Hi, I’m Emily, and I love science!
I’m an expert in molecular biology and genetics, with a Double First in Natural Sciences from Queens' College Cambridge and a PhD in cancer research. I also trained and worked as an actress and singer, and as a maths and science teacher, and I now combine my skills as a science communicator, broadcaster, public speaker, author, trainer and activist.
I talk about science on the TV and radio, I give inspirational talks and run workshops in schools, universities and at live events, I write books and articles about science, and I help others to communicate clearly about their work. My aim is to show people just how exciting science is, and to make it more accessible by explaining complex concepts in a fun and engaging way.
I also use my voice and my platform to raise awareness about important issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss; Covid-19, the vaccine and Vitamin D; the value of emotions in the workplace; gender and sexuality; autism and ADHD; and egg freezing and women's fertility.
I am passionate about changing the perception of what it is to be a scientist and I campaign to increase diversity by encouraging more young people, especially girls, to choose careers in science. I enjoy sharing my experiences as a woman in science - such as challenges I have faced around sexism, lack of confidence, imposter syndrome, neurodivergence and mental health issues - in such a way that might support and inspire others to reach their potential and attain their goals.
I was recently named as the second Honorary STEM Ambassador, alongside astronaut Tim Peake, for my work in STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and as a role-model to young people.
For a summary of my recent work, please see my professional biog under ABOUT and the section on current and upcoming projects below.
From Complexity to Clarity...
I specialise in using imaginative analogies to help visualise and explain complex scientific concepts. I love bringing simplicity and clarity to others - that light-bulb moment when it all makes sense. I think of myself as a translator, a bridge between the scientific community and the public.
“Emily has a rare talent which is to make the very complex very simple."
Milly Ayliffe, solicitor, and parent
"Emily is a fantastic speaker; informative, fun, passionate and knowledgeable. She is a natural communicator and managed a multi-generational 400 person crowd with ease. We loved having her speak and would recommend her for any community or event that would like to hear about where feminism, science and communication come together. She is an inspiration."
Ruth Moir, Community Creator, Sunday Assembly London
"If ever there was a woman who could capture the imagination of young and old alike to engage with STEM subjects it is Dr Grossman."
Mary C. Sykes, Manager of BOBW Ltd
“Passionate, articulate, charismatic, informed, personable... Emily is a phenomenal speaker. Could have heard a pin drop!"
Penny Godfrey, Teacher
Redmaids' High School, Bristol
”Emily has been a lively and brilliant contributor to our TeenTech events. She brings science to life in a very engaging way for young people and is very professional and reliable in her approach.”
Maggie Philbin OBE
“Emily is an excellent speaker and really knows how to engage kids – and parents – in the most fascinating and wacky parts of science”
Sarah Fairbairn, Production Manager Jewish Book Week
“Emily is an incredible presenter and an inspiring role model for everyone”
Dr William Whittow, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at Loughborough University
“Emily is a great science communicator. She combines her personal story with her contagious scientific enthusiasm in a compelling way, and her engagement with the audience encourages them not only to understand what she is telling them but to believe that they can be successful scientists too.”
Dawn Bonfield MBE, Former President of the Women’s Engineering Society
"I went to college to learn science; I came to Emily to understand it"
Hannah Bowley, student
Emily as the Resident Science Expert on The Alan Titchmarsh Show, ITV
Emily as a Verifier on Duck Quacks Don't Echo, Sky1
To watch clips from these shows and many other media appearances please see my TV clips page or my YouTube channel
Why Science Needs People Who Cry - Tedx UCL, December 2015
In June 2015 I took part in a debate on Sky News following Sir Tim Hunt's comments on women in STEM. One of the points I made was that it's OK for female scientists to cry. Following the interview I received a torrent of sexist and misogynistic abuse on social media, documented in this talk I gave at the Feminism in London conference. Six months later, this TEDx talk at UCL was my response. In the talk I discuss the need to dispel the outdated stereotype that all scientists are cold, unemotional... and male. A stereotype that prevents many young people, especially girls, from seeing a place for themselves in science. I examine the value of emotions in science and in society, in both men and in women, and I explore how emotional openness can lead to three Cs; Compassion, Collaboration and Creativity - qualities that are as essential in science as they are in life.
"Brilliant public speaker and a great advocate for humanity. This talk should be compulsory to watch in schools."
Mike Thompson, YouTube user
“Passionate, courageous and present. Emily is a potent presenter”
Malcolm Stern, Director of Alternatives
The Scotsman
The Mirror
Time Out Magazine
The Guardian
The Jewish Chronicle
The Sunday Times
The Daily Mail
The Jewish Telegraph
Some Recent Media Articles and Interviews
You can read about my personal story and my views by clicking on these recent media interviews and articles (and click on images to read):
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The Totnes Pulse - regularly-updated article I wrote to combat misinformation about Covid-19, the vaccine and Vitamin D, and to answer some common questions.
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The Scotsman - article I wrote about why I decided to write the Emergency on Planet Earth guide and why we need to act now.
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Scientists' Warning - article about the Emergency on Planet Earth guide and my work as a climate activist, and interview with Dr Alison Green about scientists becoming activists.
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Time Out - interview with Sadiq Khan where I challenge him on how he will make London a zero-carbon city.
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Women's Health Magazine - interview about eco-anxiety.
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The Guardian - opinion piece I wrote about my role on the Bank of England Expert Advisory Panel and why we chose Alan Turing to be the face of the new £50 note.
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The Jewish Telegraph - "My life in 20-ish questions"
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The Jewish Chronicle - "From jelly to Judaism, the world of Dr Emily"
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STEM Learning Catalyst Magazine - article about my career journey (page 4).
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Lacuna Magazine - interview on my career and the challenges I have faced as a woman in STEM
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QAEducation Magazine - interview about how to inspire young people to be confident in life (page 4)
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The Jewish Chronicle and The Jewish Telegraph - articles about my appointment as Honorary STEM Ambassador, my views on how to encourage girls to study STEM, and why it's OK for scientists to cry.
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The Freethink Tank - article I wrote about my life and career.
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The SHHS School Magazine (my old school) - interview about my life and career.
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The Sunday Times - interview on emotion in science and my TEDx talk (see inset). Click image to download PDF, or view online.
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International Business Times - what it's like to be a woman in science
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Contracts IT - interview on women in STEM, online misogyny and my personal story
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Now Press Play - teaching science and how best to encourage more young people to study science.
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Brighton Girl Mag and The Sun - articles I wrote on women's fertility and my decision to freeze my eggs
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The Daily Mail Femail - in-depth feature on my fertility journey.
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The Daily Mail - short online interview on freezing my eggs, and a more in-depth printed interview (download PDF here)
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The Evening Standard - interview on 'infertility epidemic'. See inset - click image to download PDF.
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Emirates Festival of Literature Meet The Authors and Gulf News - my views as a writer
You can also watch or listen to my personal story and my views here:
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Extinction Rebellion - short film about why I became an activist and why we must tell the truth and act now.
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Story Collider podcast - what happened when I defended women in science on TV
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Radio 4's Woman's Hour - interview on the politics of crying in the workplace
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The Guilty Feminist podcast - special guest on an episode on crying.
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BBC Facebook Live - interview on crying in the workplace.
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The Victoria Derbyshire Show (BBC2), Holding Back the Years (BBC2) and Channel 5 News - interviews on women's fertility and my decision to freeze my eggs.
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Eggology Club - in-depth video interview on women's fertility and my decision to freeze my eggs. Podcast also available here (my interview is from 15mins onwards).
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BBC Radio 4's Inside Science - interview on my role on the Advisory Committee for the Bank of England's campaign to find a scientist for the new £50 note.
"Emily is an inspirational tour de force of energy in motion. I think she is so empathetic and encouraging because she has walked in the shoes of the young women she teaches and mentors”
Christina Tock, teacher and parent
“Emily is a fantastic public speaker. She delivers her speech with passion and her emotional openness and honesty give her a distinctive and lovable character.”
Farideh Honorary, Professor of Physics and chair of the Lancaster University Athena SWAN committee.
"Emily was a stellar member of our International Day of the Girl panel. Her own experience, informed opinions and insight and enthusiasm for her chosen area of work really brought to life the phrase #breakthebarriers and elevated the evening hugely. Her resonance with all of those young (and older!!) women was fab to see and the way she handled questions and responded to comments both on and off the stage will have left lots of people with food for thought and feeling inspired!"
Dianne Stradling, Plan International UK
News: here are some of my recent, current and upcoming projects
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I am currently working as a writer and consultant for the new BBC Bitsesize The Regenerators series, an online learning resource to inspire children and teenagers to live a greener life and encourage others to look after the planet.
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My first book on weird science facts for kids, Brain-Fizzing Facts: Awesome Science Questions Answered, published by Bloomsbury Children's Books in August 2019, was picked to be featured in The Bookseller's Children's Books Previews and was shortlisted for the Teach Primary Book Awards 2020. In November 2020 it was released in the United States under the new title: What Breathes Through its Butt?
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My follow-up book World-whizzing Facts: Awesome Earth Questions Answered was published in June 2021 and helps young people understand climate change and wildlife loss what we can all do to help. It received acclaim from a wide range of experts and celebrities (see reviews on Amazon blurb) and has spent several months Amazon #1 Bestseller on Global Warming and Ecology.
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My most recent kids' book, Meet The Microbes!: The Tiny Living Things That Mould Our Lives, published by Hachette's Wren & Rook in September 2021, is a beautifully-illustrated picture book for 5-7 year olds about the wonderful world of bacteria, viruses and fungi and how helpful they are to our planet, written to address children's worries in response to the pandemic.
Click on images to enlarge
“A mixture of witty narrative, some dreadful puns - all very attractively parcelled... If this book doesn't encourage a new race of young scientists then nothing will.”
Irish Examiner, August 31st 2019
Click here to read full review
"This book should live on every teacher’s desk, and every school librarian’s so that you can randomly read bits out. It should be in every kitchen for random reading aloud moments, every car for breaking up boring journeys, and every bathroom for those..ermmm…. longer stays…."
Dawn Finch, author and children’s librarian
Click here to read full review
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I recently wrote a column for The Totnes Pulse to combat misinformation about Covid-19, the vaccine and Vitamin D, and to answer some common questions about the pandemic. I also developed this presentation for young people for the Stephen Hawking Foundation, about vaccine safety and critical thinking.
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In 2019 I co-founded the group Scientists for Extinction Rebellion, whose Declaration Statement in Support of Non-Violent Direct Action Against Government Inaction on the Climate and Ecological Emergency has now been signed by more then 1,7000 scientists across the globe.
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I am the lead author of the free online easy-to-read guide to the climate and ecological crisis Emergency on Planet Earth, for adults and teenagers. See this piece on the Scientists Warning website about the guide and why I wrote it and this article I wrote in The Scotsman about the need for urgent action. See my climate talks playlist on my YouTube channel for a selection of recent talks and interviews I have given on the crisis. I am also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Scientists' Warning Foundation.
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In December 2020 I gave the Institute of Engineering and Technology's (IET) Christmas Lecture on Emergency on Planet Earth - understanding what's going on on our planet and what we can do about it. Watch it here. In November 2020 I gave the opening talk at the Cambridge Zero Climate Change Festival, on what's really going on on our planet and why, where we are heading and what we can all do to help - and also touching on my journey into activism and why I've devoted my life to raising awareness about the crisis. You can watch the talk here.
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I did a family show at the Cambridge Zero Climate Change Festival, based on my books Brain-fizzing Facts and World-whizzing Facts (see below). Watch it here. And I recently made a series of short videos on understanding climate change and wildlife loss and dealing with the emotions that come up around these issues with Andy Cameron from Healthy Mind UK for the opening of the Youth Climate Summit 2020. Watch the primary schools version here and the secondary schools version here.
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I am an ambassador for the Jewish Genetic Disorders charity Jnetics (presenting talks and workshops in Jewish secondary schools across London to raise awareness about the importance of genetic testing), and for the charity Inspiring Engineering (a website to inspire young people into engineering professions); a patron of the Aspergillosis Trust patient advocacy group and of Kinetic Science - a charity which inspires children to consider science and maths as career options - and a Sheffield Methods Institute (SMI) visiting Fellow at the University of Sheffield, where my role involves providing communication skills training events, giving talks and lectures to staff and students, and being a member of the SMI Advisory Board.
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Over the past five years I have given over 200 talks on a variety of cutting edge science topics at more than 80 schools, 20 universities, and at a variety of live events such as The Hay Festival, The Science Museum, Cheltenham Science Festival and The British Science Festival.
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In 2019 I was a member of the Bank of England Banknote Advisory Committee who chose Alan Turing to be the face of the new polymer £50 note. You can listen here to an interview I did on BBC Radio 4's Inside Science about the campaign or you can watch interviews I gave on Sky News and Channel 5 News. Watch a video here of the Bank of England Committee sharing our thoughts about the selection process, watch an interview I gave on Sky News about why we chose Turing, or read an opinion piece I wrote in The Guardian about it.
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At the 2017 STEM Inspiration Awards at The House of Lords, I was named as the second Honorary STEM Ambassador alongside astronaut Tim Peake, for my work in STEM education and as a role model to young women. Honorary STEM Ambassadors are representatives of the 30,000 STEM Ambassadors across the UK, and stand as champions for the importance of STEM education.
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From 2013-2016 I spent six seasons as a resident member of the panel of experts for Sky1's celebrity panel show Duck Quacks Don't Echo hosted by Lee Mack. You can catch previous episodes on repeat.
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In 2015 I was also the resident science expert on ITV's The Alan Titchmarsh Show and an expert on Discovery Channel's How Do They Do It?
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On my YouTube Channel you can find numerous media interviews, as well as a short film I wrote and presented for Visit Guernsey on the science behind how to have a happy holiday, a series called Cinema Science I wrote and presented for for BBC BritLab taking a look at the science behind what goes on in the movies, and a series on The Senses for The Royal Institution. The episode on How To Stop Yourself Being Ticklish has received over 430,000 views.
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I have been trained to deliver the WISE Campaign's People Like Me STEM careers workshops for girls aged 11-14.
Follow me on Twitter @DrEmilyGrossman for regular updates
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