Life on the Edge

Jameel Sadik "Jim" Al-Khalili was born on September 21 1962 in Iraq. He is a theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster. After completing his A-levels in 1982, he studied physics at the University of Surrey and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1986. Despite having a job lined up at the National Physical Laboratory, he stayed on at Surrey to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree in nuclear reaction theory, which he obtained in 1989. He was also awarded a Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) postdoctoral fellowship at University College London, In 1994, Al-Khalili was awarded an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Advanced Research Fellowship for five years, during which time he established himself as a leading expert on mathematical models of exotic atomic nuclei.

Al-Khalili is now a professor of physics at the University of Surrey, where he also holds a chair in the Public Engagement in Science. Al-Khalili was awarded the Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize for science communication for 2007. As a broadcaster, Al-Khalili is frequently on television and radio and also writes articles for the British press.

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