Jim Al-Khalili

Infobox Scientist
name = Jim Al-Khalili
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caption = Jim Al-Khalili O.B.E
birth_date = birth date and age|1962|9|20|df=yes
birth_place = Baghdad, Iraq
death_date =
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residence = flag|UK
citizenship =
nationality = flag|UK|name=British
ethnicity = Iraqi-English
field = Physicist
work_institutions = University of Surrey
University College London
alma_mater = University of Surrey
doctoral_advisor = Ronald C. Johnson
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influences =
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prizes = Michael Faraday Prize
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Jim Al-Khalili OBE (born 20 September 1962) is a British theoretical nuclear physicist, academic, author and broadcaster.

Biography

Born in Baghdad in 1962 to an Iraqi father, Sadik Al-Khalili and English mother, Jean Wheatcroft, Al-Khalili studied physics at the University of Surrey. He graduated with a B.Sc. in 1986 and stayed on to pursue a Ph.D. in nuclear reaction theory, which he obtained in 1989. In that year he was awarded a Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) postdoctoral fellowship at University College London. He returned to Surrey in 1991, first as a research assistant then lecturer. In 1994, Al-Khalili was awarded an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Advanced Research Fellowship for five years, during which time he established himself as a leading expert on the structure of neutron halo nuclei (atomic nuclei exhibiting the unusual feature of having one or two loosely bound neutrons orbiting the rest of the nucleus). He has published widely in his field with over 60 papers in leading international peer-reviewed journals.

Al-Khalili is now a professor of physics at the University of Surrey where he also holds a chair in the Public Engagement in Science. In addition, he also currently holds an EPSRC Senior Media Fellowship. [ [http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/PublicEngagement/ActivitiesAndFundingForResearchers/SMF/AlKhalili.htm EPSRC profile] .] He has lectured widely both in the UK and around the world, particularly for the British Council.

In 2004 he was chosen as one of twenty-one "Faces of UK Science" on permanent exhibition in London’s National Portrait Gallery. [ [http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp67531 Portrait page] at the National Portrait Gallery] .

He was awarded the Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize for science communication for 2007 [ [http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/news.asp?id=6683 Press release] from the Royal Society] and elected an Honorary Fellow of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.

Al-Khalili is a trustee of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and sits on its Council. [ [http://www.the-ba.net/the-ba/AbouttheBA/OrganisationoftheBA/BACouncil.htm Council] of the British Association] ,a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and, in 2000, received the Institute's Public Awareness of Physics Award.
He is also a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and currently lives in Southsea, Hampshire, with his wife, Julie and two children, David and Kate.

He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours. [LondonGazette |issue=58729 |date=14 June 2008 |startpage=9 |supp=yes |notarchive=yes]

Broadcasting

As a broadcaster, Jim Al-Khalili appears regularly on television and radio.

On television he has contributed to programmes ranging from "Tomorrow's World", BBC Four's "Mind Games", "BBC Horizon" and "The South Bank Show". In 2004, he co-presented the Channel 4 documentary "The Riddle of Einstein's Brain" , produced by Icon Films. [ [http://www.iconfilms.co.uk/productions.html Current and Past Productions] of Icon Films.] In 2007 he presented "Atom", a three-part series on BBC Four about the history of our understanding of the atom and atomic physics. [ [http://senpaul.googlepages.com/atom "Atom" for BBC Four] announcement.]

Al-Khalili is a regular guest on Radio 4's "In Our Time", presented by Melvyn Bragg. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/inourtime/inourtime_20040219.shtml Rutherford] on "In Our Time", [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/inourtime/inourtime_20041118.shtml Higgs Boson] on "In Our Time", [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/inourtime/inourtime_20051124.shtml The Graviton] on "In Our Time".]

Published Works

A best-selling author of popular science books.

Author

Popular science books authored by Prof. Al-Khalili include:-

* "Black Holes, Wormholes and Time Machines" (1999, ISBN 0750305606)
* "Nucleus: A Trip into the Heart of Matter" (2001, ISBN 0801868602)
* "Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed" (2003, ISBN 1841882380) These have, between them, been translated into thirteen languages.

Consultant editor

* "Invisible Worlds: Exploring the Unseen" (2004, ISBN 0297843427)

Contributor

* "The Collins Encyclopedia of the Universe" (2001, ISBN 0007105851).

ee also

* Quantum Aspects of Life

References

External links

* [http://scholar.google.com/scholar?num=100&hl=en&lr=&q=author%3AJS+author%3AAl-Khalili&btnG=Search Google Scholar] List of papers by JS Al-Khalili
* [http://www.ph.surrey.ac.uk/profiles?s_name=Jim_Al-Khalili Faculty page] at the University of Surrey
* [http://www.al-khalili.co.uk Personal website]
* [http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/PublicEngagement/ActivitiesAndFundingForResearchers/SMF/AlKhalili.htm EPSRC profile]
*imdb name|2629380|Jim Al-Khalili
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2134599,00.html Nuclear waste is hardly a worry when the climate change threat is so urgent] 26 July, 2007The Guardian
* [http://www.iop.org/activity/careers/Careers/Resources/Case_studies/Professionals/page_3360.html Dr Jim Al-Khalili] Institute of Physics