Our people

A bit about me...

I joined We The Curious in 2000, when we were still At-Bristol. I continue to be so inspired by the mission and love engaging the curiosity of our visitors and partners. My role is to lead the charity in line with our manifesto pledges, goals and values. I feel incredibly privileged to be part of We The Curious, having been on this journey every step of the way, and am very excited to see what the future holds.

Best thing about working in We The Curious?

I love being part of something where I feel like we’re making a real difference to the world. I believe that science has never been more important than it is now and am grateful that my job allows me to be a part of that.

Image credit: Lisa Whiting

A bit about me...

My name is Lydia and I'm part of the Leadership team. I lead on the development and implementation of the commercial and operational strategies. I get involved in all kinds of projects and jump between long term planning and reactive operations. I love being outdoors and spend any free time cycling, running, walking, paddle boarding and open water swimming.

What makes me curious...

I am curious about how we can use science to help us reach carbon net.

Image credit: Lisa Whiting

A bit about me...

As Audience Director at We The Curious I lead the marketing and inclusion teams. I guide the charity’s strategic mission to create visitor-led programmes, spaces, and experiences. I am passionate about how cultural spaces can celebrate and be led by their communities to create more inclusive and relevant experiences for everyone. At We The Curious we do this by developing long term partnerships across the city and the South West and working with our visitors in different and new ways. From the city-wide consultation that led to our rebrand in 2017 to Project What If, the first exhibition of its kind developed around the curious questions of Bristol, I am always amazed by what we can create when people come together to explore ideas. It's so exciting and hopeful. Outside of We The Curious I sit on the Bristol One City Children and Young Peoples Board, and enjoy Bristol exciting cultural and music scene. 

What makes me curious...

Oh tough question - everything?!! I have always been amazed by the structures and patterns that occur in nature how that can be used in bio architecture (as a little girl my mum often found my pockets fully of nuts, plants and seeds!). More recently I am becoming fascinated by emerging technologies and what that means for how we live and connect with each other - what will our lives look like in the future?

Image credit: Lisa Whiting

A bit about me…

I joined We The Curious in May 2022, just after our closure following the fire in April, so it was certainly an interesting time to start. I originally trained as an accountant at PwC, specialising in their not-for-profit sector, as I love working with charities. I have worked in senior finance roles across the charity and not-for-profit sector for the past 12 years and still genuinely love all things numbers — I’m a bit of a spreadsheet geek! Alongside this, I was a member of the ICAEW Charity Committee for over six years and served as Vice-Chair during that time.

At We The Curious, I lead the Finance, IT and Development teams. It’s a varied mix that keeps me on my toes, and I enjoy supporting teams across the organisation to turn ambition into reality.

Outside of work, I love spending time with my family and am kept busy by my two young boys. I also enjoy gardening and growing my own fruit & vegetables, being outside in nature, reading (when I get a chance!), and Pilates.

What makes me curious...

I’m curious about lots of things, from the everyday — how systems work, how people think, and how small changes can have a big impact — to the bigger questions about what makes us happy and why we make the choices we do. So many things to be curious about!

Image credit: Lisa Whiting

A bit about me

As Sustainability and Science Director, I have been responsible for Sustainable Futures at We The Curious since 2010. During that time, I have introduced a sector-leading programme of environmental best practice, innovative technologies, and organisational change. In 2019, I led We The Curious to become the first science centre in the world to declare a climate emergency and pledge to meet ambitious decarbonisation targets by 2030, implemented alongside climate change adaptation.

Beyond We The Curious, I have held positions as Head of Environmental Sustainability at UKRI, Elected Director of the Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership, Mentor of Arizona State University’s Sustainability in Science Museums Global Fellowship, Chair of the ASDC Decarbonisation Group, Sustainability Advisory Group for Bristol Zoological Society, and member of the Bristol One City Environment Board. My background is in science communication and stand-up comedy.

Best thing about working in We The Curious?

Being able to make a real difference in tackling the climate crisis.

Image credit: Lisa Whiting

A bit about me...

Simon Cooper is Communications Lead for the United Nations Development Programme Food Systems team, which works with food producing nations to combat deforestation and climate change. Simon has led strategy work at international sustainability organizations such as the Alliance for Water Stewardship, Better Cotton Initiative, ISEAL Alliance, Textile Exchange, Pesticide Action Network UK, Cotton Made in Africa and the Social and Labour Convergence Project. Simon previously spent 25 years as a broadcaster before becoming Communications Director at Classic FM. With a first degree in Geography from Cambridge University, he graduated in 2005 with an MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice at the University of Bath. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

What makes me curious...

I am always curious about different worldviews, and working for an international organisation like the UN I am lucky enough to have many colleagues to supply them. I realised that, despite these conversations, my worldview remained male and Eurocentric, so I decided to stop reading books by white men. Since that change I’ve been to many different worlds in the company of great female and global majority writers, visiting 1984 with Julia, Winston Smith’s lover, and Zanzibar with a Nobel Prize winner. Now I’m curious about the next small change I can make to get a big result.

Chris Sims has been a Trustee since 2014, and was between Chair between April 2016 and September 2021. He is keen that We The Curious has a dynamic and challenging ethos, one that inspires all stakeholders – visitors, staff, and Trustees - and the wider audience.

A qualified Chartered Accountant, Chris worked for 20 years in the Bristol area, firstly as Finance Director of Bakers Dolphin Travel, and subsequently of Brandon Hire PLC. He was a governor of John Cabot Academy for many years and served as Finance Director of Bristol Cathedral Choir School, and of City Academy, Bristol.

Semi-retired, Chris co-owns a café and bed & breakfast business, and is an active shareholder and employee of Edge Equipment Hire Ltd.

Professor Kathreena Kurian is Professor of Neuropathology / Honorary Consultant Neuropathologist at the University of Bristol Medical School & North Bristol Trust. She is passionate about improving diverse participation in science with We the Curious. Her research aims are to identify modifiable risk factors, personalise diagnosis and find new drug targets for brain tumours.

She was born and brought up in London, she undertook medical training in Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Medical School, London where she also achieved a BSc in Experimental Pathology. She undertook higher pathology and neuropathology clinical (FRCPath Neuro) and research training including an MD (Medical Faculty Research Fellowship) in Edinburgh and Cambridge.

She has lived and worked in London, Edinburgh and Cambridge. She now lives in Bristol with her husband and two daughters and they love visiting We the Curious.

She sits on the National Cancer Research Institute, Brain Tumour Group, Cancer Research UK panels, Editorial Board Journal of Pathology, BRAIN UK and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists.

My name is Lara, I am 2nd year Chemistry LGBT+ postgraduate student in Bristol who is passionate about improving the lives of BAME people around the city. Since being chosen as the student representative on the BristolBME100 Power List in 2018, I have continued my work in improving the BAME diversity and inclusion within my university. This includes organising the Being BME in STEM conference, the first of its kind, which heavily focused on the leaky pipeline and retention of BAME staff/students within higher education. Numerous diversity initiatives have subsequently stemmed carrying on the message for change.  Following on from this, I recognised change must start from the top down as well as bottom up, therefore I co-organised and conducted a well-received Decolonising Science Workshop for chemistry and physics university educators.

Currently, I work with Kiki, We The Curious, the British Antarctic Survey and various other organisations to bring about positive change for people of colour from all walks of life and to build a better future for minority groups within Bristol and beyond.

Nick Jones has been a Trustee since 2009 and has been Chair since September 2021. He has been involved in education for over forty years, eventually as a headteacher in the West Country and London. He was described recently as a ‘radical educationalist’ having led a number of innovative projects including founding one of the innovative City Technology Colleges. He was also Head teacher of the first state funded academy in the England to be sponsored by an overseas organisation.

More recently as an educational consultant he has worked with teachers, headteachers and governments in the UK and overseas. He has been involved in the education systems in Sweden, Finland, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand, to name but a few.

He was Senior Education Advisor for a national science and technology school’s programme and was Chair of Trustees for The Bath and Mendip Partnership Trust. He is also heavily involved in supporting young people on the autistic spectrum, especially with projects that allow autistic young people to live independently in the community. At ‘We The Curious’ he contributes to the work of Finance and Risk Assurance and Purpose Committees.

A bit about me...

Tom Betts is Chair of the Board of Trustees for We The Curious. He is also the Founder of data and AI advisory firm Many Numbers and Non-Executive Director at the UK Hydrographic Office.

Tom’s executive career has focused on the transformative power of technology, data and AI and spans several different sectors. Tom helped lead the digital transformation of the Financial Times where he held the role of Chief Data Officer and board member. He has also worked in education as VP Analytics for Pearson Plc where he led the use of advanced data analytics to improve language learning. At the FTSE100 group (owner of B&Q and Screwfix) he built the first global data and AI capabilities and applied them to improving supply chain efficiency and personalising shopping experiences for customers.

Tom holds 2 degrees in artificial intelligence and is passionate about allowing everyone to be curious about science.

What makes me curious...

I’m curious about how AI and data will change science. I’m fascinated by how they can help make the invisible visible, revealing hidden patterns in genomes, galaxies, and ecosystems to drive new discoveries. I’m excited to see how these tools will open new frontiers in science and how they will redefine what we believe is possible.