Inaugural Professorial Lecture series
Public Research Programme
Research is at the core of everything we do at the °µÍø½âÃÜ.
Our rich research culture seeks to better understand the world we live in, and – for many – make a difference that will leave it better for future generations.
We celebrate the impact of this work by opening up the often intriguing world of research, inviting the public, researchers, businesses, and students to hear the fascinating research stories.
Throughout 2024, we ran the Inaugural Professorial Lecture series, which acknowledged the research expertise of our academics who were awarded their professorship.
We look forward to welcoming you to our programme of research-focused professorial lectures in the near-future and captivating explorations of science, engineering, arts, culture, health, medicine, and more.
Previous events
Herpesviruses: Travels in Science with Viral Companions: Innovative Strategies to Prevent Emerging Pathogens
Inaugural Professorial Lecture | Thursday 15 May 2025 | Jill Craigie Cinema, Roland Levinsky Building
Science rarely follows a straight path, and Professor Jarvis' experience with science is no exception. Although veterinary medicine was the initial goal, he soon found himself drawn to the excitement of discovery, the process of testing new ideas, and an insatiable desire to learn. This ultimately led him to explore the fields of virology and immunology. Michael Jarvis, Professor in Virology and Immunology, reflected on his experience from a welder in the English shires to a scientific experimentalist engaged in international collaborative vaccine research.
Hazardous Landscapes: how geohazards shape our Earth – Professor Sarah Boulton
Inaugural Professorial Lecture | Wednesday 26 March 2025 | Jill Craigie Cinema, Roland Levinsky Building
In this inaugural lecture,
Professor Sarah Boulton
took us on a voyage through landscapes shaped by geohazards – from the active faults and earthquakes of the Mediterranean to landslides in the Nepal Himalayas, and finally to tsunamis in Japan. On the way she not only wove stories and experiences from her career as an Earth Scientist into the journey, but also talked about the importance of diversity in science and her role as the co-founder of the award-winning outreach initiative, 'Girls into Geoscience'.
Advancing knowledges for quality early childhood education – Professor Verity Campbell-Barr
Inaugural Professorial Lecture | Thursday 4 July 2024
Unpacking the skills, attitudes and understanding required for working with young children,
Professor Verity Campbell Barr
demonstrates the careful and considered ways in which educators skilfully draw upon a ‘basket’ of knowledges to provide rich early childhood education experiences that reflect the core concept of child-centredness.
Entwined systems; understanding and harnessing biopyschosocial and structural forces on health and illness to create equitable solutions – Professor Helen Lloyd
Inaugural Professorial Lecture | Thursday 13 June 2024
In her research,
Professor Helen Lloyd
investigates how pervasive societal inequalities shape our health and social outcomes and our experiences of the world. She explores how institutions we inhabit, and the structural forces holding them together, create potent contexts that either challenge or reproduce inequality; and how our living conditions shape our sense of self and group identity, which in turn influence our motivations to seek help and our understanding(s) of health and illness.
Public Research Programme events 2016–2024
- Inaugural Professorial Lectures: 2014–2024
- Research Festivals: 2018–2022
- Public Research Lectures: 2019