Brian Edward Cox (born 3 March 1968) is an English physicist and former musician who serves as professor of particle physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester. He is best known to the public as the presenter of science programmes, especially the Wonders of... series and for popular science books, such as Why Does E=mc²? and The Quantum Universe. He has been the author or co-author of over 950 scientific publications.

Cox has been described as the natural successor for the BBC's scientific programming by both David Attenborough and Patrick Moore. Before his academic career, Cox was a keyboard player for the British bands D:Ream and Dare.

Cox was born on 3 March 1968 in the Royal Oldham Hospital, later living in nearby Chadderton from 1971. His parents worked for Yorkshire Bank, his mother as a cashier and his father as a middle-manager in the same branch. He recalls a happy childhood in Oldham that included pursuits such as dance, gymnastics, plane and bus spotting. He attended the independent Hulme Grammar School in Oldham from 1979 to 1986.

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