Jim Al-Khalili

Did you know much about the field at that point?

Of course, you didn't have the grades at that point to get into Strathclyde University to do this degree.

So you started night classes at the local technical college to get your Scottish highers.

This is roughly the equivalent of A-levels in England.

Initially in human biology and English, then at a higher level in mechatronic engineering.

Well, all that hard work paid off because in 1996, Jim, you were accepted onto that prosthetics and orthotics course.

You graduated with honours and started working as an authortist.

What did that involve on a daily basis?

Well, in 2005, you joined the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, and that prompted another return to education for you.

In 2007, you started a part-time master's in neurorehabilitation at London's Brunel University.

What was your focus?

So essentially you're combining brain stimulation with rehabilitation.

And it's inspired you to go on after your master's to do a PhD in health studies.

That's fascinating.

So this could be a useful therapeutic tool for particular patients then?

OK, so step one is to get the brain more stimulated and more active.

And then step two is to link that to... Whether you can actually improve the skill itself.

Improve the skill itself, yeah.

Well, Jim, in 2020, the COVID pandemic hit, which had a big impact on your work life for a while.

Around the same time as this, I gather you were also training for the British Sprint Triathlon Championships.