Broadcaster and Writer

Brian J Ford is best known as a broadcaster and author - he is one of the leading independent research biologists as well, and he has lectured all around the world. As this was prepared, he was lecturing aboard the QE2 on a transatlantic cruise.

Brian studied biology at Cardiff University, but left before graduating to set up his own multi-disciplinary laboratory. He has since been elected a Fellow of Cardiff University, and is a Member of the University Court. He was a science columnist before he was even a student, and was appearing on radio and TV in his early twenties.

During the 1970s there was no science at all on BBC Radio 4, so Brian launched is own series 'Science Now' and 'Where Are you Taking Us?' and then introduced science to 'Newsbeat' on Radio 1. He later presented 'Food for Thought' on Channel 4, and the series went into the network Top Ten in its second week, and then hosted the first-ever science game show 'Computer Challenge'. He presents his 'Science Hour' for LBC and appears in documentaries in Japan and Hollywood.

Meanwhile Brian has a made important scientific discoveries in the field of blood coagulation, plant physiology, detecting forged photographs, and discovered the first-ever specimens for the microscope after they had lain in the Royal Society collections for over 300 years. In 1996 he wrote his best-selling book 'BSE: The Facts' in just six days, a world record. There are over 100 editions of his books published around the world. He contributes to 'Encyclopaedia Britannica' and is special consultant to the 'Guinness Book of Records'.

Brian has changed science policies through his campaigning work. He thrives on variety, and can change from giving a keynote lecture to hosting a beach barbecue, from chairing a major international meeting to piloting a plane, or from making a major microscopical discovery to exploring by diving deep in the ocean without any apparent difficulty. He has been a popular Institute speaker for many years, and in 2001 presented the Huxley Medal at our Annual Meeting.