Founding Director, Dr Lisa Hall, studied physics at the University of Surrey, working each summer for sponsor DERA (now QinetiQ) in the Space Department and completed her Master’s degree with a year’s research for CERN, Switzerland. At CERN, Lisa helped to design the superconducting accelerator magnets, which are now part of the Large Hadron Collider, presently in operation.

After graduating, she achieved a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne based on her impressive exploration into the early stages of the Universe. She then took a 12-month break from studies to join a small consultancy firm as a research analyst, thus gaining valuable insight into the day-to-day running of a successful company.

Lisa returned to academia in 2005, having been awarded a prestigious research council (STFC) postdoctoral fellowship, and spent the next 3 years at the University of Sheffield in the Applied Mathematics department. During this time, she recognised a huge gap in the science market for top-grade science and technology skills.

With her business experience and unique insight into the relationship between industry and science, particularly maths and physics, Lisa identified a lack of communication and a desperate need for a consultancy which could bring the two sides together.

The result was ExcelScient.

Public Speaking

Lisa Hall is an entertaining and motivational public speaker, giving talks to varied audiences across the country. Audiences include GCSE and A-level groups in schools, event workshops and universities. Her school talks are especially popular during National Science Week and she is also regularly a guest speaker at Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) events, discussing her positive experiences of being a female scientist.

Lisa’s talks always initiate deep conversations about the mysteries of the universe around us, mathematical and physical techniques used, as well as instigating wider scientific debates.  Written using up-to-date scientific fact and discovery, the talks give a fascinating insight into modern science.

Lisa’s talks are accessible and interesting for varied audiences, to ensure that everyone is engaged and curiosity is roused.

Lisa has developed a series of talks, but always adapts the content for specific audiences and to encompass recent scientific research. Examples of talks include:

The Universe We Don’t See

Astrophysicists claim that the 96% of the Universe consists of Dark Energy and Dark Matter, neither of which are understood and neither have been directly detected! So how do we know of their existence and where are they? I shall discuss the physics we do understand and that which we don’t – and why we think Einstein might be wrong.

A Long Step into Space

The night sky is an elegant tool to learn about our cosmic history – we can see almost back to the Big Bang! Using stunning observation and powerful theory, it’s possible to understand the origin of the Universe and explain the Universe around us. If we understand the Universe’s past, can we predict its future?