Natural Historian

Professor Phillip Manning is Director of Science at the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates). Phil also holds the Chair of Natural History and was founding Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life at the University of Manchester (UK). He is a Fellow of the Explorer’s Club (New York), a Fellow of the Geological Society (London) and is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

        Prof. Manning and his team have undertaken field-based research in the Hell Creek and Morrison Formations of South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana, but his fieldwork also includes sites in South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the UK. In 2020 he was awarded the Sorby Medal by the Yorkshire Geological Society for his distinguished research contributions to the geosciences. Phil has spent 30+ years working as a curator and/or museum consultant around the globe. He has researched, designed and help build exhibitions on the evolution of life on Earth, which are often-focussed on natural history (including ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’ that was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000). He has written, presented and been co-producer on multiple television documentaries for National Geographic Channel, BBC, History Channel and other networks around the globe. In 2015 he was a contributor to film ‘Dinosaur 13’ that was awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Science and Technology Programming. He has authored books for children, also popular science books and is a regular contributor to public speaking events around the world, promoting the public engagement of science.