Helen is a Physicist and oceanographer with a passion for science, sport, books, creativity, hot chocolate and investigating the interesting things in life. She currently works at the Institute for Sound and Vibration Research in Southampton.

Helen graduated from Cambridge University in 2001 with a first in Natural Sciences (Physics), and then was awarded a PhD in experimental explosives physics at Cambridge in 2006. During this time she also worked at the University of Toronto in Canada and Los Alamos National Laboratory in the USA. A continuing fascination with the world of very fast small-scale phenomena led her from explosives to the study of ocean bubble formation.

The next four years were spent working in the USA at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego and the Graduate School of Oceanography in Rhode Island. She returned to the UK in October 2010 to begin her own research project at Southampton University. Her research interests are the optics and acoustics of ocean bubbles, the structure of the bubble plumes caused by breaking waves, and the influence of ocean bubbles on the atmosphere.

During her time at university Helen was active in promoting science to the general public, including giving the Opening Lecture at Cambridge Science Fair and producing videos of various science experiments in the UK and USA. This brought her to the attention of the media, and Helen has appeared as guest science presenter on several TV programs. She is currently co-presenting the BBC2 series '23 degrees', due to be broadcast in March 2012.

Helen is very happy to be this year's Honorary President of the wonderful Winchester Skeptics.