Rachel Brazil
Rachel has been a freelance science writer for almost a decade.
Based in London, she writes for a variety of publications on scientific areas, including chemistry, materials science, biomedical and pharmaceutical science, and science and innovation policy.
Prior to this, she worked in a number of scientific organizations, including the RSC, the Royal Institution and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (Nesta). From 2006–2010 she ran Nesta's national researcher development programme, Crucible. Focused on encouraging creativity and stimulating interdisciplinary encounters between early career researchers, Crucible has now been adopted by a number of UK Universities.
Rachel herself has an interdisciplinary academic background, with degrees in chemistry and a PhD in archaeological conservation. She is also a trainer for the British Council’s Researcher Connect programme, teaching in China, Russia and Mexico.
FeatureChemical clocks for archaeological artefacts
Radiocarbon dating is a standard technique, but what if your artefacts are inorganic? Rachel Brazil finds out how to accurately age pottery and even metals
FeatureSuperhydrophobic materials from nature
Chemists who want to make materials that repel water but do not contain fluorocarbons are taking their inspiration from nature, Rachel Brazil finds
CareersAre chemical engineering and biochemistry their own disciplines?
Exploring the edges of the chemical science family
FeatureScience in microgravity
How does gravity affect chemistry and biology? More than you might think – and you don’t have to visit space to find out, as Rachel Brazil discovers
FeatureScience, suffrage and misogyny
100 years after women could first vote in UK general elections, Rachel Brazil looks back at their fight for professional equality in chemistry
CareersThe unsung heroes of the lab
Why technicians need more recognition for their essential role in science
CareersThe art of crafting conferences
The benefits and challenges of three approaches to scientific meetings
FeatureThe nanocoatings holding back corrosion
Corrosion is an age-old problem, but some of the latest solutions are distinctly 21st century. Rachel Brazil reports
CareersHow to form a research collaboration
Five tips for success when partnering up in the name of science
CareersHow to get your research published
Writing your first paper can be daunting: here are five top tips
FeatureCombining homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis
Can you make a catalyst that has the stability and recyclability of a heterogeneous one with the selectivity of a homogeneous one? Rachel Brazil talks to the scientists finding out
CareersHow to work in another country
Five tips for getting the most out of moving to a lab in a new land
