the University of Leeds in analytical chemistry applied to complex environmental and atmospheric mixtures.
Karen Levin, operations manager accounts@scidev.net
Since SciDev.Net’s foundation in 2001, Karen has managed day-to-day operations, including the set up and running of the London office. She manages the organisation’s finances, human resources, legal affairs and IT infrastructure. She also attends and minutes at the AGM and Executive committee meetings. Karen has a BA in East Asian studies from the University of Jerusalem and worked as operations manager for several small start-up companies in the publishing and Internet fields.
Sian Lewis, commissioning editor dossiers@scidev.net
Sian manages SciDev.Net's topic gateways, commissioning and editing contributions from scientists, policymakers and other stakeholders. Before joining SciDev.Net in June 2006, Sian was correspondence editor and editorial project manager at Nature. She has an MSc and PhD in remote sensing from University College London, United Kingdom.
Katherine Nightingale, assistant news editor news@scidev.net
Katherine supports the news editor in managing the flow of news stories to the website. She has an MPhil in molecular and cellular biology and an MSc in science communication. Before joining SciDev.Net in February 2007, Katherine worked for the UK-based medical charity Leukaemia Research.
Elinor Smallman, administrative assistant accounts@scidev.net
Elinor provides administrative and marketing support to the SciDev.Net office. She graduated from Loughborough University with a BA (Hons) in Publishing with English. Before joining the SciDev.Net team she worked as a survey assistant for Nottingham University's SHERPA project which investigates issues in the future of scholarly communication, such as open access publishing.