Howard Thomas is Emeritus Professor of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University and a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales. He has held visiting professorships at universities in Switzerland and the United States. His research interests include the genetics, evolution and uses of food plants. He also has a special interest in the cultural significance of scientific research and the promotion of links between science and the arts. He is co-author of The Molecular Life of Plants (Wiley-Blackwell, 2013).