John Bryant

In 1985, John Bryant was appointed to the newly established Chair in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Exeter, having previously held academic posts at the Universities of Nottingham and Cardiff. He was Head of Biological Sciences from 1986-1991 and Director of Research/Deputy Head of Biological Sciences from 1991-1998. In 1995 he introduced one of the first courses in a UK university on Bioethics for Biology students and ran the course until 2009. Since 2002, John has been co-Chair of the Higher Education Academy) Special Interest Group on Teaching Ethics to Bioscience Students. John was also Visiting Professor of Molecular Biology at West Virginia State University from 1999-2007, President of the Society for Experimental Biology from 2003-2005 and Chair of Christians in Science from 2001-2007. In 2006 and 2008 he was nominated for the Bioscience Federation award for Science Communication and in 2007 was elected to the International Society for Science and Religion. John is a frequent speaker on Science and Faith and on Bioethics and is a regular member of the teaching team that puts on courses at the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion. He has given public lectures on Bioethical issues and on Science and Faith in universities in the UK, Australia, Belgium, USA and Ireland and in several Cafe Scientifique venues. He was also involved in making the highly acclaimed Test of Faith DVD and associated print resources. He is regularly interviewed on local and on Christian radio and occasionally on TVOver his long career, John’s research has largely focussed on the workings of genes, mainly in plants and micro-organisms. He has used GM techniques in his research and, because of his teaching both in Biology and in Bioethics, he is equally familiar with applications in animals and in humans.John’s books include Bioethics for Scientists (a resource for academics and researchers in the Biosciences), Introduction to Bioethics (for Bioscience undergraduates) and Life in Our Hands (a Christian perspective on genetics, GM, cloning and stem cells). He has also published extensively in the biological sciences area. In addition, he writes for wider readerships in both Christian and ‘secular’ magazinesJohn is a member of the Leader team and is on the speaking rota at Exeter Network Church (www.enc.uk.net), a part of the Church of England’s Fresh Expressions movement. He is an enthusiastic runner, and is passionate about Crystal Palace FC and about wild places ‘ deserts, moors, mountains and marshes