From [left to right]: Sir Paul Nurse; Marvin Rees; Professor Lucy Yardley; Professor Adam Finn and Professor Stephan Lewandowsky
The COVID-19 pandemic raises important questions about the role of life sciences in society and if the voices of scientists are now less audible or less important, is this a problem and how can this be addressed? This question will be one of many tackled by a panel, including Nobel Prize-winning biologist, Sir Paul Nurse and Bristol Mayor, Marvin Rees, for a live online event to celebrate the launch of the University of Bristol's Faculty of Life Sciences.
The event Life sciences in a post-truth world: a COVID-19 case study will take place on Thursday 3 December from 6 to 7.30 pm. Hosted by BBC journalist and presenter of BBC Radio 4's World at One Sarah Montague, the panel will discuss the role of life sciences in society in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel will include:
- Sir Paul Nurse (Nobel Prize-winning biologist, Director and Chief Executive of the Francis Crick Institute and Chancellor of the University of Bristol);
- Marvin Rees (Mayor of Bristol);
- Professor Lucy Yardley (Professor of Health Psychology, member of the UK government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and expert in health behaviour change);
- Professor Adam Finn (Professor of Paediatrics, Chair of Bristol's COVID-19 Emergency Research Group and expert on vaccination) and
- Professor Stephan Lewandowsky (Chair in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Bristol and expert in the spread of myths and misinformation in society).
