Neil Bourne is by training a physical scientist, by inclination a communicator, and always a champion for both his specialist areas and the wider fields of safety that they serve. He has extended his expertise over recent years into the areas of risk, occupational health and workplace stress, working within universities and government as an educator, an advisor and now as the leader, of National and International Institutes in Health and Safety and National Facilities Science using X rays, neutrons, lasers and supercomputing. These are pushing the boundaries of national science and training the next generation of researchers.