Nik gained a BSc in Biological Sciences and then a PhD in evolutionary genetics before moving into science publishing. He has been freelance for over 20 years, working as a proofreader, copy-editor and project manager on books, journals and educational materials in many fields including life science, medicine, environmental science and ecology. He is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP). He has been Editor of In Practice since 2021, a role he finds particularly rewarding due to the opportunity to collaborate with passionate environmentalists and ecologists working to fight the climate and biodiversity crises. In his spare time he listens to music that is definitely not good for his hearing and cycles long distances in search of cake.