Science & Health Speakers

Dr Linda Papadopoulos

One of the highest-profile psychologists in the UK, Linda's work on self-image has informed everything from government policy to marketing campaigns. As an academic, author and consultant she also looks at wider issues of professional and personal change, what motivates us, and understanding what our goals are. From peer-pressure and social media to work-life balance and dealing with uncertainty, Linda examines how to work towards happiness, balance and fulfilment in an insightful and accessible way.

Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Maggie has led projects making anything from land mine detectors to satellite sub-systems that measure variables like wind speed to improve our knowledge of climate change. In presentations the Sky At Night expert talks about exploring space with missions like Rosetta, and how we live in a galaxy with 200 billion stars. Maggie believes that with 100 billion galaxies in the universe, there must be life out there – simply as a matter of probability.

Dr Ed Coats

Ed was chosen to join Cracknell and Fogle in a race to the South Pole. They skied for 16 hours each day and came in second – without any polar experience. In his workshop the hospital doctor uses storytelling and mindfulness techniques to give participants the tools to embrace challenge and live for the moment. Ed shows how exploring our feelings, opening up to change, managing criticism and agreeing short-term goals helps us withstand extreme pressure.

Professor Kevin Fong

Kevin is both astrophysicist, medical specialist and a natural storyteller. After working with NASA he specialised in lessons from the effects of extremes on human physiology. He is also part of hospital Emergency Response and Major Incident Planning, an air ambulance Emergency Doctor, and worked as a National Clinical Advisor to NHS England during the Covid-19 pandemic. All of this provides a unique insight into how we all cope with risk, planning and making decisions under pressure, as well as teamwork. He’s the author of Extremes – probing the limits of the human body, and hosted 13 Minutes to the Moon, the acclaimed, international hit podcast about the 19...

Joe Lynam

The Newstalk Business Editor is one of few journalists with everyday experience of business life having run a chain of restaurants in Germany before he moved into journalism. With almost 20 years at the BBC, Joe has covered everything from the financial crisis and the political fallout from the EU referendum to the spread of disinformation across media platforms and the social impact of phone fraud. He also presents The Newsroom and hosts a number of business podcasts. 

Timandra Harkness

Science writer, broadcaster, comedian and co-host of Radio 4’s FutureProofing series, 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.

Major Tim Peake

From 400km above the Earth, Britain’s first ESA astronaut became a household name. A former military test pilot, Tim shared his experiences and incredible photos on social media, and spoke to over 1.5million schoolchildren across Europe about the power of science.

Dr Tali Sharot

Working at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology and behavioural economics, Tali is a leading authority on the biology underpinning why we make the choices we make, what influences those choices, and why we tend to believe the outcome will ultimately be for the best. The acclaimed author of The Optimism Bias considers why our brains generate hope and the sort of decision-making that it leads to.

Professor Suzie Imber

Associate Professor of planetary science, Suzie has climbed some of the world’s highest and most challenging mountains, programmed supercomputers, helped develop space tourist training programmes, and won the BBC’s search for a future astronaut. Covering everything from satellites to teamwork, the future of science to dealing with risk, she looks at the lessons from all aspects of her work.

Dr Tim Gregory

Tim is a cosmochemist turned nuclear chemist, author, speaker, and TV presenter, working at the National Nuclear Laboratory at Sellafield. He regularly speaks to audiences of all sizes and ages on topics such as nuclear science, planetary science, the importance of science in society – and most topically of all, his contention that nuclear power is the only answer to achieving net zero.

Dr Sally Uren

As the Chief Executive of the Forum for the Future, Sally is an expert in helping organisations transform their practices to have a positive impact socially, environmentally and economically. Working across industries from clothing to agriculture, she helps reshape global supply chains and coordinate industries to work together to create a sustainable future for themselves.

Tim Spector

Tim Spector is a Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, director of the Twins UK study,  Scientific co-founder at ZOE, and one of the world’s leading researchers. He appears regularly on TV, radio, and podcasts, and is one of the top 100 most cited scientists in the world.