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Professor John Simpson, Head of the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Nuclear Physics Group, has been awarded the prestigious Rutherford Medal and Prize for 2016 by the Institute of Physics (IOP) for his outstanding contributions to nuclear physics.

The Rutherford Medal and Prize is awarded every two years to an outstanding nuclear physicist, and Professor Simpson now joins the ranks of other distinguished recipients of this accolade, who include Nobel Prize winners Professor Peter Higgs, Sir John Cockcroft and Professors Aage and Niels Bohr.

Professor Simpson, who is also a visiting professor at the University of Liverpool, has received the award for his outstanding leadership in the development of new gamma ray detector technologies, which have transformed the field of nuclear spectroscopy. He is also recognised for his significant contributions to our understanding of the structure of atomic nuclei through his experimental nuclear physics research within the UK and internationally.

Professor Simpson said: “I’m delighted and honoured to be recognised by the Institute of Physics with this award. I feel very grateful to those I have worked with, at STFC and across the UK, and through international collaborations, all of which are playing their part in revolutionising what we understand about nuclear structure today.”

Professor Simpson has played a lead role in a number of international collaborations, most notably in the formation of a 12 country collaboration to build the AGATA detector, which led to unprecedented insights into nuclear structure. He is also exploiting the instrumentation and technical advances resulting from these collaborations in areas of societal importance, particularly medical imaging, security systems, waste and environmental monitoring.

Professor Susan Smith, Head of STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, said: “I’m thrilled that Professor Simpson has been awarded the Rutherford Award and Prize by the Institute. This is well-deserved recognition of his outstanding scientific work that has contributed significantly to the health and vitality of world-leading nuclear physics research over the past four decades, and for his inspirational contributions that are revolutionising what we understand about nuclear structure today.”

The full list of award winners can be found on the Institute of Physics website.

Further information

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Professor John Simpson, who has been awarded the Rutherford Medal and Prize 2016 by Institute of Physics.
(Credit: Institute of Physics)

Contact

Wendy Ellison
Science and Technology Facilities Council
Daresbury Laboratory
01925 603232 / 07919 548012

About the Rutherford Medal and Prize

The Council of The Physical Society instituted the Rutherford Memorial Lecture in 1939, in memory of Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson. Lord Rutherford was the father of nuclear physics, discovering the concept of radioactive half-life, proved that radioactivity involved the transmutation of one chemical element to another. In 1908 he received the Nobel Prize for chemistry for this work.

Owing to the outbreak of war, the first Rutherford Memorial lecture was not given until 1942. In 1965 the Council decided that, in view of the changed conditions since the lecture was established, this should become a medal and prize. The first award was made in 1966. The award is now made biennially in even dated years.

About the Institute of Physics

The Institute of Physics is a leading scientific society. We are a charitable organisation with a worldwide membership of more than 50,000, working together to advance physics education, research and application.

We engage with policymakers and the general public to develop awareness and understanding of the value of physics and, through IOP Publishing, we are world leaders in professional scientific communications.

Follow the Institute of Physics at @PhysicsNews for more information about our publication and news from IOP.