Science, Religion, and Society

Kevin Jones is a postgraduate researcher at the Centre for the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Leeds. His research focuses on the history of clinical, social, and legal conceptions of mental health disorders. He teaches topics in the history of science and religion, as well as existential philosophy and phenomenology, and is co-editing a book on the history and philosophy of science that is set to be published this autumn.

Dr. Bernadette Moore is an Associate Professor in the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds. Her research is focussed on the role of hepatic nutrient metabolism in health ageing and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Bernadette has a deeply spiritual Ashtanga yoga practice and describes herself as a devout humanist, atheist and 'recovering Catholic'. She notes the extent of historical and ongoing wars, and crimes against humanity that have been carried out in the name of religion.

Dr. Rhoda Hawkins is a senior lecturer in physics at the University of Sheffield, and a visiting lecturer at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences. She did her degree in Oxford and PhD in Leeds and has worked in Amsterdam, Paris, and Bristol. Her research involves applying theoretical physics to problems in biology, including how cells move and change shape.
Rhoda defines herself as Christian and is a committee member of "Christians in Science". In 2016 she was awarded the Oliver Barclay lecture prize for science-faith communication.

Paul Coleman is a historian of science specialising in the history of electricity and teaches modules on the history of science and religion at the University of Leeds.
He is a co-ordinator for the Church Scientific project, which aims to explore ways in which faith can enhance and inform scientific studies. Scientists on the project have welcomed hearing about historical dimensions to their subject which challenge the popular view of science as an objective, linear, and inevitable progression towards today's knowledge. He is a practicing Christian and plays an active part in church life.

Sameera Rafiq is the first Al- Habeeb scholar who promotes and champions BME communities through her writing, presenting and forums she holds in particular via her blog (www.thegobstoppers.wordpress.com).
Sameera studied her BA in History followed by an MA in Journalism, she actively worked as a journalist producing and presenting for BBC radio Manchester and Lancashire and then moved to British muslim TV as an Executive Producer and Presenter.
Currently, Sameera works at The University of Leeds as a Research Officer, raising the profiles of academic research.