The Stempra Committee is made up of professionals who work for a variety of organisations including, but not limited to universities, learned societies, and research councils. Our goal is to support members, arrange events, and offer opportunities for training so that we, as a member organisation, can discuss the current challenges and best practice in the sector.
Our Committee
Shane Canning - Co-Chair
Head of Corporate Communications at the University of Edinburgh.
Shane has previously worked in media and communications roles at the National Institute for Health Research, F1000, the Medical Research Council and BioMed Central. Prior to working in communications, Shane worked for many years in editorial roles in STEM publishing for BioMed Central and Future Science Group.
Ruth Francis - Co-Chair
Freelance Communications Consultant.
After many years building and developing communications teams at Springer, BioMed Central and Nature, Ruth now runs her own business, providing communications support and advice for clients from individual scientists to world leading research institutions and NGOs. She has also worked in press offices in the higher education and charity sectors.
Jade Passey - Stempra Secretary
Research and Impact Communications Manager at Breast Cancer Now
Jade has over seven years’ experience in research communications, working at universities, scientific institutes, and more recently in the charity sector. She has managed digital channels, worked in a busy press office, and now focuses on communicating research impact.
Ed Day - Treasurer
Press Officer at Science Media Centre
Ed joined the Science Media Centre in August 2022 as a press officer. He graduated University College London with a degree in Natural Sciences, and was also an intern at the SMC in 2019, and then worked for a few years in scientific publishing before making the transition to science communications.
Inês Crespo - Events Coordinator
Communications Manager at ClimateXChange.
Inês leads the communications team at ClimateXChange, Scotland’s centre of expertise on climate change. She has over 17 years of experience, mostly in research communications across fields such as environment, physics and biology.
Deborah Kendall-Cheeseman - Membership Coordinator
Communications Manager at Springer Nature.
Deborah promotes research published in the BMC and Springer journals, as well as the Communications journals and Scientific Reports. Before this, she worked for two years in the editorial departments of Scientific Reports, the BMC journal Trials and the clinical trial registry ISRCTN. She has an MSci in Cell Biology from UCL.
Freya Robb - Newsletter Co-ordinator
Senior Press Officer at the Science Media Centre.
Freya works at the Science Media Centre, an independent press office helping to ensure that the public have access to the best scientific evidence and expertise through the news media when science hits the headlines. She have a particular focus and interest in neuroscience and mental health in the news.
Paula Geanau - Digital Content Co-Editor
Marketing and Communications Officer at British Association of Dermatologists.
Paula has been working in science communications since joining the British Association of Dermatologists in 2022, having previously worked in communications for an advocacy and immigration rights charity. She also has a Master’s degree in Conference Interpreting.
Arjun Sanganee - Digital Content Co-Editor
Arjun works in communications, helping to share scientific discoveries with a broader audience. He enjoys finding clear and engaging ways to present research, whether through digital content, media strategies, or storytelling. With experience collaborating across different groups. He hopes to spark curiosity and conversation around new scientific findings.
Nicola Frost – Committee Member
Communications Manager for the University of Liverpool’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.
Nicola worked in the University’s press office, leading media relations and PR activities for health and life sciences research, and also as a public engagement officer for infection and global health research. She has worked at the Science and Industry Museum, supporting the organisation and delivery of the award-winning Manchester Science Festival, and the environmental organisation Groundwork UK.
Caitlin Higgott – Committee Member
Communications and Engagement Manager at the Rosalind Franklin Institute
Caitlin joined to the Franklin in 2020 and now leads communications team there. She works closely with the Franklin’s scientists to develop engaging stories making their complex scientific research accessible for a wide variety of audiences. Before joining the Franklin, she completed her PhD in ecology at the University of Sheffield.
Clare Green – Committee Member
Media and Communications Officer at the Francis Crick Institute
Clare has worked at the Crick for over two years, promoting research papers and news on Crick channels and in the external media. She previously worked in the press team at Alzheimer’s Society, focusing on dementia research and policy, and at Science Gallery London, communicating art and science to visitors.
Alex Durk – Committee Member
Alex has been working in science communications for the last six years. He is currently a Communications Manager at Springer Nature, where he helps promote the research content from a portfolio of around 3,000 journals to the global news media, as well as working on research integrity issues. Prior to this, he worked at the UK’s Science Media Centre for four years, where he was responsible for the internship programme, amongst other things.