About me

I am a lecturer, researcher and Acting Head of Public Engagement in Cardiff University‘s School of Physics and Astronomy. My roles include:

  • Acting Head of Public Engagement
  • STFC Public Engagement Fellow (“The Dawn of the Era of Gravitational Waves”)
  • Ogden Science Lecturer
  • Undergraduate Admissions Tutor for the School of Physics and Astronomy

I am involved with the LIGO gravitational waves experiment, where I am particularly active education and public outreach. I have previously been involved in numerous astronomy and cosmology experiments and space missions, including Planck satellite and the Herschel Space Observatory.

I am also a broadcaster and science communicator, regularly appearing on TV and radio and publishing books and magazine articles. I co-present Pythagorean Astronomy, a podcast and radio show also broadcast on Radio Cardiff and internationally, as part of Pythagoras Trousers.

If you would like a biography for a public talk, then the short paragraph below is a good start (and should be up-to-date), though do get in touch if you need more info.

Dr Chris North is an astrophysicist at Cardiff University. Having worked on a number of experiments and space missions, including the Herschel Space Observatory, he is currently part of the LIGO collaboration, where he is particularly active in the outreach and public engagement. Chris is the Ogden Science Lecturer at Cardiff University, and holds an STFC Public Engagement Fellowship, and regularly speaks to teachers, schools, and anyone else who’ll listen about space and astronomy – including the Pythagorean Astronomy podcast. He is heavily involved in physics outreach engagement at Cardiff, and is the current Acting Head of Public Engagement. He makes regular appearances in the media, discussing a wide range of astronomical topics.