Dave Pike is the SunBlock '99 project manager. For the past ten years he has been employed by the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, where he has worked on several space projects including the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) and the Japanese solar X-ray mission, Yohkoh. Recently he has had responsibility for managing the software and science operations for the Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer on board SOHO. In 1998 he was co-discoverer (with Helen Mason) of solar tornadoes, which were announced at the SOHO second anniversary celebration in April 1998. As a result of media interest in that work, he gave several TV (BBC, ITV, SKY news) and radio (local and BBC world service) interviews, which were also transmitted across the USA TV networks.

After graduating from the University of St Andrews, Dave began his academic career at the RGO in 1976. In 1985 he was seconded to La Palma for 3 years as part of the resident astronomy group supporting visiting astronomers at the newly formed observatory. Following that he transferred to RAL to be UK resident astronomer (UKRA) for IUE in Madrid. On his return to the UK he worked on ROSAT before going to Japan to be UKRA on Yohkoh.

And this is the most energetic thing he (third from right) has done for a while! The picture was taken halfway through a 6 hour climb to the summit of Mt Fuji, Japan. Notice the local "waste disposal operative" keeping the sacred mountain clean!