How can we achieve a Greener, Healthier and Fairer World? - University of Exeter research showcase event

Drinks and canapés will be served on arrival, and will be followed by our research showcase with short talks from each of the academics about how the University of Exeter will drive positive change around the world. We will follow this with a Q&A session for the audience, after which we will provide the opportunity for networking over more drinks and canapés, and a chance to learn more about our Greener, Healthier and Fairer activities.

The evening will be hosted by one of your fellow alumni, Vassos Alexander (Russian, 1996) who is a British sports reporter, presenter, author and endurance runner. He is currently the sports presenter of The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio. He will draw upon his own experiences, and introduce our panel of leading academics:

• Professor Tamara Galloway, OBE, is a British marine scientist and Professor of Ecotoxicology at the University of Exeter. Her research focuses on marine pollution, the human health effects of pollutants and the sustainable development of novel materials and substances – this culminated in being awarded the Blue Planet Prize 2023 for her pioneering work uncovering the devastating impact of plastic pollution in the environment, and the awarding of an OBE in the 2019 Honours List. Her talk will cover an insight into microplastics, and the detrimental impact on the food chain – one shower could result in 100,000 microbeads ending up in the ocean, and every sea water sample she has analysed has contained microplastics.

• Professor Willie Hamilton, CBE, MD, FRCP, FRCGP, is Professor of Primary Care Diagnostics at University of Exeter. The major part of his work is in cancer diagnostics in the symptomatic patient – the one sitting in the GP’s consulting room. He was awarded a CBE in the 2019 New Years’ Honours List for services to improving early cancer diagnosis. ‘Testing, testing – let’s get cancer right!” - For every week a cancer diagnosis is delayed, the patient’s chance of surviving the cancer goes down by about 1%. But how can we ensure cancer is diagnosed quickly? This can be broken down to two areas: WHO should we test urgently for possible cancer, and HOW should we conduct the tests? This brief talk describes how the Exeter team, led by Prof Hamilton, tackled these two questions over the last dozen years, and what impact the research has had.

• Professor Lee Elliot Major, OBE, FAcSS, is a Professor of Social Mobility - Britain’s first Professor of Social Mobility, based at the University of Exeter. He was previously Chief Executive of the Sutton Trust, the UK’s leading social mobility foundation. His work is dedicated to improving the lives of children and young people from under-resourced backgrounds. He works closely with school leaders, universities, global employers and Governments to develop practical ways of improving educational and life prospects. His latest book Equity in Education argues for a new approach and language for disadvantage and challenges damaging deficit discourses in education. On its release the book was immediately ranked among Amazon’s 'Hot New Releases in Education’. His Penguin book Social Mobility and Its Enemies has attracted attention across the world. Lee is one of the most prominent public voices in national education debates and is invited to speak about the topic across the world. He was awarded an OBE in the 2019 Queen’s Honours. He is the first in his family to go to university. Elliot Major argues that modern capitalism is currently failing to deliver its promise that everyone has a fair chance to lead a decent life and better themselves.

The evening should be an informative and interesting discussion. This event is free of charge to attend, and will without doubt book up quickly – so please register your attendance today.