Dr Michelle Carlin

Dr Michelle Carlin, Senior Lecturer in Forensic and Analytical Chemistry, Applied Sciences.

Dr Carlin became the worldwide authority on toxicology in March 2018, when former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were hospitalised in a nerve agent attack.

An expert toxicologist, Dr Carlin provided the media with her chemical knowledge of the nerve agent, Novichock, which was used in liquid form to poison the Skripals, who were found unconscious on a bench on 4th March 2018. She was able to discuss the effects of Novichock on the human body after someone has been exposed to the nerve agent. Dr Carlin gave interviews to news channels including Sky News, BBC World, ITV, France 24, TRT World and Fox News among others. In print media, she has led discussions in the likes of The Guardian, The Independent, the Times and New York Times.

Dr Carlin believes scientists have a responsibility to be able to communicate science to the wider public in an accessible and approachable way. “Chemistry is amazing,” she says. “If you’re a good communicator and you can explain the science to somebody without getting too technical, then that’s a good thing.”

Although Dr Carlin admits, addressing the word via global news channels was intimidating at first, she felt proud that they were featuring a female toxicologist – she was the only female toxicologist that they interviewed on TV at the time. “It was International Women’s Day 2018, which I thought was rather apt. It was a good day to be a woman in science.”

Dr Carlin has since been approached by the US Department of Homeland Security after sharing her expertise via US media channels and has been recognised by the Royal Society of Chemistry for her extensive work in “advancing the chemical sciences” to people around the world.