Speaker bios and abstracts
Professor Cecilia Brassett biography:
Professor Cecilia Brassett is the Teaching Professor of Human Anatomy at Cambridge University. At Magdalene College, she is Director of Studies of the Medical Sciences tripos. She is also an Undergraduate Tutor and Deputy Senior Tutor. In the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, she is a member of the Teaching Committee and of the Academic Staff Committee. She sits on the Medical and Veterinary Sciences Tripos Part I Committee in the Faculty of Biology and is a member of the Cambridge University Medical Education Network.
Abstract – Wonders of the Living World: How messy processes form ordered life
Details coming soon.
Dr Rhoda Hawkins biography:
Dr Rhoda Hawkins is currently the Academic Director of the Ghana centre of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS Ghana). Whilst living in Ghana, she is still affiliated to the University of Sheffield where she was a senior lecturer in Physics until the end of 2022.
Before becoming a lecturer she worked as a postdoc in Amsterdam, Paris and Bristol. She did her PhD at the University of Leeds with Prof Tom McLeish and her undergraduate studies at the University of Oxford. Her field of research is theoretical biological physics.
She is a Trustee of Christians in Science and has been a member/supporter since her student days, serving on the committee as the PhD student rep. Rhoda was the first Oliver Barclay lecturer.
Abstract – Wonders of the Living World: How messy processes form ordered life
Details coming soon.
Dr Ruth Bancewicz biography:
Ruth Bancewicz is Church Engagement Director at the Faraday Institute, where her remit is to equip and encourage church leaders and their congregations to engage with science in confident and fruitful ways. She is passionate that everyone can be part of the conversation about science and faith.
Ruth studied Genetics at Aberdeen (BSc) and Edinburgh Universities (MRes, PhD), and (more recently) Theology, Ministry and Mission at Spurgeon’s College, Ridley Hall and Highland Theological College (Diploma in progress). She was Development Officer for Christians in Science, at the same time as doing Postdoctoral Research at Edinburgh University. She is a Senior Research Associate at St Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge and a member of City Church Cambridge where she serves on the pastoral team and occasionally preaches.
Abstract – What does the Kingdom Come look like in a 3º world? Climate Change through a biblical lens:
As Christians, we have hope for the future that might look like the whole of creation restored to God; humans and the natural world thriving in abundance. But climate change risks extreme weather, ecosystem collapse, water shortage and crop failure. With climate science questioned in media and politics, how might Christians respond? What hope can Christians bring to this issue? How can we lead in taking action?
Tom Bray biography:
Tom is a chartered engineer and environmentalist, living in Durham City with his wife Esther and working to develop projects to reduce emissions in response to climate change. One project he is involved in is ‘Enduring Call, Changing Climate’ that looks to engage Christians in the North East of England in the latest Climate Science.
Abstract – The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: exploring the challenges of AI in research
Artificial Intelligence is a transformative technology especially for research, but as with any tool how we use it matters as much as what it can do. This talk will summarise some of the different ways AI can be used in research, and then discuss the moral, ethical and spiritual implications that come with an increasing use of AI.
Professor Simon Kolstoe biography:
Simon Kolstoe is Professor of Research Ethics at the University of Portsmouth. He chairs research ethics committees for the UK Health Security Agency and Ministry of Defence, and is on the Ethics Advisory Board for ‘Our Future Health’. He is a trustee of Christians in Science and a member of the congregation at St Lukes, Hedge End.
Abstract – What is left to discover in astronomy?:
Humans have engaged in astronomy for thousands of years, and studied it in extraordinary detail in the last few decades – yet the Universe has never stopped inspiring awe, or raising new questions. What is it that is still left to discover in astronomy? What are some of the current big questions? How is artificial intelligence changing the way we do astronomy? And why should we care about astronomy as a Christian?
Dr Anke Ardern-Arentsen biography:
Anke Ardern-Arentsen is a Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Surrey (from mid-October 2026). Her research area is ‘Galactic Archaeology’ — the study of the history of the Milky Way. She enjoys speaking about astronomy for general audiences, as well as connecting science and faith.
Abstract – Perspectives on Christianity and the Life Sciences in 2026:
How should we understand modern genetics and the Christian faith given the explosive boom in the life sciences of the past decade? Given the transformation of the life sciences through rapid, accurate and cheap gene sequencing, gene editing, and technological advances in structural and computational biology, advancement has been rapid. Here we take some time to highlight some of these advances and reflect theologically on what it means for us to be Christians in the life sciences today.
Dr Sam Mckee biography:
Sam McKee is a research scientist in cancer genomics and DNA repair assessing structural-functional interpretation of MSH2 variants for clinical decision-making. He is a doctoral researcher at the University of Reading in the McGuffin lab.
He develops theoretical and computational frameworks to explain and predict genomic instability, focusing on how DNA repair networks fail under stress in cancer and radiation biology and models genomic instability as a universal failure mode under extreme biological stress, using cancer and radiation/space-relevant conditions as boundary cases to predict repair collapse and its consequences. He has degrees and masters degrees in genetics, theology, higher education and a postgraduate certificate in genomic medicine, as well as a PhD in history and philosophy of science. He had an experiment flown to the ISS in 2024 and is a research fellow in space science, as well as science and religion.
Abstract – Tracing the ancient history of life with modern genes:
Recent discoveries from genomics have revolutionised our understanding of the first couple of billion years of life’s history. This has been made possible by the remarkable fact that all known organisms contain multiple genes which can be traced back through approximately four billion years of evolution. Here I outline some of the findings and some controversies. In particular it has been discovered that the last universal common ancestor was remarkably complex (although how much so is debated), and that gene evolution may be more law-like and less contingent than previously believed. I’ll also consider different ways in which Christians can respond to findings like these from the historical sciences regarding life’s history.
Dr Zachary Ardern biography:
Zachary is a researcher in evolutionary genomics, investigating the origins, functions, and evolution of novel genes in bacteria and viruses. He is also interested in the historical and philosophical development of a biologically informed natural theology which is integrated with the evolutionary history of life.
Abstract – From Code to Care: Commercial Science in a Christian Context:
Sequencing the 3 billion bases of the human genome, first achieved over a 13-year period, marked a defining milestone in biomedical science. Subsequent advances in so called next-generation sequencing have transformed the scale and speed of genomic analysis, enabling the interpretation of multiple human genomes within 24 hours. This presentation will examine key technological developments underlying this transition and consider their emerging impact on human health, with examples drawn from rare genetic disease, pharmacogenetics and oncology. It will also reflect on the experience of being a practising Christian within a product-focused, fast-paced and multidisciplinary research and development environment.
Dr Ros Jackson’s biography:
Ros Jackson studied Biochemistry at New College, Oxford. Following graduation, she worked in the pharmaceutical industry as a Research Assistant. After a career break, she undertook a PhD in Plant Biochemistry at the University of York, which led to several postdoctoral research positions. She subsequently moved into the biotechnology sector and is currently Director of Research and Development at Illumina, where she leads the development of biochemical and chemical DNA processing technologies for next-generation sequencing. Over the course of her career at Illumina, she has taken on roles of increasing responsibility, combining scientific innovation with leadership in research and product development.