A tribute to Simon Park

05 November 2021

The Microbiology Society pays tribute to Dr Simon Park, a long-standing member of the Society and winner of the 2015 Peter Wildy Prize.

Dr Park was Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biology at the University of Surrey and was well known for his engagement work, which crossed the boundaries of science and art, collaborating with many artists over the course of his career.

In 2015, he was awarded the Microbiology Society’s Peter Wildy Prize for an outstanding contribution to microbiology communication, recognising his innovative work to bring together art and microbiology. This included his collaborations with artists to produce paintings using living coloured bacteria and developing a photo booth using bioluminescent microbes.

Dr Park was inspired to become a scientist from his interest in science and nature from a young age and his passion for science fiction. During his career he became fascinated by art and the ways it can engage people that the formal scientific process cannot. Recognised as a visual scientist, he worked with artists to discuss the ways it’s possible to alter the usual practice of an artist by working with them to get bacteria to paint themselves.

Professor Gill Elliot at the University of Surrey said: “Simon was a wonderful microbiologist who was loved by his students at the University of Surrey and inspired a generation of young microbiologists as they started out on their careers. He was a skilled and passionate communicator of the wonders of micro-organisms, using innovative living art approaches to engage a wide range of audiences from the Royal Institution to children’s television. Simon was a valued colleague and a true academic, who has left a significant legacy for UK microbiology.”

To read a tribute from his close colleagues,  please see the University of Surrey website.

You can read Dr Park’s interview on winning the Peter Wildy Prize and watch his Prize Lecture.