Hannah Fry

Hannah Fry is a mathematician, author, and broadcaster celebrated for bringing numbers to life in ways that connect deeply with everyday experience. As Professor of the Public Understanding of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and President of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, she has become one of the UK’s most recognisable voices in science communication. Known for her wit and warmth, Hannah turns complex data and algorithms into stories that explain human behaviour, technology, and the systems shaping modern life.

After earning her PhD in Fluid Dynamics from University College London, Hannah joined UCL’s Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis in 2012, where she explored mathematical patterns in cities, from crime rates to transport networks and social behaviour. Her groundbreaking research earned her the title of Professor of Mathematics of Cities in 2021. In 2025, she joined Cambridge as its first-ever Professor of the Public Understanding of Mathematics, reflecting her exceptional skill in connecting academic research with the public. Alongside her academic work, she has become a trusted media figure, co-hosting the BBC Radio 4 series ‘The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry’ and fronting numerous BBC documentaries that make data and science both entertaining and essential.

Hannah’s achievements stretch far beyond academia. She has been awarded the Christopher Zeeman Medal for engaging the public with mathematics, the Asimov Prize for her bestselling book ‘Hello World’, and in 2024 received the Royal Society’s David Attenborough Award for science communication. Her presenting credits include ‘The Secret Genius of Modern Life’, ‘City in the Sky’, ‘Contagion! The BBC Pandemic’, and ‘The Joy of Data’. She also served as Chief Number Cruncher for Channel 4’s 2024 UK Election Coverage, where her calm, insightful explanations of live data captivated millions. Her published works, including ‘The Mathematics of Love’, ‘The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus’, ‘Hello World’, and ‘Rutherford & Fry’s Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything’, combine storytelling with mathematics to reveal the logic hidden in daily life.

As a keynote and virtual speaker, Hannah offers engaging, insightful talks that show how mathematics and data influence the way we live and decide. She explores the power and pitfalls of algorithms, the bias hidden in data, and what numbers can, and cannot, tell us about ourselves. Whether she is presenting from a stage or through a virtual platform, Hannah makes the abstract tangible and the complex clear. Her balance of intellect and humour leaves audiences inspired, informed, and newly curious about the numbers shaping our world.