Jim Al-Khalili

Jameel Sadik Al-Khalili, born in Baghdad on September 20, 1962, is a prominent Iraqi-British theoretical physicist and science communicator. He holds a professorship in theoretical physics and a chair in public engagement in science at the University of Surrey. Al-Khalili is a familiar face and voice in science broadcasting, regularly presenting and appearing on BBC radio and television programs, and contributing commentary on science to other media outlets. His father was an Iraqi Air Force engineer, and his mother was English. He permanently settled in the United Kingdom in 1979. Al-Khalili pursued his education in physics at the University of Surrey, earning both a BSc and a PhD. His research has focused on nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, and quantum biology. He has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize, the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2018. He was appointed OBE in 2008 and CBE in 2021 for his services to science and public engagement. Al-Khalili served as President of Humanists UK from 2013 to 2016. He is an avowed atheist and humanist, stating he has "without a religious bone in my body." He resides in Southsea, Portsmouth, with his wife Julie, and they have two children.