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Rachel Norman

Chair in Food Security and Sustainab, University of Stirling

I graduated with a first class honours degree in Mathematics from Liverpool University in 1991.I then went on to do a PhD jointly supervised by Roger Bowers in the Mathematics and Mike Begon in the Ecology departments funded by a Wellcome Trust prize studentship. I spent a year in Oxford Zoology department modelling the dynamics and control of Lymphatic filariasis. I started work as a lecturer in the Mathematics and Statistics group in Stirling in 1996 and went half time in 2001. I was promoted to Senior lecturer in 2003 and to Reader in 2010.

In January 2013 I started a new role as head of the new Aquatic Food Security Group. Reserachers in the Insititute of Aquaculture have been working on sustainable production of seafood for many years. The aim of the new group is to work with different groups in the Institiute and consolidate Stirling's position as world leading in Aquatic Food security research.

Food security looks very different depending on where you are sitting

Jan 23, 2017 00:47 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

In 1974, the World Food Conference declared that: Every man, woman and child has the inalienable right to be free from hunger and malnutrition in order to develop their physical and mental faculties. The conference set as...

Food security and why Christmas dinner is in peril

Dec 21, 2016 10:10 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

The Victorians introduced many of the traditions we now associate with the festive season. Along with Christmas cards, crackers, mince pies and Santa Claus himself, they are responsible for the modern day Christmas dinner....

Economy

Oil Prices Hold Near Multi-Year Highs Amid Iran Conflict and Hormuz Supply Fears

Oil prices remained elevated during Asian trading on Wednesday as markets processed mixed signals surrounding the ongoing conflict with Iran. Brent crude futures for June climbed 0.5% to $104.47 per barrel, while West...

Asian Stocks Surge on Trump's Iran War Comments and Dip-Buying

Asian equity markets posted strong gains on Wednesday, driven by U.S. President Donald Trumps remarks signaling a potential end to military operations against Iran within two to three weeks. Renewed investor optimism,...

Japan Business Sentiment Rises as Iran War Fuels Inflation Fears, BOJ Rate Hike Looms

Japans corporate confidence strengthened for the fourth consecutive quarter through March 2026, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) may raise interest rates as early as this month. However, mounting...

Japan's Business Confidence Rises Despite Iran War Uncertainty, BOJ Rate Hike Expected

Japans large manufacturers reported improved business sentiment in the three months to March, according to the Bank of Japans closely watched Tankan survey released Wednesday. The headline index for big manufacturers...

South Korea Manufacturing PMI Hits 4-Year High in March 2025 Driven by Semiconductor Demand

South Koreas manufacturing sector delivered a standout performance in March, with factory activity accelerating to its strongest level in over four years. Data from SP Globals Purchasing Managers Index showed a reading of...

Politics

Trump's NATO Threat Looms as Rutte Plans Washington Visit

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is set to visit Washington next week in what the alliance has described as a long-planned trip, arriving at a particularly tense moment in transatlantic relations. NATO spokesperson...

Mexico's Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente Steps Down for Health Reasons; Roberto Velasco Nominated as Successor

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Wednesday that Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente is stepping down from his position due to ongoing health concerns. Sheinbaum has nominated Roberto Velasco, the current...

U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Venezuelan Interim Leader Delcy Rodriguez Amid Diplomatic Shift

The United States has officially removed sanctions against Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez, according to the U.S. Treasury Department website. The move comes less than three months after American forces...

Trump Threatens NATO Withdrawal Amid Iran Crisis: What U.S. Law Says

President Donald Trump escalated tensions with Western allies on Wednesday, threatening to pull the United States out of NATO after European members refused to deploy naval forces to unblock the Strait of Hormuz near Iran....

Iranian President Pezeshkian Sends Message of Peace to the American People

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has written an open letter directed at ordinary American citizens, expressing that Iran holds no hostility toward the American people. The letter, reported by Press TV on Wednesday,...

Science

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Technology

Annie Altman Amends Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

Annie Altman has filed an amended civil lawsuit against her brother, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, accusing him of sexually abusing her over a span of nearly a decade. The amended complaint was submitted Wednesday in St. Louis...

TSMC Japan's Second Fab to Produce 3nm Chips by 2028

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the worlds leading contract chipmaker, has confirmed plans to begin equipment installation and mass production of 3-nanometre wafers at its second fabrication plant in...

Apple Turns 50: From Garage Startup to AI Crossroads

In early 1976, engineer Steve Wozniak finished designing a computer circuit board he planned to share with fellow hobbyists at a local California tech club. His friend Steve Jobs recognized a commercial opportunity, and...

Rubio Directs U.S. Diplomats to Use X and Military Psyops to Counter Foreign Propaganda

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has instructed American diplomats to leverage social media platform X and collaborate with Pentagon psychological operations units as part of a broader strategy to combat foreign...

Microsoft Eyes $7B Texas Energy Deal to Power AI Data Centers

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) is reportedly in exclusive negotiations with Chevron Corp (NYSE: CVX) and investment firm Engine No. 1 to develop a massive energy complex in West Texas dedicated to powering its...