Interview with Dr Andrew Pinder, conducted by Professor Tilli Tansey, for the History of Modern Biomedicine Research Group, 10 November 2016, in the School of History, Queen Mary University of London. Transcribed by Mrs Debra Gee, and edited by Professor Tilli Tansey. The project management and the technical support were undertaken by Mr Adam Wilkinson and Mr Alan Yabsley, respectively.
Dr Andrew Pinder MA PhD CEng MIET CPhys MInstP FRSA (b. 1953) graduated in physics from the University of Oxford in 1974. After a short period in industry, he joined the scientific staff of the Engineering Department at the NIMR in 1978, where he worked on projects ranging from eardrum vibration measurement to high-speed cell sorting and laser spectroscopy, obtaining a PhD (in collaboration with University College London) in 1983. He moved to the BBSRC Institute of Food Research in Norwich in 1985 as Senior Research Leader of the laser and imaging group in the Biophysics Department. Increasingly drawn towards communicating science to the general public, he received awards for this work from the Royal Society, the British Association, and the British Council. In 1999, with the opportunity to produce a series on cell biology for BBC2 ('Cell City'), he finally left research and started his own production company. He has since made programmes for all four major UK broadcasters, together with Teachers’ TV and many Government and corporate clients. In 2000 he received an RS/BA Millennium Fellowship.
The History of Modern Biomedicine Research Group is funded by the Wellcome Trust, which is a registered charity (no. 210183). The current interview has been funded by the Wellcome Trust Strategic Award entitled “Makers of modern biomedicine: testimonies and legacy” (2012-2017; awarded to Professor Tilli Tansey).
The interview is part of the History of the Modern Biomedicine Interviews (Digital Collection).
Access to the transcript of this video interview and its related material:
History of Modern Biomedicine Interviews (Digital Collection), items e2017221-e2017230.
Access to the transcript of a longer, audio interview:
Example of how to cite: Tansey E M (intvr); Yabsley A (prod) (2017) Pinder, Andrew: 01 - Becoming a scientist: an inspirational teacher (10-Nov-2016). History of Modern Biomedicine Interviews (Digital Collection), item e2017222. London: Queen Mary University of London.
Note: Video interviews are conducted following standard oral history methodology, and have received ethical approval (reference QMREC 0642). Video interview transcripts are edited only for clarity and factual accuracy. Related material has been deposited in the Wellcome Library.
© The Trustee of the Wellcome Trust, London, 2017
Dr Pinder has contributed to our Wellcome Witness Seminar on Technology, Techniques, and Technicians at the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) c.1960-c.2000
