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ABOUT US

Scientists for Labour is a Socialist Society affiliated to the Labour Party. It is open to supporters of the Labour Party interested or involved in UK science and technology.

Since its establishment in 1994, SfL has become a strong political voice for science. We aim to improve the understanding of science within the Labour Party and nationally. We are also involved in advising the parliamentary Labour Party on science policy issues, including metascience, artificial intelligence, the life sciences and net-zero.

We're always interested in hearing from potential collaborators in academia, politics, civil society and industry - please email us at exec@sfl.org.uk.

Our constitution and our community standards.

OUR PATRONS

Sir Paul Nurse FRS

Paul Nurse is an English geneticist, former President of the Royal Society and Chief Executive and Director of the Francis Crick Institute. He was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He has been a member of the Labour Party for nearly 40 years.

Lord David Sainsbury

David Sainsbury is a businessman, philanthropist and former Minister for Science and Innovation from 1998-2006. In 2008, Sainsbury was elected as an honorary Fellow of the Royal Society and in 2011 was elected Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

Dr Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown is a British politician who was Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010, and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1997 to 2007. He has been a consistent supporter of science and engineering throughout his career.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Rohan Singh

Rohan Singh

Exec Member

Conor Cooper

Conor Cooper

Vice Chair Policy

Conor studied biological sciences at the University of Oxford and holds an Msc (by research) in
biology from the University of York. He currently works as a biology tutor. Conor has been a
member of the Labour Party since 2015 and joined SfL during the COVID-19 pandemic to help with
reporting. Conor's main area of political interest is environmental protection, with a focus on
conservation and climate mitigation, but he is also interested in education and welfare policy.

Daniel Villar

Daniel Villar

Treasurer

Daniel is a postdoctoral researcher focused on ecology and conservation at the Department of Anthropology, Durham University. He previously obtained his DPhil at the Department of Biology, University of Oxford. His main policy interests are environmental policy, especially as it relates to biodiversity and agriculture, as well as general higher education policy.

Juna Sathian

Juna Sathian

Membership Secretary

Juna is a Assistant Professor in Physics at Northumbria University Newcastle, with research interests in Laser and
Maser technology. Before that, she was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Imperial College London and had
a PhD from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia in Nonlinear Optics and Laser Physics. Apart
from her research and teaching, she is active in outreach and career talks in STEM, influencing the futures of younger generations. She currently Chairs the SfL Newcastle Central Branch and the Blakelaw Branch Labour
Party and serves as a Community Councillor. She has been recently elected as a Newcastle City Councillor in
the May 2022 local elections.

Sanjush Dalmia

Sanjush Dalmia

Event Lead

Sanjush holds an MRes which focused on biological ageing, and is currently completing his medical training at the University of Leeds. Sanjush has published 5 medical research papers, including a first-author Cochrane review. Sanjush's interests lie in metascience, the life sciences, and the intersection of technology and geopolitics.

Avesta Afshari-Mehr + Paul Spence (Joint)

Avesta Afshari-Mehr + Paul Spence (Joint)

Campaign Coordinator

Avesta is an experimental physicist and ecologist with further specialisations in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning engineering as well as contemporary German history. He also briefly pursued research in East German sociology at the University of Bonn in 2022. He joined the Labour Party in July 2019 and Scientists for Labour in 2020, and also serves as the Youth Officer for the Ealing Central and Acton Constituency Labour Party, and Chair for his local branch. He also stood as a candidate in the 2022 council elections.

Johnathan Guy

Johnathan Guy

Chair

Johnathan is currently a software engineer for a startup. He completed a Computer Science degree at Nottingham. A Labour member for three years, his main areas of interest are in Quantum Computing, Climate policy and AI.

Devon McMenam

Devon McMenam

Vice Chair Membership

Devon studied physics and chemistry at Durham University, completing his MSci project in Density Functional Theory; he currently works at an Insurtech company. Devon joined the Labour Party in 2021 and is a member of Hackney South and Shoreditch CLP and the United Tech and Allied Workers branch of the CWU.

Avesta Afshari-Mehr + Paul Spence (Joint)

Avesta Afshari-Mehr + Paul Spence (Joint)

Webmaster

Paul is a mathematics and statistics student and a physics enthusiast currently working in financial regulation. He has ecnomics background, and has previously held roles in DESNZ working on biomass and nuclear Policy. He was heavily involved in Rachel's Blake's successful campaign to become Cities of London and Westminster's first Labour MP

Alex Greer

Alex Greer

Social Media Coordinator

Alex is studying for a PhD in Chemistry at Durham University, researching new methods for scaled
synthesis of nucleoside 5’-triphosphates and their application in gene synthesis. He previously studied
Chemistry (MChem, 2022) at Durham, where he completed a master’s project in chemical biology. Originally
from Northumberland, Alex has been a member of the Labour Party since 2015, and a member of Scientists for Labour since 2020. His main political interests are infrastructure, drug reform, justice, and the long-term future.

Cllr Sarbaz Barznji

Cllr Sarbaz Barznji

Parliamentary Liaison Officer

I am a civil and structural engineering Engineer and researcher with a strong academic background and a deep passion for exploring advanced materials and their applications in modern construction. Alongside my research, I serve as a Labour Councillor, where I am committed to driving positive change in my community, particularly in areas related to infrastructure, housing, and sustainable development. My combined expertise in engineering and public service allows me to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world policy, ensuring that innovation benefits society at large.

My research focuses on incorporating nanofibres into reinforced concrete structures. By advancing our understanding of nanofibres, I aim to contribute to their broader application in critical infrastructure projects. My work reflects a commitment to innovation in civil and structural engineering, as well as an ambition to support the development of safer, more sustainable, and resilient construction practices in the UK and beyond. In both my research and my role as a Labour Councillor, I am dedicated to shaping a future where scientific advancements and policy work hand in hand to improve the built environment and the lives of the people who rely on it.

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