Professor Dame Anne Glover to deliver inaugural Rosalind Franklin Lecture on 10 March

19 January, 2016

2016 01 19 v1 IS Anne GloverThe British Humanist Association (BHA) today announced a brand new entry to its prestigious annual lecture series. Held on the week of International Women’s Day, the Rosalind Franklin Lecture will explore and celebrate the contribution of women towards the promotion and advancement of Humanism –  whether through achievements in science, philosophy, or the promotion of democracy and human rights – in Britain and around the world.

The first lecture in the series will be delivered by Professor Dame Anne Glover, a former chief scientific adviser to the Scottish Government and European Commission, and chaired by BBC journalist Samira Ahmed. It will take place in Central London on the evening of Thursday 10 March, to complement International Women’s Day two days earlier.

The series is named for Rosalind Franklin, a pioneering chemist who was crucial to the discovery of the unique double helix structure of DNA.

Announcing the lecture, BHA President Shappi Khorsandi said, ‘Rosalind Franklin was an inspirational humanist whose story and whose achievements continues to inspire so many.  I am delighted that her legacy is being celebrated with a lecture in her own name – the Rosalind Franklin Lecture, the BHA’s first addition to its popular annual lecture programme in over five years.’

Tickets cost £12 for the general public, £9 for BHA members, and £6 for students. You can get yours at humanists.uk/franklin2016

Notes

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity.

Dame Anne was Professor of Molecular biology and Cell biology at the University of Aberdeen before she was named Vice Principal for External Affairs and Dean for Europe. She then served as the first ever Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland from 2006 2011, and was the first ever Chief Scientific Adviser for the European Commission from 2012 2014. ‘One of the most influential scientists in Europe’, she is a strong defender of evidence-based policies, particularly in relation to GM crops.

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