Raman Prinja, Professor of Astrophysics at UCL and an award-winning writer, has dedicated his working life to getting students and the public inquisitive and excited about science and the universe.
Raman Prinja has been a part of the UCL community for nearly 50 years, almost a quarter of the university’s own existence. He first came to UCL in 1978 as an undergraduate to study Physics and Astronomy, interviewing at UCL’s Observatory in Mill Hill where he still works today.
In a full circle moment, was appointed Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy in 2018, the first person of colour to hold this role. He oversaw 85 academic staff members in his department, something he is very proud of:
For a long time, it would have been out of my comfort zone to even contemplate doing something like this. It’s a very exciting department, with a tremendous amount going on in teaching and education and research.
Raman’s research focuses on understanding some of the most massive stars in our galaxy - their properties, lives, and evolution – work he sees as crucial to understanding the cosmic forces that shape and enrich our galaxies and our planet. For him, stars have a profound link to our lives.
All the elements that we have in our bodies were actually made inside massive stars… the carbon in you, the iron, the calcium were all forged inside massive stars and put out into space.
Raman is committed to sharing this understanding more widely – with his students and the public. He has received several UCL awards in recognition of outstanding teaching and helped to set up the Natural Sciences BSc, for which he was director for five years.
He has also authored over 25 popular science books for children, including Wonders of the Moon and Planetarium, for which he was awarded the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize in 2019. It has since been translated into 20 international editions. The books are an entry way for his public engagement work, to inspire curiosity about science and space.
I try to take on quite big and conceptually interesting things and make them accessible for children. It’s great because it instils a bit of confidence to debate, to discuss and have informed opinions, and it's at a level that adults can also engage with them on.
Raman was awarded an MBE in 2025 and, in January this year, he was awarded the Ian Robson Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the highest distinctions from the Royal Astronomical Society, for his significant, life-long contributions to supporting UK astronomy.
