Miranda Lowe
Miranda Lowe is a Principal Curator and museum scientist at the Natural History Museum, London. With over two decades worth of collections management and curatorial skills she cares for a plethora of historically important specimens from both the Challenger and discovery oceanic expeditions. Her scientific expertise is in pericardia crustacea and a with a light touch in coral taxonomy. With that she manages directly both the crustacea and Cnidaria and associated minor phyla collections. As well as her management of a curatorial team she also presents lectures on both curatorial research and popular science: Miranda has appeared in the BBC Radio 4 series ‘Natural Histories’ in an episode on Sea Anemones (2015), BBC Four – Britain’s Whale Hunters: The Untold Story (2014) and CBBC Absolute Genius with Dick and Dom: Darwin episode (2013). After a yearlong secondment in 2006 to learn about exhibitions and gallery interpretation in a museum environment she has been passionate ever since about the role that museum exhibitions play in our understanding of the natural world. Miranda plays an active role on committees such as Natural Sciences Collections Association (as Collections at Risk Rep), Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (Member At Large) and the Society for the History of Natural History (Membership Coordinator) for which Sir David Attenborough is Patron. As a volunteer STEM ambassador and communicator of science she does outreach in schools and behind the scenes at the Natural History Museum, London. She mentors students as part of the Social Mobility Foundation ‘Aspiring Professionals’ scheme and the Prince’s Trust. In 2013, Miranda was one of three finalists for the National Diversity Awards ‘Positive Role Model Award for Race, Religion & Faith’ receiving a Certificate of Excellence for her achievement.