Register now for WoodBUILD 2025 and take your chance to question three of the UK’s top wood scientists at ‘Timber 101 – Making Wood Work in the Built Environment’
Three of the UK’s leading wood scientists — Dr Morwenna Spear, Phil O’Leary, and Marlene Cramer — will come together for a dynamic presentation and discussion workshop at WoodBUILD 2025. We are offering our participants two opportunities to attend this popular workshop, at 11:00 or 13:30 on Day 1. Don’t forget to respond to our follow up email post-registration and let us know which workshop you wish to attend.
“We’re thrilled to include this workshop in the WoodBUILD 2025 programme once again. It offers the chance to engage directly with three great experts in UK wood science. Dr Morwenna Spear brings unmatched insight into innovative timber treatments and wood-fibre technologies, while Phil O’Leary is a national authority on visual strength grading. Marlene Cramer’s enthusiasm for underutilised timber adds an exciting new dimension. Join us for a practical, hands-on session on making the most of Welsh timber to support decarbonisation in construction.”
— Ceri Loxton, Timber Skills, Woodknowledge Wales
The workshop will be hosted by Ceri Loxton and James Moxey, timber skills experts at Woodknowledge Wales. The session will feature concise presentations from each scientist, exploring the properties, possibilities, and challenges of using timber in construction. Attendees will get hands on and gain best-practice insights and practical advice on how to maximise the potential of Welsh-grown wood in the transition to a low-carbon built environment.
“It’s fantastic to have three great wood scientists in one workshop. There’s a lot of debate about the value of timber grown in the UK. This session is a chance to ask your burning questions, and explore the benefits and challenges of timber from fast-grown conifers.“
— James Moxey, Business Development & Delivery | Independent Advisor, Woodknowledge Wales
Don’t miss this interactive opportunity to connect with the people shaping the future of wood science in the UK.
About our three speakers
Dr Morwenna Spear has worked at the BioComposites Centre at Bangor University for over 15 years, conducting research into timber and a wide range of bio-based materials. She has worked with companies to scale up new technologies and processes, increase efficiency, reduce waste and to assess materials performance. She is a fellow of the IOM3, and Chair of the Wood Technology Society. Morwenna is active in research into novel timber treatments; the physical, thermal and chemical properties of wood. She is also working on energy efficient buildings and researching the environmental effects of materials and objects such as disposable and reusable facemasks.
Phil O’Leary is Director of Filros Timber Consultancy which provides specialist independent consultancy across the timber sector. Previously, he was head of Timber Consultancy at BM TRADA, the technical authority behind TRADA. With over 30 years of post-qualifying experience, Phil has published in local and international journals about wood science. Phil is also chairman of BSI’s Wood Preservation Committee and a member of the Wood Protection Association’s Technical Committee. As one of the UK’s leading authorities for Visual Strength Grading, Phil specialises in condition surveys of historic buildings, performance assessments and determining the structural strength, quality, performance characteristics, deterioration and preservation of timber. He also serves as an expert witness and develops and presents bespoke timber training.
Marlene Cramer is a wood researcher at Edinburgh Napier University who is passionate about bringing undervalued timbers into use. She has been researching recovered timber and how to reuse it in structures, and is currently doing a PhD that aims to find easier routes to strength grading hardwoods. She is also interested in creative ways of science communication, and has participated in Brightclub, FameLab and Soapbox Science. She publishes regular blogs on The Centre for Wood Science and Technology website.
For the full programme, visit our events page.
