Dr Silvia Lanati PhD, MSc, BSc
Senior Public Engagement Manager (Ops)
Silvia is Senior Public Engagement Manager (Operations) for the Public Engagement with Research unit.
Her role includes: planning, organising, curating and delivering the Southampton Science and Engineering Festival (SOTSEF), the Southampton Arts and Humanities Festival, and the University of Southampton 'Bringing Research to Life' Roadshow.
In addition, she provides consulting for activity design, large- and small-scale events organisation, in-person and digital events management, event evaluation and promotion.
Science is an extremely demanding and complex discipline, that above dedication and determination requires a good dose of stamina and mindfulness to overcome the darkest times where "nothing works", "it does not make any sense" or "weeks of work have just gone down the drain". Engaging people can have a healing effect for heart broken scientists after a day of experimental failures.
Silvia has a Ph.D. in Physiology and thanks to her studies and international work experience has a wide scientific background spanning from natural sciences to biochemical engineering. In her previous role, she worked as Communications, public engagement and events manager for the Administrative Data Research Centre for England, part of the UK wide ESRC-funded Administrative Data Research Network. She attended the 2019/20 NCCPE Engage Academy and is a member of the Public Engagement Professional Network (PEP Network).
She discovered her passion for public engagement whilst working in the laboratory as a cancer research scientist. In the past, she extensively volunteered with the Italian Red Cross and actively collaborated with Cancer Research UK. She brought the international Pint of Science festival to Southampton, co-founded the regional SotComm+ Socials, organised the 2017 ESRC Festival of Social Science event 'Hope & hops: the science of society' and the BSA Future Debates event 'Does it matter who fund science?' at the Winchester Discovery Centre. Silvia is also the creator of successful hands-on activities for research engagement.
Qualifications
- Ph.D. (Physiology), University of Bristol, Bristol, 2012
- M.Sc. (Experimental Biology), University of Pavia (Italy), 2005
- B.Sc. (Natural Sciences), University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy), 2003