Professor John Wood

John Wood has spent much of his life putting atoms where they did not want to be and describes himself as an atomic anarchist. He has worked entirely in academic or academic related environments having held positions in Cambridge, Open, and Nottingham Universities, and ending his academic career as Principal of Engineering at Imperial College. Starting with a metallurgy degree from Sheffield University he went on to Cambridge to undertake his Ph.D. before becoming a research fellow at Churchill College. He was subsequently awarded a higher doctorate from Sheffield and has honorary doctorates from universities in Romania, India, and Ghana. Currently, he holds several honorary chairs and fellowships at UK Universities and is a fellow of Synchrotrone Trieste in Italy. For seven years he was chief executive of the Council for the Central Laboratories of the Research Councils where he was responsible for running large international science facilities and projects in the UK and internationally. He is currently a consultant to CERN in Geneva, concerned with new disruptive technologies and to “think the unthinkable”. For 20 years he was consultant to the European Commission on international research infrastructures, Open Science and Open Innovation.

After he retired from university, he became Secretary-General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities and has extensive knowledge of universities worldwide. Until joining Canterbury Christ Church University as an Independent Governor he was a member of Brunel University Council. He is a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He was made a CBE for services to science, is an Officer of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and is an honorary citizen of Cluj-Napoca in Romania. He is a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Founders and was Master of company for 2021-22.

With his wife Alison, they founded a charity in 1984 based at their home in North Bedfordshire for socially disadvantaged people with mental, learning and other difficulties. John is a Reader in the Church of England and is a member of the Bishop of St Albans “Science and Apologetics” board.