Professor Fern Elsdon-Baker

Professor Fern Elsdon-Baker

Engineering and Physical Sciences
Professor of Science, Knowledge and Belief in Society
Director Research Institute for STEMM in Culture and Society (ISTEMMiCS)

Contact details

Address
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Professor Elsdon-Baker is a transdisciplinary researcher whose work is predominantly sociological, historical, philosophical and psychological in approach. Her research interests are:

  • The perception of, and trust in, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) in diverse societies and across cultures
  • Public space and cultural narratives surrounding STEMM
  • National or international STEMM communication and public engagement
  • The role of 'science', non-religion and/or beliefs in relation to social identity, stereotypes and prejudice formation
  • International public perceptions of the relationship between science and belief 
  • Diversity in STEMM and Innovation

Professor Elsdon-Baker is part of the Birmingham Plastics Network, an interdisciplinary team of more than 40 academics working together to shape the fate and sustainable future of plastics.  This unique team brings together chemists, environmental scientists, philosophers, linguists, economists, and experts in many other fields, to holistically address the global plastics problem.

Qualifications

  • PhD in History and Philosophy of Evolutionary Science, University of Brighton (2007).
  • BSc (Hons) Environmental Science, University of Brighton (2002)

Biography

I am currently the UKRI Future Flight Challenge Social Science Research Director and the Director of the research Institute for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine in Culture and Society (ISTEMMiCS) at the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. I am Ìýa transdisciplinary researcher with a background in science studies who leads a portfolio of research projects in the UK and internationally which draw on a range of social science/humanities approaches and methodologies including, qualitative and quantitative sociology, governance and political sciences, social and experimental psychology, media and communication studies, science and technology studies, transport studies and the history and philosophy of science.Ìý

Before moving to the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, I was the Director of the Centre for Science, Knowledge and Belief in SocietyÌýat Newman University. Prior to that I was deputy Director of the Centre for Social Relations at Coventry University.

I briefly left academia from 2008 – 2012 to work for the British Council on large-scale science and religion related projects. In the first instance I worked as Head of theÌýDarwin NowÌýProject.ÌýDarwin NowÌýwas a multi-million-pound global initiative running in 50 countries worldwide, which celebrated the life and work of Charles Darwin, as part of the international celebrations of the Darwin anniversaries in 2009. Subsequently, I went on to become Director of the British CouncilsÌýBelief in DialogueÌýProgramme – a multi-regional portfolio of inter-cultural and interfaith dialogue projects.

My earlier doctoral/postdoctoral research focused on theories of inheritance, science communication and its relationship to scientific knowledge production from the 1800s to present. In 2009 I published a book based on aspects of this research:Ìý.

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Postgraduate supervision

I am happy to supervise students on any aspects of the following areas:

Science and Technology in Society
Public Engagement with STEMM
International Science Communication/Public Engagement with STEMM
Public Perceptions of Science in Diverse Societies


Find out more - our PhD Theology and Religion  page has information about doctoral research at the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.

Research

My current primary research focuses include: the impacts emerging technologies in society; equality, diversity and inclusion in science and technology; inclusive innovation; perceptions and trustworthiness of science and technology; responsible research and innovation; innovation governance; and communication of/engagement with science and technology in diverse and pluralistic societies. I have previously developed new conceptualisations of the role of social identity, stereotyping, and social projection in relation to the ways in which individuals, groups or communities respond to or perceive STEMM in the UK and Internationally. I am now building on this work, to develop new modes of engagement with communities, innovators, decision makers and wider publics upstream of technological innovation, developing new conceptualisations of socially engaged innovation.

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Publications

Recent publications

Book

Elsdon-Baker, F, Riley, J & Jones, S (eds) 2025, . 1 edn, Routledge.

Elsdon-Baker, F & Lightman, B 2020, . University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh.

Article

Hughes, R, Sharp, C, Leicht, C & Elsdon-Baker, F 2025, '', Archive for the Psychology of Religion.

Fitz Herbert, AL, Rivera, R, Ketelhohn, F & Elsdon-Baker, F 2024, '', Acta Sociologica (United Kingdom), vol. 67, no. 2, pp. 149-163.

Catto, R, Shillitoe, R, Jones, S, Kaden, T & Elsdon-Baker, F 2023, '', Secularism and Nonreligion, vol. 12, 3.

Catto, R, Riley, J, Elsdon-Baker, F, Jones, SH & Leicht, C 2022, '', Acta Sociologica.

Leicht, C, Sharp, C, LaBouff, J, Zarzeczna, N & Elsdon-Baker, F 2021, '', The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion.

Sharp, C, Leicht, C, Rios, K, Zarzeczna, N & Elsdon-Baker, F 2021, '', Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.

Jones, S, Elsdon-Baker, F, Catto, R & Kaden, T 2020, '', Public Understanding of Science, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 579-596.

Chapter (peer-reviewed)

Riley, J & Elsdon-Baker, F 2025, . in F Elsdon-Baker, SH Jones & J Riley (eds), International Perspectives on Science, Culture, and Belief: From Complexity to Globality. Routledge.

Kaden, T, Jones, S, Catto, R & Elsdon-Baker, F 2020, . in B Schnettler, T Szydlik & H Pach (eds), Religiöse Kommunikation und weltanschauliches Wissen. Springer, Wiesbaden.

Chapter

Elsdon-Baker, F 2020, . in Identity in a Secular Age: Science, Religion and Public Perceptions . University of Pittsburgh.

Other report

Dove, A, Elsdon-Baker, F, Krause, S, Thomson, I, Riley, J, Hall, A, Lean, T & Strahan, D 2023, . ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. </documents/college-eps/plastics/uob-plastic-call-to-action-2023.pdf>

Elsdon-Baker, F & Khan, K 2022, . <>

Review article

Dove, A, Lee, R, Farag, H, Macpherson, R, Krause, S, Elsdon-Baker, F & Cavoski, A 2025, '', Environmental Law Review, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 42-49.