Deputy Director, Science Museum

Continuing Policy Fellow, Centre for Science and Policy

Dr Julia Knights is Deputy Director of the Science Museum with oversight of Collections, Visitor Experience & Curatorial teams. Julia joined the Museum from the Senior Civil Service, where she was Deputy Director, Energy and Climate Science at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

Prior to this, Julia spent 12 years as a Diplomat in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office heading up the science teams in East China, Russia, Brazil, Argentina & Chile.

During this time, Julia managed large science programmes including a £150 Million fund for UK-Brazil research in climate, biodiversity, sustainable agriculture and tropical medicine. Julia also designed & led science diplomacy campaigns including the UK-Brazil Year of Science 2018-2019; UK-Brazil climate lecture series at Rio 2016 Olympics and the UK-Russia Year of Space 2011.

Julia holds a BSc Hons in soil science, an MSc in crop protection & a PhD in biogeochemistry related to climate. Julia is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology.