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Lesley Henderson

Lesley Henderson joined the University of Strathclyde in 2022 as Professor of Science Communication, recruited under the Global Talent Programme and founded the Social Dimensions of Plastics doctoral training centre. She held previous posts as Reader in Social and Political Sciences (Brunel University London where she was founder/leader of the Sustainable Plastics Research Group), as well as teaching and research posts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Glasgow.

She has an extensive track record in communications for social change (public health, science & environment) and her research is currently focused on (micro)plastics. She is co leading work packages on public perceptions and behavioural change concerning plastic pollution in Indonesia as a member of piscespartnership.org and addressing interactions with plastics packaging and global plastics policy in UK, Spain and Germany (projects funded by NERC/GCRF/UKRI/European Space Agency).

Lesley is an expert in leading interdisciplinary challenge focused research and regularly provides policy advice to UN, EU and DEFRA. She is a member of the new UKRI Interdisciplinary Assessment College, peer review college for the European Science Foundation and panel member for strategic UKRI and Science Foundation Ireland programme calls. She is also frequently invited to provide independent scientific advice for industry and business.

Myths about plastic pollution are leading to public confusion: here's why

Nov 21, 2023 04:03 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Does the prediction that there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050 concern you? How about reports that we eat a credit cards worth of plastic per week? These are some of the facts about plastic that are...

Economy

US-Iran Gulf Clash Raises Oil Market and Defense Stock Concerns

A fresh military confrontation between the United States and Iran has intensified concerns over global oil supplies, defense sector performance, and Middle East security. According to reports citing U.S. Central Command...

Oil Prices Slip but End Two-Week Losing Streak as Middle East Tensions Persist in 2026

Global oil prices moved lower on Friday after operations resumed at Omans key Mina al Fahal oil terminal following reports of a drone-related incident. Despite the daily decline, both Brent crude and West Texas...

Gold Prices Tumble as Strong U.S. Jobs Report Fuels Fed Rate Hike Expectations

Gold prices recorded a sharp decline on Friday and were set for a weekly loss after stronger-than-expected U.S. employment data increased expectations that the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates later in 2026. The...

US Dollar Hits Near Two-Month High as Strong Jobs Data and Middle East Tensions Boost Rate Hike Expectations

The U.S. dollar climbed to its highest level in nearly two months on Friday, supported by stronger-than-expected labor market data and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY), which...

US Stock Market Tumbles as Tech and Semiconductor Stocks Lead Massive Selloff

U.S. stocks suffered a sharp decline on Friday, ending Wall Streets impressive nine-week winning streak as technology and semiconductor shares experienced heavy selling pressure. The market downturn came after a...

Politics

Russian Strikes Kill Five in Ukraine’s Kherson Region as Border Attacks Continue

Russian attacks killed five people in Ukraines southern Kherson region on Friday, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin, highlighting the continued intensity of the Russia-Ukraine war. The incidents occurred in...

US Approves $1.5 Billion Seahawk Helicopter Sale to New Zealand Amid Defense Spending Surge

The United States has approved a potential $1.5 billion Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to New Zealand for five MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission maritime helicopters and related military equipment, marking a significant step in...

US Strikes Iranian Radar Sites After Drones Threaten Strait of Hormuz

The United States military confirmed that it carried out targeted strikes against Iranian radar installations on Friday after Iran allegedly launched four attack drones toward the strategically important Strait of Hormuz....

Trump Forced Labour Tariff Plan Faces Criticism as Experts Question Effectiveness

President Donald Trumps proposed tariffs targeting countries accused of failing to combat forced labour are drawing criticism from trade experts, business organizations, and human rights advocates, who argue the measures...

Putin Says Ukraine War Could End Through Compromise as Russian Forces Continue Advances

Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russias hardline position on the Ukraine war, stating that Russian troops continue to make battlefield gains while signaling that a peace agreement remains possible if Kyiv...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Apollo and Blackstone Complete $35 Billion Anthropic AI Infrastructure Financing Deal

Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO) and Blackstone (NYSE: BX) have completed a landmark $35 billion financing package for artificial intelligence company Anthropic, marking one of the largest private credit transactions...

US Officials Explore AI Company Equity Stakes Ahead of OpenAI and Anthropic IPO Plans

Senior U.S. government officials have reportedly held preliminary discussions with leading artificial intelligence companies regarding the possibility of the federal government acquiring equity stakes in their businesses....

Switch Eyes Multi-Billion-Dollar Funding Round at $50 Billion Valuation Ahead of Potential IPO

Data center operator Switch is reportedly in discussions to raise billions of dollars in a new funding round that could value the company at more than $50 billion, according to a report from The Information. The potential...

South Korea Weighs AI Profit Sharing as Samsung and SK Hynix Earnings Surge

South Koreas Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon has called for a national discussion on how to distribute the extraordinary profits generated by the countrys booming artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor industries....

Jensen Huang Strengthens Nvidia’s South Korea Ties Amid AI Expansion

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is set to make his second visit to South Korea in just seven months, underscoring the countrys growing importance in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem. Beyond high-level business...