Brian Cox

Brian Cox
Name	Brian Cox
Caption	Cox at the Royal Institution, 2010
Birth date	3 March 1968
Birth place	Oldham, Lancashire, England
Nationality	British
Fields	Particle physics, astrophysics, science communication
Workplaces	University of Manchester, CERN, Royal Society
Alma mater	University of Manchester (BSc, MPhys, PhD)
Doctoral advisor	Robin Marshall
Known for	ATLAS experiment, Large Hadron Collider, BBC science programming
Awards	Kelvin Medal and Prize (2010), Michael Faraday Prize (2012), OBE (2020)
Spouse	Gia Milinovich (m. 2003)

Brian Cox. Brian Edward Cox is a British particle physicist, astrophysicist, and one of the world's most prominent science communicators. A professor at the University of Manchester and a researcher on the ATLAS experiment at CERN, he is best known to the public through his acclaimed BBC television series and live tours, which explore fundamental questions about the universe and our place within it.

Early life and education

Born in Oldham, Lancashire, Cox attended the local Hulme Grammar School before initially pursuing a career in music. He played keyboard for the pop bands Dare and D:Ream, the latter achieving a UK number-one single with "Things Can Only Get Better," later used as an anthem by the Labour Party (UK). His growing interest in physics led him to study at the University of Manchester, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in physics and a Master of Physics. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy in high-energy particle physics at the University of Manchester under the supervision of Robin Marshall, conducting research at the DESY laboratory in Hamburg.

Career

Cox's academic career is centered at the University of Manchester, where he is a professor of particle physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy. He is a key member of the ATLAS experiment, one of the major detector collaborations at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland. His research has contributed to studies of Higgs boson production and the search for phenomena beyond the Standard Model. He also serves as a Royal Society University Research Fellow and has held positions on several advisory committees for the Science and Technology Facilities Council and the Royal Society.

Scientific work and research

Cox's primary research focus is high-energy particle physics, particularly the study of proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. His work on the ATLAS experiment has involved precision measurements of the Higgs boson and searches for supersymmetric particles. He has co-authored numerous papers in journals like Physical Review Letters and has a strong interest in the intersection of particle physics and cosmology, including the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe and the properties of the early universe moments after the Big Bang.

Media and public engagement

Cox rose to widespread fame as the presenter of a series of highly popular BBC television documentaries, beginning with Wonders of the Solar System (2010) and followed by series such as Wonders of the Universe, Wonders of Life, and The Planets. His accessible, visually stunning presentations, often filmed at iconic global locations, have been credited with revitalizing public interest in science. He also co-hosts the long-running radio programme The Infinite Monkey Cage with comedian Robin Ince on BBC Radio 4, and undertakes extensive live theatre tours, including "Horizons: A 21st Century Space Odyssey."

Awards and honours

For his contributions to science communication, Cox has received the Kelvin Medal and Prize from the Institute of Physics and the Michael Faraday Prize from the Royal Society. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to science. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Institute of Physics, and has received honorary doctorates from several universities, including the University of Huddersfield and the University of Essex.

Personal life

Cox married television producer and writer Gia Milinovich in 2003; they have one son and live in London. An avid supporter of Manchester United F.C., he has spoken about the parallels between teamwork in football and large-scale scientific collaborations. He is a patron of the Norwood charity and has been involved in campaigns supporting the National Health Service and evidence-based policy, often engaging in public debates on topics ranging from nuclear power to space exploration.

Category:British physicists Category:English astrophysicists Category:Science communicators Category:1968 births Category:Living people