Residence Durham Nationality British | Name Brian Tanner Fields Physics | |
 | ||
Institutions Durham UniversityLinacre College, Oxford Known for Research and business applications of X-ray diffraction topography Notable awards Chartered PhysicistFellow of the Institute of PhysicsFellow of the Higher Education AcademyFellow of the Royal Society of ArtsBarrett Award of the International Center for Diffraction Data (2005)Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion (2012)Gabor Medal (2014) Books Introduction to the physics of, High Resolution X‑Ray Dif, X‑ray diffraction topography | ||
Brian Keith Tanner CPhys, FRSA, FInstP, FHEA is a British physicist, currently Professor of Physics and Dean of Knowledge Transfer at Durham University.
Contents
Early life
Brian Tanner grew up in Northamptonshire, attending Wellingborough Grammar School. He studied undergraduate physics at University of Oxford, where he went on to graduate with a DPhil in 1971 on ‘X-ray diffraction topography; methods and applications’.
Career
Tanner is best known for research and business applications of X-ray diffraction topography. Tanner has worked at the Department of Physics at Durham University since 1973, where he was made Professor of Physics in 1996 and became the University Dean of Knowledge Transfer in 2008. He has published over 375 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and 4 books. In 1978 he co-founded Bede Scientific Instruments Ltd, since 2008 owned by Jordan Valley Semiconductors. He is a Director of Kromek Ltd, a company who specialise in security screening, medical imaging and industrial inspection. Professor Tanner was the first Director of the North East Centre for Science Enterprise, serves as chief scientific advisor of the North East Technology Park (Netpark) and now chairs the County Durham Economic Partnership.
Awards and honours
Tanner is a Chartered Physicist, a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts Jointly awarded the 2005 Barrett Award of the International Center for Diffraction Data. Awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2012 for his work in promoting enterprise and business in the North East. In 2014 the Institute of Physics awarded Tanner the Gabor Medal for distinguished work in the application of physics in an industrial, commercial or business context.
Personal life
Married to Ruth Tanner, who is a Trustee and Deputy President of the Workers' Educational Association