Dr. Cristina Afonso
Physical sciences
Retired
Physical sciences
Astrophysics
Neutron stars
Energetic binary star systems
Transient phenomena
Breakthrough Award, 2018
>25 Honorary Doctorates
Several medals and Honorary Fellowships
English
Jocelyn Bell Burnell is an astrophysicist, best known for her discovery of pulsars — rotating neutron stars that appear to ‘pulse’ since the beam of light they emit can only be seen when it faces the Earth. Her observation, made together with her supervisor, Antony Hewish, is considered to be one of the greatest astronomical discoveries of the twentieth century.
In 1967, Jocelyn made her discovery using a telescope that she and Antony had originally built to study the recently detected star-like quasars. She noted a signal that pulsed once every second — ‘Little Green Man 1’ — that was later determined to be a pulsar. Antony went on to receive the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics for his role in the discovery.
Jocelyn has since become a role model for young students and female scientists throughout the world. She was appointed to CBE for services to astronomy in 1999, followed by a DBE in 2007.
Fellow Royal Society
Fellow Royal Society of Edinburgh
Foreign Associate US National Academy of Sciences
Hon Member Royal Irish Academy
Hon Fellow Institute of Physics
Fellow Royal Astronomical Society
Member American Astronomical Association
Member International Astronomical Union
Her story was featured in the BBC Four’s Beautiful Minds, and BBC Two’s Horizon documented her discovery of ‘Little Green Man 1’.
Much in demand as speaker and broadcaster.
Long experience of women in science issues.
Chaired Inquiry for Royal Society of Edinburgh on Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths in Scotland. Report 'Tapping all our Talents' available at:
www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/advice-papers/inquiry/women_in_stem/tapping_talents.pdf
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Physical sciences
Physical sciences, Inorganic solid state and materials chemistry
Physical sciences, Chemistry coordination, Chemistry, Molecular magnetism, Molecular electronics, Bioinorganics
Physical sciences, Preparative and physical chemistry of polymersNanotechnology
AcademiaNet member plans to spend prize money — awarded 50 years after the discovery — on increasing diversity in science. A portrait by Nature
AcademiaNet scientists were invited to attend the event at the Royal Society of Edinburgh to discuss gender balance in science as well as the impact of Brexit on British research.
Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell has been elected as the next president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE). She is an outstanding astrophysicist as well as a prominent science communicator. Her term will start this October, right after the Scottish independence referendum in September.