Zoë Bowden

Zoë Althea Bowden is a British physicist and instrumentation scientist who was involved in the construction of the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. She was awarded an Order of the British Empire in the 2023 New Year Honours in recognition of her services to science.

Early life and education Bowden joined the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory after leaving high school. She has said that she just wanted to work in a technical role, so applied to be an Assistant Scientific Officer, a precursor to a modern apprenticeship. She was chosen to work on the Neutron Beams Unit. Here she developed the instrumentation for the Harwell linear accelerator, which was the United Kingdom's first accelerator-driven neutron source. Beyond ISIS, Bowden was involved in discussions around neutron scattering on a global stage. In 2022 Bowden retired from ISIS, and joined UK Research and Innovation as a consultant on operations and safety.

In 2023 Bowden was awarded an Order of the British Empire for services to science.

Select publications

Personal life Bowden is a bell-ringer at St Mary the Virgin, Wantage.