Nira Chamberlain

Born in Birmingham,[2] Chamberlain always enjoyed mathematics at school and, despite a lack of encouragement from his teachers, studied a BSc in Mathematics at Coventry Polytechnic, graduating in 1991. He then moved to Loughborough University, where he achieved an MSc in Industrial Mathematical Modelling in 1993.[3] In 2014, he completed a PhD at Portsmouth University, under the supervision of Professor Andrew Osbaldestin entitled "Extension of the gambler's ruin problem played over networks".[4]

Chamberlain has worked all over the world, helping a range of industrial partners with mathematical modelling.[5] He created a mathematical cost capability trade-off for HMS Queen Elizabeth, modelling the lifetime running costs of aircraft carriers versus operating budgets.[6] This use of mathematics in the real world was cited in the Encyclopedia of Mathematics and Society.[7]

In 2012, Chamberlain was involved with the UK STEM Project "Being a Professional Mathematician", where his interview was selected for an iTunes podcast.[8][9] In 2014 he was named by the Science Council as one of the UK's top scientists.[10] Only five mathematicians were selected for this accolade.[11]

He is currently a member of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA), European Mathematical Society, Operational Research Society and London Mathematical Society. He was appointed a Council Member of the IMA in 2009 and again in 2015.[2]

Chamberlain regularly gives public lectures, discussing the significance of mathematics in human achievements and debating its relevance in everyday life.[12][13] In 2016 he ran a one-day workshop at the London International Youth Science Forum, Imperial College London.[14] He was a keynote speaker at the 2017 New Scientist workshop "The Mathematical World".[15] Also the Maxwell Lecture in 2019 with the talk "The Mathematics that can stop an AI apocalypse"[16]. He makes regular appearances in UK media and is a BBC expert voice, as well as a speaker for the UK charity, Speakers for Schools.[17][18]

Dr Chamberlain won the title of "World's Most Interesting Mathematician" by winning the Big Internet Math Off in 2018[19], as voted for by readers of Aperiodical.com.

Chamberlain is of Jamaican parentage, and campaigns for more diversity within the mathematical sciences.[20] He frequently gives talks in UK state schools, through the charity Speakers for Schools.[21][22] His lecture "The Black Heroes of Mathematics" is popular all over the UK and repeated regularly during Black History Month.[23][24] In 2016 he was asked by the Black Cultural Archives to submit his own mathematical biography, parts of which were published in Mathematics Today.[25] In 2017 he was included on Powerlist, an annual publication celebrating diverse role models for young people of African and African Caribbean heritage.[26]