Xanthe Christophers, BSc, MSc, PhD

 

Director of Communications

Xanthe followed a BSc in Biology with a MSc in Parasitology, focusing on the human parasite Schistosomiasis (bilharzia) and a PGCE in Adult Education (FE/HE).

She then spent eleven years in international development (including extended periods overseas) initially at Imperial College working on African Armyworm, followed by a Department for International Development (DFID) funded PhD on the survival abilities of pests of crops grown on smallholder farms, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Subsequently she was Communications Co-ordinator for the Integrated Pest Management Working Group (an NGO based at the Natural Resources Institute) before moving to Natural Resources International Ltd as Communications Manager, working to five DFID Natural Resource Research Programmes: Livestock, Post-Harvest, Crop Protection, Fisheries and Forestry Research.

She was then Head of Publications and Communications at Barnardo’s for four years, before joining Forest Research at the end of 2004.

Current role

Director of Communications.

• Sets the strategy for Forest Research’s communication with specified internal and external audiences.
• Manages Forest Research’s Communication Group, which is split between Alice Holt in Surrey, Northern Research Station near Edinburgh and Talybont in Wales. The Group's responsibilities include:
  • The Forestry Commission library
  • This website
  • Graphic design
  • Photography
  • Events co-ordination
  • Publication production services
  • External liaison through Research Liaison Officers for Wales, England and Scotland. 
• Responsible for application of Forestry Commission-wide brand guidelines.
• Represents Forest Research on Forestry Commission-wide bodies and initiatives including the Brand Management Group and the Technical Publication Group (Chair).
• Responsible for Forest Research’s  compliance with Freedom of Information Act.