Sir Jonathan Van-Tam is a British-born physician of Vietnamese origin, currently serving as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Medicine and Health Sciences, the University of Nottingham. An international expert in public health, notably respiratory virus infection and pandemics, he was seconded from the University of Nottingham to the Department of Health and Social Care as Deputy Chief Medical Officer from 2017 to 2022. During this period, he became well-known for his leadership in the UK’s responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly his straight, down-to-earth but no-nonsense communication style from the podium at No. 10 Downing Street, and for the acquisition and rollout of vaccines and antiviral drugs in the UK. His services to public health were recognised with a knighthood by Her Late Majesty the Queen in 2022, and his outstanding engagement with the public has recently led him to the Royal Society’s Attenborough Award and Lecture 2022.
In this public appearance, hosted by the Centre for Science, Health and Communication at Bournemouth University, Professor Van-Tam will share his experience in combining pandemic science and leadership, and how he survived one of the most arduous jobs on offer during the Covid-19 crisis. Throughout, he will also reflect on his career, especially the connection between a highly respected scientist and a widely followed science communicator.
Online tickets available via Eventbrite.