BBC Radio 4 interview with Professor Catherine Heymans

The Astronomy Royal for Scotland shares her life and work on The Life Scientific.

BBC Radio 4 is set to air an episode of The Life Scientific exploring the life and work of astrophysicist and Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Professor Catherine Heymans.

Hosted by theoretical physicist Professor Jim Al-Khalili, the programme will be broadcast on Radio 4 at 09:00 BST on Tuesday 3 June, and repeated at 21:00 BST on Wednesday 4 June.

Professor Heymans studied for an MPhys in Astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh, then completed her PhD at the University of Oxford. Her research career, which has included leading several international collaborations, seeks to shed light on the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter – elusive entities that together account for more than 95 per cent of the Universe.

In 2021, Professor Heymans was appointed Astronomer Royal for Scotland. Created in 1834, the position was originally held by the director of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh. Since 1995, however, it has been awarded as an honorary title. As the eleventh Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Professor Heymans focuses on sharing her passion for astronomy with people from all walks of life across Scotland.