"There are surprising connections between astrophysical objects ... and our future technology."

Marika Taylor is a Professor of Theoretical Physics, Pro-Vice Chancellor, and Head of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Birmingham. She studied Physics at Cambridge, where she was taught by Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose. She continued her studies with her doctoral thesis on Problems in M-theory, supervised by Stephen Hawking.

Taylor's research is focused on string theory, quantum field theory, and gravitational physics. In 2008, she won the Minerva Prize, awarded by the Netherlands' Organisation for Scientific Research for a paper on black holes. She has also been a trailblazing advocate for women in physics.

"Insightful and informative"" — Gian Francesco Giudice, CERN