Professor Sir Geoff Palmer was born in Jamaica. He came to London as an immigrant in 1955. After various difficulties, he worked and attended evening classes to improve his qualifications. He subsequently entered Leicester, Edinburgh, and Heriot Watt Universities were he gained BSc, PhD and DSc degrees, respectively. He worked at the Brewing Research Foundation on cereals and malted barley. He invented the barley abrasion process, pioneered the use of the Scanning Electron Microscope in the study of cereals in malting and was the first European to receive the American Society of Brewing Chemists award for research. Professor Palmer was also involved in the setting up of the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling at the Heriot Watt University. Sir Geoff is the author of many scientific papers and has published books on grain science and the history of Slavery in the West Indies. He serves on the Boards of various charitable organisations. He is the Freeman of Midlothian and the Honorary Consul for Jamaica in Scotland. Professor Palmer was awarded the OBE in 2003 and a Knighthood in 2014 for contributions to science, charity, and human rights.

Events participated in:

Scots in the Empire: Participate in the inquisition, as Professor Geoff Palmer quizzes historian, William Dalrymple, and author of Blood Legacy, Alex Renton, about the Scots’ role in the British Empire and the institution of slavery. (2021)