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Royal Society / Jesus College
Hi Betina! Can you tell us a little bit about you and your research at NDCN?
My lab investigates major questions in neuroscience, especially how do we see? Although many of us depend on vision for our daily interactions, there are critical aspects of this fundamental process from eye to brain that we don’t understand.
To understand vision in the human brain, The Vision Group uses non-invasive brain imaging to study the visual system, its structure, function and mechanisms. For example, Rebecca Willis, a DPhil student in my lab, is leading the KOALA study to understand neurodevelopment in in children with amblyopia using MRI. Dr Juju Fars and Lucy Starling are pioneering virtual reality technology to deliver vision training at home.
What I really love about this is that we live in an incredibly exciting time where discoveries in basic science can make a tangible difference to people. It is a true privilege to be a scientist, tackle the big challenges and advance the knowledge frontier. Ultimately, our aim is to create research that can help people with vision disorders who have no standard treatments.
What drew you to neuroscience?
I am a bit unconventional because I started in science quite late. I was a second-year undergraduate fine art student in London. At that time, I was fascinated by light as an artistic material to physically shape in the studio. Then I stumbled across an unusual book for an art library. Unlike the books on Miro, Hirst, Merleau-Ponty and Picasso, this book was about neurophysiology. So, this book on the brain took me by surprise, and it opened my eyes, because up to this point I hadn't thought at all about even the possibility that we could explain brain function by investigating it. My high school biology lessons covered plant photosynthesis and bee anatomy, but not the brain. By reading the book I realised that vision partly happens inside my head, that it was mysterious, that there was more to discover. It was a turning point that drew me towards neuroscience.
You're also a published children's author. How did that come about and was writing for children something you had always wanted to do?
While the idea was with me since my daughter was born, I didn’t know how to publish a children’s book. I had no connections in publishing, nothing but a vague idea. Then I saw an interview with one of my favourite children’s book authors Chris Haughton. I identified with him, because he hesitated for years before he made his first book. A friend recommended him to go to the Bologna Children’s Book fair, a major book fair Italy, to spur him into action. I did copy and paste. Over an easter break, I went to Bologna Book fair armed with a portfolio and my sketches. My daughter was two at that time, and she came along with my partner. The adventure paid off, because the conversations I had there were the beginning of my book on the brain for children.
How did you get involved with the Royal Society Young People's Book Prize?
Very simple. One day, I got an invitation to be on the Royal Society Youth People’s Book Prize panel in my inbox. A few weeks later I received a gigantic box, filled to the bursting point with gorgeous picture books. It was like birthday and Christmas combined! My family devoured the books, and the hard thing became retrieving and prying them away from their favourites for my assessment.
Narrowing a list of 42 great books down to a shortlist of just 6 is quite a challenge! What were you looking for in the shortlisted books?
We knew what we were looking for in the shortlisted books. The panel had some fantastic criteria from the Royal Society. The one that struck me most was the question if the book could change a young person’s attitude to science from it being “boring and hard” to something interesting. Yes, books have the power to change your mind.
Personally, I liked thoughtful clarity, pacing of word and image and playful humour more than overly busy pages – which can be information overload. As a vision scientist, I also noted that certain styles of digital illustrations can lack contrast and realistic detail to be eye catching for young readers. Satisfying visuals were also important in my assessment.
Our panel was composed of a prize-winning author/illustrator, a primary school teacher, and three scientists, including Oxford volcanologist Professor Tamsin Mather. It was a recipe for strong, diverse opinions. Thankfully, The Royal Society facilitated the discussions. One of my favourite books was shot down in flames. Nothing I said could bring it back on the shortlist. We liked books where the creative team took some risks – yet the book had the quality of an instant classic for kids. Across the books, we also looked for a good balance of topics and styles. We finally whittled it down to six. I’ve got my bet on one of the books, but I won’t say which one. The real judges are the children in the primary schools.
In a digital age what do you think the value of books are for young people?
Our world is changing very quickly, even more quickly for young people. Amidst this change, books can be a source of constancy, inspiration, comfort, wisdom and escape that we all need. Books are little boxes of light and hope in a time of increasing chaos of misinformation.
Just for fun, do you remember your favourite book as a child or ones that inspired you?
Krabat, from Otfried Preussler. There are ravens, dark arts, unexplained death. It is sparse and utterly captivating in its evocation of traditions and rural places.
Wearing any or all of your hats (as a scientist, author, and parent), what are your top tips for engaging children with science?
Just this week, my kids - aged 7 and 11 now, asked me: what makes a candle burn? Why do we have eyelashes? Can I cut them off? Kids are brilliant thinkers, full of strange and difficult questions. I only have a simple tip, which is to have fun finding things out. Let them pursue their curiosity and find their own way into science.
For example, your kid likes rocks? My son loves rocks. Go rock hunting together with a hammer and a bag. Sit in your driveway and crack open some rocks. You’ll be surprised by how they look inside. Then build on that.
My daughter is in secondary school now, and she told me about her science class which she usually doesn’t. Why did she tell me about it this time? Because there was an explosion. A planned explosion, but the fact that it did something visible was key for her. Science transformed from an abstract entity to something that impacts on the real world. Seeing, hearing, feeling – and perhaps one day, being that connection - is tremendous.
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The Young People's Book Prize aims to promote literacy in young people and inspire them to read about science. It also supports the writing of excellent, accessible STEM books for under-14s. Each year, the winner is selected by judging panels made up of thousands of young people at schools across the UK from a shortlist selected by an adult panel.
View the shortlist at https://royalsociety.org/news/2025/11/young-peoples-book-prize-shortlist-2025/