Invited Speakers

Prof. Julea Butt (University of East Anglia)
Prof. Jenny Clark (University of Sheffield)
Prof. Daniele Faccio (University of Glasgow)
Dr Alex Jones (National Physical Laboratory)
Professor Mike Jones (University of Bristol)
Dr Rocio T. Martinez Nunez (King's College London)
Prof. Johnjoe McFadden (University of Surrey)
Prof. Dan Watts (University of York)

Julea Butt, University of East Anglia

Julea is Professor of Biophysical Chemistry at UEA. Her group works at the interface of chemistry and biology to gain fundamental insight into the operation of redox enzymes and their effective interfacing with electrodes and synthetic light-harvesting materials. Current projects focus on semi-artificial photosynthesis and developing sustainable electronic materials. Julea earned her PhD from the University of California, Irvine (USA) and held post-doctoral fellowships at the National Institutes of Health (USA) and Wageningen University (NL). She was awarded the Katsumi Niki Prize for Bioelectrochemistry (2021) from the International Society of Electrochemistry and is a member of member of UKRI-funded multi-institution research consortia addressing fundamental and applied aspects of biocatalysis.

Daniele Faccio, University of Glasgow

Daniele Faccio is a professor in Quantum Technologies and Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies at the University of Glasgow. He leads a team of 30 researchers working at the interface between quantum sensing, computational imaging, microscopy and brain imaging.

Alex Jones, Principal Scientist, National Physical Laboratory

Alex Jones is Principal Scientist in Biometrology and NPL Strategy Lead for Quantum Technologies for Life Sciences and Health. His research interests focus on sensory biology, investigating how biomolecules respond to light and magnetic fields and using this to inform the development of new measurement methods, including advanced optical spectroscopy, non-linear imaging, optogenetics, and quantum technologies.

Mike Jones, University of Bristol

Mike Jones is a Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Bristol. His research on photoreaction centres from purple bacteria includes their incorporation into man-made biohybrid devices for sensing and solar energy conversion, and the fabrication of new photosystems using novel combinations of natural and man-made light-harvesting materials.

Dr Rocio T. Martinez Nunez, King's College London

My group focuses in understanding the role of RNA regulation in inflammation and infection integrating cellular, molecular, and computational approaches. We also employ single cell and spatial technologies, and I lead the Clinical Diagnostics Development Unit. I am part of the Management group of King’s Quantum, where I aim to shorten the gap between quantum technologies and biomedicine, in particular the use of quantum computing to solve long-standing and complex biological questions.

Professor Johnjoe McFadden (University of Surrey)

Johnjoe Mcfadden is Professor at the University of Surrey. His principal research ranges from molecular genetics to microbiology, systems biology and quantum biology. He was one of the pioneers of applying systems biology techniques to bacterial-host interactions and set up the world’s first Doctoral Training Centre for Quantum Biology at the University of Surrey where he is currently the Centre’s Director. His work earned him the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award in 2014 generated practical outputs such as the world’s first commercialized PCR test. He is also a popular science writer and wrote the book “Quantum Evolution” in 2000, co-edited ‘Human Nature: Fact and Fiction’ in 2006; and is co-author, with Jim Al-Khalili, of the book, “Life on the Edge: The Coming Age of Quantum Biology published in 2014 and shortlisted for the Royal Society Book Prize. His latest book, ‘Life is Simple” about the role of Occam’s Razor in science, was described by Astrophysicist and science writer, Paul Davies as “one of the best science books I have read in a decade”.