Dr Billingsley is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Education, University of Reading where she lectures in Science Education. She is also the principal investigator for the LASAR (Learning about Science and Religion Project). The LASAR Project is a collaborative project for the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion involving researchers from the University of Reading’s Institute of Education (Dr Berry Billingsley, Helen Newdick) and the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of Education (Dr Keith S Taber). Our Associate researcher is Fran Riga. The project consists of a research project looking at pupils’ and teachers’ thinking about science and religion in secondary schools and also a project to develop online resources for schools. The project is funded by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Details about recent findings can be found at www.lasarproject.com.

Dr Billingsley’s longstanding interest in the teaching and learning of science and religion was first consolidated through her PhD research looking at Australian undergraduates’ approaches to the apparent contradictions between science and religion.  As an Oxford University Physics graduate, Dr Billingsley’s career began with the BBC where she produced and presented television and radio programmes including BBC World Service’s ‘Science in Action’, BBC TV’s ‘Tomorrow’s World’ and BBC Education’s ‘Search out Science’.  She then travelled to Melbourne, Australia, to become a senior project manager with the Department of Education. In this role she produced television and online resources including the ATOM award winning website, goamazing.com, to support science teaching in schools.

Back to People