Who Are We?

Meera joined the team in 2007, having caught the radio bug during her Masters. She spent 2007 travelling the length of the country convincing teenagers that science is great! Although a biologist by nature, she likes to get her teeth into all aspects of science and enjoys making listeners aware of some of the more exciting research being done in labs across the world.

While teaching science in North East Thailand, Ben Valsler realised just how exciting and interesting communicating science could be. Taking the opportunity to produce and present the "English Hour" on Thai local radio, it dawned on him to combine the science with the radio, and he's never looked back.

A zoologist by training with a Master's degree in Science Communication, Ben's now busy producing & presenting the show and devising kitchen science experiments with Dave.

Never one to say "No" to an opportunity, Ben has also presented live science stage shows in South Africa, used science demos to tame halls full of rowdy teenagers (and even their teachers) and can often be found on the Naked Scientists Forum.

Dave Ansell is the Naked Scientists' Kitchen Science specialist and web monkey. He spent several years nominally as a post-grad physics student at Cambridge University, but spent most of his time AWOL during which he was usually discovered planning and organising science events for kids with student society Cambridge Hands-On Science.

Some time after the grant ran out he took a sideways jump into full-time-and-a-bit public understanding of science. When not at work he... well, he mainly organises science outreach, actually. But sometimes he goes folk dancing.

Helen is a marine biologist based in Cambridge. She’s the one who talks about fish and the oceans a lot on the show – seems she has a thing about them. In her book, Poseidon’s Steed (published August 2009) she explores the lives of some of her most favourite fish, the ever-enchanting seahorses.

She studied for a PhD at Cambridge and has lived and dived in various corners of the tropics, researching rare coral reef fish. She is now a consultant working with conservation organizations on the international wildlife trade – fish especially – something she’s published scientific papers on. She also writes articles for the Naked Scientists website, Geographical magazine and National Geographic News. And when she’s not behind the microphone or working to save the world’s dwindling fish stocks, you might even spot her on the Argentine Tango dance floor. If you want to find out more visit her website HelenScales.com.

Kat Arney works as a science information officer for the charity Cancer Research UK in London, when she's not off playing the harp and the spoons. She completed her degree and PhD at Cambridge University, and did time in a lab next to Wormwood Scrubs prison before finally leaving research. Kat writes science articles for the Naked Scientists website and helps to present the Naked Scientists science Radio Show and podcast. She also presents and produces the Cancer Research UK podcast and writes for the charity’s Science Update blog. She also writes occasionally for online science magazine Lablit , plays in several bands, is a keen knitter, and apparently never sleeps! Read about her exploits on her aptly titled blog, "You Do Too Much.”

Chris Smith is a doctor and a clinical lecturer in virology at Cambridge University. Deciding that medicine wasn't soaking up enough of his free time, Chris started the Naked Scientists radio show, podcast and website.

He presents the Naked Scientists, is the science correspondent for the ABC Radio National Breakfast, Australia, hosts the Naked Scientists on BBC Radio 5 Live every Monday morning and also appears to talk science for thirty minutes every Friday morning on Primedia's TalkRadio 702 / 567 CapeTalk in South Africa; he also fronts the Royal Society of Chemistry's Chemistry World podcast and founded the Nature Podcast for the journal Nature. Now and then he also pops up on telly, usually when the feathers hit the fan during a bird 'flu or swine 'flu outbreak.

In 2006 he published his first book, Naked Science, and also produced his first child, but not necessarily in that order! Now he's reaping the rewards that fatherhood brings - countless near death experiences triggered by daily viral infections generously donated by his daughter...