Honour for chimpanzee communication researcher
Posted on 23 April 2009
Dr Katie Slocombe has been asked to give the Charles Darwin Award Lecture at this year’s British Science Festival on her research investigating the evolution of language and the vocal communication of our closest living relatives.
I am really excited about winning this award as the British Science Festival is a great opportunity to interest people in science
Dr Katie Slocombe
The Award Lectures are prizes given to scientists and engineers who have demonstrated an exceptional ability to explain their work to the general public.
Dr Slocombe, from the Department of Psychology, said: “I am really excited about winning this award as the British Science Festival is a great opportunity to interest people in science. My research is very accessible and is a good way of showing how engaging and fun science can be.
“Language is one of our most remarkable abilities and something that defines humans from the rest of the living world. Understanding how non-human primates communicate is crucial in tracing how the elements that make up this amazing ability might have evolved.”
The British Science Festival, organised by the British Science Association, is an annual event where the UK’s leading researchers have the opportunity to discuss the latest scientific developments with the public. It regularly attracts more than 50,000 visitors.
Roland Jackson, Chief Executive of the British Science Association, said: “The British Science Association Award Lectures seek to reward outstanding communicators who can bring their subjects to life with passion and enthusiasm whilst also tackling the social implications of their research.
“The lectures are always a very popular component of the Festival programme, attracting a broad audience. Dr Slocombe promises to deliver a thoroughly engaging talk that I’m sure British Science Festival visitors will enjoy.”
The Festival will run from 5 to 10 September at the University of Surrey.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The Department of Psychology was rated among the top ten in the country in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
- Further information about the British Science Festival can be found at http://www.britishsciencefestival.org.
- Twitter users can now keep up to date with news from the University of York at http://twitter.com/UniOfYork. A newsfeed is also available at http://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news-feeds/.