Science & Medicine speakers

Alok Jha was a reporter at the Guardian from 2003 working on the environment and science desks. In 2014 he became the science correspondent at ITV News.

Amber Case is an anthropologist who specialises in observing the symbiotic relationship between people and technology.

Andre Geim is a physicist who was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics for his experiments with Graphene. He shared the prize with his colleague and former student Konstantin Novoselov. Geim held dual citizenship in the Netherlands and Great Britain.

Anna was introduced to rowing when she studied at the University of Cambridge. Moving up to the full international squad, Anna's rise to winning ways had begun. With the world famous partnership with Katherine Grainger, the two were unbeaten in their first season rowing together and they went on to claim two World Championship golds before entering and championing the London 2012 games. Setting a new Olympic record on the way the pair convincingly won their Olympic final to take gold and provide one of the most memorable moments of the games.

Ara Darzi was born in Iraq, to Armenian parents displaced by the 1915 genocide. The family later emigrated to Ireland. In 2003 he became a British citizen. Professor Darzi was knighted by the Queen as a Knight Commander of the most excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) in December 2002 for his 'services to medicine and surgery'. In June 2007 he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department of Health by Gordon Brown.

Baroness Greenfield is former Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain (the first woman to hold that position) and Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Oxford, where she leads a multi-disciplinary team investigating neurodegenerative disorders. In addition she is Director of the Oxford Centre for the Science of the Mind, exploring the physical basis of consciousness. Susan Greenfield is an outstanding keynote speaker on creativity and leadership, human behaviour, science and the future.

Zoo Director, journalist, and author Benjamin Mee is the man behind bestselling book and Hollywood movie "We Bought A Zoo". His inspirational story is of one man's leap of faith, triumphing over personal tragedy, and the battle to succeed, whatever obstacles stand in the way.

The humanitarian activist and former Health Minister Bernard Kouchner is widely admired in France, not least for his passionate, often outspoken declarations on human rights and the need to intervene to protect them.

With his down-to-earth, likeable enthusiasm, Professor Brian Cox is frequently labelled a 'rock star scientist'. Once the keyboard player for D:Ream, he has come a long way to his position as Professor of Particle Physics at Manchester University and a key part of the ATLAS and the CERN Large Hadron Collider projects.

Carol is a multi-award winning weather forecaster and TV presenter, having appeared regularly on the BBC Breakfast show since 2008. Carol has also made guest appearances on TV shows such as the hit BBC One show, ‘Would I Lie To You’.

Chanelle co-founded Chanelle Medical, part of the multi-million pound global company Chanelle Pharmaceutical Group based in Galway. Chanelle is the newest dragon on the TV series Dragon’s Den in Ireland and is also married to horseracing legend Sir AP McCoy.

Charles Spence is an Oxford University Professor who has done a huge amount of research on food and drink and how it affects our cognitive and sensory behaviours. He has also published a number of books and won numerous international awards.

Dr Christian Jessen is the charismatic presenter of Channel 4's Embarrassing Illnesses, Supersize vs Superskinny and, most recently, the BAFTA-winning Embarrassing Bodies. Dr Christian is involved in a number of public campaigns and he works closely with various health charities to help look for new ways to educate people in health matters. His main aim is to help raise medical awareness and simplify, demystify, de-stigmatise and explain the sometimes complicated and inaccessible world of medicine to the public.

Christopher is a leading voice on the potential for new energy technologies and strategies to replace fossil fuels - increasing energy security and avoiding dangerous climate change. Christopher’s two decades of energy research and writing encompasses solar energy, wind power, bio energy, geothermal power and energy efficiency. He is President of the Worldwatch Institute, a Washington-based international research organisation focused on energy, resource and environmental issues.

“Good morning, Earth!” That is how Colonel Chris Hadfield—writing on Twitter—woke up the world every day while living for five months aboard the International Space Station. Through his 21-years as an astronaut, three spaceflights, and 2600 orbits of Earth, Colonel Hadfield has become a worldwide sensation, harnessing the power of social media to make outer space accessible to millions and infusing a sense of wonder into our collective consciousness not felt since humanity first walked on the Moon. Called “the most famous astronaut since Neil Armstrong,” Colonel Hadfield continues to bring the marvels of science and space travel to everyone he encounters.

Dallas is one of the most versatile and well travelled factual presenters working in the industry. He has filmed in some of the most extraordinary & challenging locations all over the world - Sewer diving in Mexico City, scaling the world’s tallest building in Dubai, exploring secret chambers in Egypt’s Great Pyramid, filming rocket launches to the International Space Station in Kazakhstan and diving for lost Spanish treasure off the coast of Cuba.

Daniel Kahneman is regarded by many as the most influential psychologist, winning a Nobel Prize in economics for the development of Prospect Theory, even though he has never had any formal education in the subject. He began his academic career studying visual perception at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem but went on to focus on judgment and decision-making when he started collaborating with Amos Tversky. Together they created the field of behavioural economics by picking apart the unreliable mind, noticing how it can trick us into thinking we are making rational decisions on the basis of expertise, even when evidence shows to the contrary.

Dara O'Briain has built up a reputation and prestige as being one of the finest comedians in the world. His quick wit and silver-tongue has been the regular host of hit TV show 'Mock The Week', as well as being a guest presenter on 'Have I Got News For You'. Dara also hosts Ireland's popular show RTE 2's The Panel, becoming one of very few actors to successfully and simultaneously host shows in the UK and Ireland. Dara's role has recently gone beyond comedy, implementing his degree in mathematics and theoretical physics by co-hosting Stargazing Live with Brian Cox, and a host of other science-based shows including 'School of Hard Sums'.

Dave Coplin helps organisations and individuals to see the full potential that technology offers of a modern, digital society. He focuses not on the technology itself, but on the humans who use it.

David began his career as an architectural psychologist studying the interactions between people and buildings, publishing and providing consultancy on the designs of offices, schools, prisons, housing and other building forms. His work in architecture led to studies of human reactions in fires and other emergencies. David went on to pioneered investigative psychology in Britain, setting up journals and aiding the police in 1985 on the Railway Rapist case. He was the Professor of Psychology at the University of Surrey for ten years, where he developed investigative psychology. David went on to set up the Centre For Investigative Psychology which is based at the University of Liverpool. Since 2009 he has been at the University of Huddersfield and is the founder and director of the International Academy for Investigative Psychology, a professional academy for researchers seeking to apply social science to investigative and legal processes.

ITN Science Editor, Deborah is the former investigations editor of the BMJ. As investigations editor of the BMJ, much of her work has focused on drug and medical device regulation, access to clinical data, cost of medicines, research integrity and conflicts of interest. She has collaborated on documentaries with the BBC Panorama and Newsnight, Channel 4 News and Dispatches, The Telegraph, as well has having worked with the Cochrane Collaboration.

DP combines the adaptability and professionalism of an experienced presenter with the lighthearted wit and humor of a curious worldly Irishman.

Dr Faye Kirkland continues to work as a general practitioner in London and uses her background knowledge to investigate topics; recent pieces include exposing poor care by doctors who prescribe online, a lack of funding for HIV testing in the UK and leaked A&E winter performance figures for England.

Dr Harry Cliff is a young physicist who researches cutting-edge particle physics at Cambridge University, communicates the mysteries of fundamental physics at London’s Science Museum and is the curator of Collider, a critically acclaimed exhibition series.

Ed is a doctor in Nottingham with degrees in Medicine, Extreme Human Physiology and Medical Law. In 2009 he took a break from Medicine to join James Cracknell and Ben Fogle on the first ever race of its kind to the South Pole. Ed completed a two-day selection course beating over 650 applicants to win his place on the team. The expedition and selection process was filmed for a 5-part TV series for BBC2 called ‘On Thin Ice’.

Fergus was appointed medical editor in 2020 after 16 years as medical correspondent. He has won several awards for his journalism and been commended for his work in making complex health issues more understandable to the public.

Garry Hunt is a uniquely skilled public speaker, facilitator & international businessman who has performed at such diverse places as the London Palladium, The Royal Institution, The Royal Society, company Boardrooms, Universities & TV studios throughout the world. He has a wide range of talents, as an international businessman, scientist, TV, radio broadcaster, author & speaker.

Dr Hannah Fry is an Associate Professor in Mathematics of Cities at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis at UCL.

Ian Goldin is Director of the James Martin 21st Century School at the University of Oxford. Ian was Vice President of the World Bank from 2003-6 and prior to that the Bank's Director of Development Policy from 2001-3. From 1996 to 2001 he was Managing Director of the Development Bank of Southern Africa and served as an adviser to President Mandela. He succeeded in transforming the bank to become the leading agent of development in the 14 countries of Southern Africa.

Jeffrey is the President and Co-Founder of Millennium Promise Alliance a non-profit organisation aimed at ending extreme global poverty, as well as being the Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, and other key roles in organisations involved with environment and sustainability. Jeffrey has spent much of his career wrestling with the issues of world poverty and health and environmental sustainability but he made his name in the mid 80's and 90's as an economist working with countries undergoing massive upheaval. His best-selling books include Common Wealth (2008), and The Price of Civilization (2011) in which he turns his attentions homewards and calls for a kinder more responsible society in the wake of repeated economic crises. He has also written hundreds of learned articles and a text book on macroeconomics that is used worldwide

Jo and her husband Rob took on the monstrous task of ascending the Seven Summits, breaking records by being the fastest couple to ever ascend it, as well as Jo entering the Guinness Book of World Records for holding the fastest female ascent time, also being the second British woman to ever scale Everest's North Ridge.

Kevin has worked as a doctor with NASA and now he currently flies as part of a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) crew in the UK. He is a frontline emergency physician whose expertise lies in understanding teamwork, risk management and decision making under extreme pressure.

Originally from Kent in England, Liv Boeree is one of the most successful female poker players of all time, with over $3 million in live tournament earnings. She previously studied at the University of Manchester, achieving a first-class degree in Astrophysics, as well as being in demand as a model and TV presenter on a range of different shows.

Liz Bonnin has worked on television in both Ireland and the UK and currently presents Bang Goes the Theory and Countrywise.

Maggie Aderin-Pocock is an English space scientist. She is a research fellow in UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies. Since 2014, she has co-presented the long running astronomy TV programme The Sky at Night.

Maggie Philbin OBE has worked in radio and television for over 30 years on a wide range of science, medical and technology programmes. She is President of the Institute of Engineering Designers and co-founder and CEO of TeenTech CIC, an award winning organisation helping young people, their parents and teachers understand more about the real opportunities in Science,e Technology and Engineering. She is a popular and entertaining speaker at conferences and award ceremonies, bringing a unique and insightful perspective on technology, diversity and innovation.

Marcus du Sautoy is the Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. A natural communicator, he is especially passionate when it comes to popularising maths - showing how it affects every aspect of our lives from simple counting to any form of trade and even the homes in which we live. He looks at the maths that underpins the everyday world, from the internet, data analysis and communications to more surprising areas like sport and art.

Mark Miodownik is a British materials scientist, engineer, broadcaster and writer at University College London.

Melanie Windridge works as a consultant with science and technology start-up businesses – including Tokamak Energy in nuclear fusion – and in education. An expert in the aurora and in fusion energy, she likes to combine her scientific knowledge and experience with her love of adventure to promote a better understanding of science through writing, public lectures, science festivals, videos and television.

Michael Finkel is the author of the New York Times bestseller “The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit,” about a highly intelligent man who lived alone in the forest of Maine for 27 years, as well as the book “True Story,” about Finkel’s bizarre and unhealthy friendship with a murderer, which was adapted into a 2015 major motion picture produced by Brad Pitt and starring James Franco and Jonah Hill.

Dr. Michio Kaku is a theoretical physicist, bestselling author, acclaimed public speaker, renowned futurist, and populariser of science. As co-founder of String Field Theory, Dr. Kaku carries on Einstein’s quest to unite the four fundamental forces of nature into a single grand unified theory of everything.

Professor Mike Stroud OBE, MD, DSci is an expert on human health under extreme conditions, seeing him joining Sir Ranulph Fiennes on his adventures across the world. Stroud, together with Fiennes, is a supporter of rigorous exercise to help slow down the aging process. He points out that historically the human body is pre-tuned to undergo bouts of hard work and in particular can cope remarkably well with endurance events in hot climates. As a leading authority of survival, nutrition and endurance Mike is asked frequently to appear on television and radio. He presented his own BBC1 series, ‘The Challenge’ and was the endurance and medical expert on all three series of BBC TV’s, ‘Are You Tough Enough for the SAS’.

Trend forecaster, academic, product developer, writer and broadcaster, Morgaine lives and breathes ideas and future trends. She asks the question 'why' so that she can deliver the 'what'. Identifying why people aspire to new things, she discovers what will be desirable and aspirational in the future. She endeavors to make food fun, informative and a social commentary on culture, class, behaviours and belief. She is the founder and director of Bellwether: Food Trends, a fashion/design/food/social trend (digital and print) compendium for global markets.

Murray Shanahan is a Professor of Cognitive Robotics at Imperial College London, in the Department of Computing. He researches artificial intelligence, robotics, and cognitive science.

Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson hosted NOVA ScienceNow and appeared on such shows as The Daily Show and Real Time with Bill Maher.

A man at the front line of exploration and one of the world’s most experienced divers and polar travellers, Paul Rose has been helping scientists unlock global mysteries for the past 30 years in the most remote and challenging regions of the planet. Paul’s other ventures include a series of television presenting credits, which include; Oceans, Voyages of Discovery, Take One Museum, Meltdown and Wind. He reports for BBC News and has made live appearances on BBC Breakfast, BBC 24 News, Sky News and local TV News. With unique access across a wide range of expert fields, Paul is constantly working to raise awareness of global issues such as the understanding and protection of our ecosystems and biodiversity, climate change and sustainability. He is an award-winning champion for inspiring and motivating the next generation of field scientists and explorers.

Author of eight books, including "Leading Innovation, Creativity and Enterprise", Peter delivers bespoke masterclasses that fuse together his passion for music to facilitate businesses with leadership, strategy, innovation and creativity. Peter uses a rich mix of business intelligence with the power of music to inspire, inform, and engage his audience in ways that stay with them forever.

Dr Phil Hammond can talk seriously or humorously, and usually both, about any health and lifestyle topic. He has been an NHS doctor for 31 years, a comedian for 29 years, a BBC broadcaster for 28 years and Private Eye's medical correspondence for 26 years.

Pranav Mistry’s contribution to the fields such as Wearable Computing, Augmented Reality and Gestural Computing puts him in the elite list of pioneers and inventors that shape the future of digital world.

Prof. Lord Robert Winston is famous for his enormous work on gynaecology and fertility. He has written books on fertility, pregnancy and conception. He is best known on television for his pioneering series ‘Child of Our Time’ and is Patron of child bereavement charity Winston’s Wish.

Steve has an unparalleled reputation for giving people an edge – as well as the confidence to overcome defeat. His specialist interest is in the working of the human mind and how it can reach optimum performance applied to all walks of life. He works with Liverpool Football Club, England Football and Sky ProCycling, and has current and past involvements in many other Olympic and non-Olympic Sports, including British Cycling, England Rugby, World Championship Snooker and Premier league Football.

Known for her social media campaign to save Bletchley Park, Sue Black is a computer scientist and a passionate advocate for women in tech. Navigating her PHD at 25 years old as a single parent of three, she found technology to be her saviour. Now, she has created networks and social enterprises to pass on her knowledge and empower people.

Rachel trained as a journalist, working as a producer, newsreader and weather presenter at ITV Anglia. She has been with BBC South East as the main weather presenter for the past three years and is responsible for the evening and late live forecasts, Monday to Friday.

Rachel Riley is the numbers expert on Channel 4’s long-running quiz show Countdown. Rachel has a keen interest in promoting maths and science to young people. Rachel appeared in the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary ‘Kids Don't Count’ which asked how and why we are failing Britain's children when it comes to maths. Her other TV appearances include regular guest roles on the hit comedy panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats on Channel 4, and has also competed in the special C4 mash-up shows 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and 8 Out of 10 Cats does Deal or No Deal.

Sir Crispin is a leading international authority on climate change and environmental issues, and is best known for bringing these issues to the attention of governments at the highest level, and thereby influencing policy. He is author of the ground-breaking book Climate Change and World Affairs (1977 and 1986) and Mary Anning of Lyme Regis (1996). He has contributed to many books on environmental issues (including human population, and conservation of biodiversity).

Company founder and CEO, Stephanie Davies has developed Laughology into the nation’s most talked about training and development provider and has gained an unsurpassed reputation for designing and delivering interventions for businesses, practitioners, clients, young people and adults.

With his role as Blue Peter's resident science expert, Steve offers a unique ability to communicate science, incorporating humor with his knowledge to generate a compelling speaking talent. This fusion saw the development and success of his hit show 'Festival of the Spoken Nerd'. He is involved with other big names in science, including Brian Cox when hosting Science Live! at the Science Museum.

Sue Nelson is an award-winning science journalist and broadcaster, editor of The Biologist and a producer/presented of the Space Boffins and Planet Earth podcasters. A former BBC science and environment correspondent, Sue continues to present science programmes for Radio 4 and BBC World Service.

Tanya Byron is best known for her work as a child therapist and specialises in emotional resilience in both young people and adults.

The author of Neuroscience for Leadership: Harnessing the Brain Gain Advantage and The Source. Tara examines the science behind leadership as well as offering fascinating insights in to resilience, performance, bias, stress and change. She considers what individuals and teams can achieve once they understand why they think, feel and act the way they do.

Science writer, broadcaster, sometime comedian and co-host of Radio 4’s look into what the future holds, Timandra examines the effects of all areas of technology. She is the author of Big Data: does size matter? and has written for Wired, the Guardian and the Telegraph.

Vic Strecher has been a Professor at the University of Michigan's Schools of Public Health and Medicine since 1995. Dr. Strecher founded the UM Center for Health Communications Research, a collaborative research-focused organization of health and behavioral scientists, educators, software engineers, and artists. Currently, as Director for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship, Dr. Strecher is working in the UM School of Public Health and the University of Michigan to create an environment that promotes more direct dissemination of research and teaching efforts to improve the public’s health nationally and globally.

Neurologist V.S. Ramachandran looks deep into the brain’s most basic mechanisms. By working with those who have very specific mental disabilities caused by brain injury or stroke, he can map functions of the mind to physical structures of the brain.