Dr Helen Scales is a writer, broadcaster and marine biologist based in Cambridge. Her work combines a passion for science, conservation, exploration and storytelling. As a scientist, Helen has a PhD from St John’s College, Cambridge and over ten years experience working for various conservation and research organisations specialising in marine habitat protection and international wildlife trade. She has lived and worked around the world including in Borneo, Madagascar, and West Africa.
Helen's latest book, Spirals in Time examining the secret life and curious afterlife of seashells, was a Guardian bestseller and BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week. Her writing has also appeared in the Guardian, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Natural History Magazine, and National Geographic.
Currently she is researching and writing her next book, From the Eye of the Shoal, in which she explores the science and wonders of fishes. It will be published by Bloomsbury in 2018.
She makes documentaries for BBC radio including The Life Subaquatic, exploring the enduring dream of living underwater and Making Waves, about the quest for conquering the surf. She appears regularly as a science and natural history expert on Sky News, BBC Radio 4 and the World Service.
As an experienced speaker, Helen has lectured to a wide variety of audiences including at science and literary festivals, the Royal Institution and London's Natural History Museum. Helen is scientific advisor to the marine conservation charity Sea Changers and a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
At ICE, Helen enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for both science and writing with students from all background and experiences. Her classes are a mixture of lively, multi-media presentations, group discussions and exercises. In her writing classes, students have a chance to get one-to-one feedback on their written work from Helen and she likes to keep in touch with students after the courses, to help mentor their continuing work.
