Dr Niraj (Nij) Lal is a researcher, writer and presenter in Melbourne communicating at the interface of science, the environment, and society.

Dr Niraj (“nir-ridge” or “Nij” for short) Lal is an ANU Visiting Fellow and host of the ABC’s kids’ podcast Imagine This. He graduated from the University of Cambridge with a PhD in physics as a Gates Scholar in 2012, has appeared on Play School and Catalyst and his awards include the 2021 Celestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science and the 2022 Royal Societies of Australia and New Zealand Piasecki Prize for Outstanding Writing on Social Change. He lives in Melbourne with his partner Sally and their three kids.