LAMDA & DBS Approved
Our Team
Science Made Simple has a team of highly skilled science communication specialists.
Drawn from a wide range of disciplines, they are all driven by a belief that learning can and should be fun.
LAMDA & DBS Approved
Our presenters are LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) trained and are DBS checked
Wendy Sadler MBE
Founding Director & Senior Lecturer at Cardiff University
Wendy Sadler
Wendy is the Founding Director of Science Made Simple and a senior lecturer in Science Communication and Engagement at Cardiff University.
She is passionate about inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers and communicators, and making STEM subjects accessible to more diverse audiences. She is a fellow of the Learned Society of Wales and was awarded an MBE for services to science in the Queen’s Birthday honours list in 2018.
Her first degree was in Physics and Music and she has always had an interest in combining science and the arts. She led the idea of an innovative non-verbal theatre show called The Experimentrics which has toured to over 15 countries and been a sell-out show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She has an MSc in Science Communication from the Open University with a dissertation on the long-term impact of science demonstration shows.
Wendy is one of just a handful of people who is an EU Descartes Laureate in Science Communication – along with two of her own heroes David Attenborough and Bill Bryson. She has won a number of awards including Welsh Woman of the Year (Science and Technology), WISE Excellence Award and STEM Champion Mastering Diversity award.
Wendy loves to share her passion for the importance of diversity in science with audiences of all kinds, from primary schools to politicians after-dinner. She is a LAMDA accredited public speaker at the highest level, and she experiments with her own vocal chords in the inspiring Technicolour choir.
Wendy regularly appears on TV, Radio and social media discussing the importance of science and engineering in education and for the wider public. You can see her most watched TikTok videos here and giving her six top tips for science communication on YouTube here.
Rachel Mason
Associate Director – Business Development
Rachel Mason
With a BSc in Biology and Psychology from Keele University and an MSc in Science Communication from the University of Glamorgan/Techniquest , Rachel has worked in a wide range of UK organisations dedicated to public engagement with the sciences. She started out in the press office of the British Science Association, and went from there to Theatre in Education performance, international exhibition project management at Science Projects Ltd and management of Techniquest Glyndŵr, North Wales’ leading science centre (now Explore! Science Discovery Centre).
Following a period working as a consultant for BIG STEM Communicators Network, STEMNET, Graphic Science, See-Science and others, she joined Science Made Simple to support the company with its innovative training work with universities and industry, and through grant and corporate funded activity.
When not in the office, Rachel likes to swim and cycle and she competes – when the mood takes her – in sprint triathlons.
David Price
Senior STEM Communicator and Business Manager, North
David Price
He completed his undergraduate studies at Liverpool University in History and American Studies in 1988. After working in industry for 10 years he became a builder of interactive science exhibits and now loves to build science shows and highly interactive science experiences for audiences of all ages.
Always a keen informal science communicator, in 2009 David was the awarded BIG STEM Communicators’ Network professional study bursary, which took him to the World Street Performance Championships. This visit launched him into his chosen specialism of science busking which he pursues with vigour around the world.
David is a LAMDA trained public speaker to gold level with distinction. He regularly trains diverse groups in both science communication and science busking techniques and undertook a month-long tour of Norway on behalf of the Association of Norwegian Science Centres in order to foster science busking there.
Videos and Gallery
David performs yet more expert science busking to unsuspecting shoppers in Manchester. Armed with only a suitcase of miscellaneous objects, he entertains, delights, and even makes heads explode.
Ruth Perkins
Senior STEM Communicator
Ruth Perkins
Ruth previously worked for the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. She also delivers interactive science workshops for ‘Chemistry with Cabbage’.
She started her science communication career whilst still at university, studying physics. She is LAMDA accredited to Gold standard.
Videos and Gallery
Here Ruth shows you an experiment that you can do at home, showing how we can get heat energy to do work for us.
Gethin Spiller
STEM Communicator
Gethin Spiller
Having taken STEM A levels and started a physics and maths degree, Gethin found the university route wasn’t right for him. But his love of both science and performing makes him an excellent addition to our presenting team! He is a fluent Welsh and English speaker, and his role at Science Made Simple is focused around developing our bilingual provision for schools in Wales.
When he’s not at work, Gethin likes to ice skate, play Dungeons and Dragons, and work on one of his many crafting hobbies.
Gaz Smith
Special Projects Manager
Gaz Smith
Apart from being one half of The Experimentrics show team, Gaz constructs props and demonstration equipment for Science Made Simple shows. Less excitingly, he also deals with Health and Safety issues.
Following his first degree in Biochemistry, he became a developer of interactive exhibits and has worked on science exhibitions in the UK, Australia, Germany, Switzerland and, unusually, Liechtenstein.
After gaining his Master’s degree in Science Communication in 2001, he co-developed and toured a circus science show, and followed that with running a Wales-wide Mathematics engagement project before joining Science Made Simple, where his involvement with the critically acclaimed theatre show Visualise began. Wherever he can he tries to blur the boundaries between art and science. He loves riding motorbikes and is happiest when working with wood.
Videos and Gallery
Gaz makes up half of ‘The Experimentrics’. A mischievous mix of physical theatre and live science demonstrations – all performed without words!
Dan Reed
Finance & Contracts Manager
Dan Reed
He’s also our solderer-in-chief and loves to take our Madlab electronics workshops to schools and festivals, where we talk about electrical components, putting circuit boards together and soldering.
When Dan isn’t talking money, law and resistors, he can often be found buried up to his neck in chillies. Not only does he enjoy growing chillies in the fine sub-tropical climate of Wales, he also makes a variety of sauces, jams, pickles and powders from them, selling them from his Chilli of the Valley company. During the summer and autumn months, when the fresh chillies are in season, Dan likes to go out chilli busking at festivals for Science Made Simple.
Videos and Gallery
Dan is Science Made Simple’s resident chilliologist. Here is he explaining why chillies are so hot.
Helen James
Finance Administrator
Helen James
Helen deals with all our expenses, travel and hotel bookings. She enjoys nothing more than opening our little envelopes of receipts and seeing what weird and wonderful props the team have been buying for our shows and blogs. She also tasks herself with finding the nicest and most reasonably priced accommodation as near as possible to our show venues, ensuring that we arrive refreshed, prompt and raring-to-enthuse our audiences.
She is also very keen on protecting our environment being the proud owner of shiny solar panels, water butts and composters, while attempting to grow some vegetables and fruit too. We often come into a dark office in the mornings, where she is busy working in the dark to save electricity.
Hannah Lister
Bookings Administrator
Hannah Lister
She has a Bachelor of Education degree in Education and Music from the University of Wales Trinity St David’s and has extensive experience in supporting education and science communication initiatives.
She joined the team in 2019, after a spell with Cardiff University School of Medicine’s Community Learning Team, making sure that medical students get their experience in hospitals and GP surgeries across Wales. She’s a wonderfully calming influence on our presenter team when the bookings are flying around.
Her previous experience working as a teacher in schools and as project support for Techniquest Science Centre makes her the perfect addition to our team.
In her time outside Science Made Simple, Hannah is a keen potter.
