The Social Series: What's Science Got to Do with It?

The Social Series

Join "The Social Series," a new networking platform hosted by SOFEA. Our goal is to encourage open conversations, inspire actions, and support collaboration within our community.

Ten themed sessions, each focusing on a different topic, showing how these themes affect our daily lives and strengthen our community ties. Each session will offer the chance to engage in meaningful discussions, meet with local experts, and enjoy delicious food.

Whether you're a fan of science, a community leader, or just curious, "The Social Series" is a welcoming place for everyone to learn, share, and connect.

What's Science Got to Do With It?

Join us for the first event of "The Social Series" and learn about the role of science in our communities. This session features speakers Dr. Adrian Mancuso from Diamond Light Source and Mike Lawton from Ox Dynamics.

Bio: Dr. Adrian Mancuso

Adrian is the Director of Physical Sciences at Diamond Light Source, UK. He was appointed in November 2022. He leads a division of more than 220 scientists, technicians, planners and administrators to deliver impactful science across all of the physical sciences at the UK’s national synchrotron.

Prior to joining Diamond, Adrian designed, constructed and lead the operation team for the SPB/SFX instrument of the European XFEL—EuXFEL’s flagship scientific instrument for coherent X-ray single particle imaging, megahertz microscopy and structural biology. He curated large-scale user collaborations to utilise early beam at EuXFEL. His team’s in house research and development at EuXFEL was tailored to support the SPB/SFX science program, extending beyond structural biology and into materials science, X-ray optics and even broader fields. He has further interests in modelling and simulation for XFEL experiments, allowing the more efficient and effective use of beamtime at such in-demand facilities.

Adrian’s research interests centre predominantly around the development of techniques and methods exploiting spatially coherent X-rays to observe the structure and dynamics of matter. This includes novel approaches to instrumentation design, experiment design and data analysis using both X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFELs) and synchrotron sources

Bio: Mike Lawton

Mike is founder of space-tech business Oxford Space Systems (OSS) and co-founder of Oxford Dynamics, an AI & robotics start-up. Both businesses are based at Harwell Science Campus.

OSS is internationally recognized for its deployable satellite antennas and is currently one of the highest valued space tech businesses in the UK. OSS is also seen as “strategically important” to the UK defence sector, with much of its work not in the public domain. VC-backed OSS is Mike’s third technology business, with previous ventures including a remote telemetry business built around an idea he had at university and a biofuel technology business that led to a joint venture in India, which won Mike the title of Green Entrepreneur for India 2009.

Lawton was awarded Barclays Bank Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year in Dec 2018 as well jointly sharing the title of Oxfordshire Businessperson of the Year 2018.

Lawton stepped down as CEO of Oxford Space Systems in 2019 after over 6 years in office to focus on current venture, Oxford Dynamics (OD) with co-founders Shefali Sharma and Dr Eddie Jackson. Gradually coming out of stealth mode, the business is developing artificial intelligence and robotics for UK national security & defence applications. OD secured the first ever Enterprise Framework Agreement with MoD last year for generative AI, worth £2m. The company also landed a £1m contract with Defra to develop an intelligent robot for chemical and incident response that was featured on BBC TV.

Oxford Dynamics’ work with Large Language Models, with a focus on transparency, explainability and data security underpins its innovative mental health project with SOFEA, called Empathy. Supported by Innovate UK, OD & SOFEA are developing an AI mental health tool aimed at 16 – 24-year-olds. Empathy is designed to provide a discrete first access point for mental health care, 24 hours a day, via a mobile phone. Empathy is designed to augment professional health care, not replace it. The aim is to make the technology available free to as many users as possible in Didcot & Oxfordshire.

In June 2022, Oxford Dynamics was awarded Best New Business 2022 at the Oxfordshire Business Awards.

Mike is also an advisor to the NATO Innovation Unit to assist with establishing the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) technology programme.

Mike is keen supporter of STEM activities in schools and colleges across the UK and believes in the need to excite the UK’s future generation of engineers and scientists. Mike has given several keynote speeches at including the Institute of Mechanical Engineers Christmas Lecture, as we at numerous universities both in the UK and overseas.

Further info:

• Free Parking
• Food Included
• Free Tickets

Please contact hosts Claire Hughes [email protected] and [email protected] with any dietary and access requests.

Food will be provided by SOFEA charity number 1155783 a suggested donation of £5 is welcome to onwardly support the work we do

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