27 min listen
Jonathan Van-Tam on Covid communication and the power of football analogies
Jonathan Van-Tam on Covid communication and the power of football analogies
ratings:
Length:
37 minutes
Released:
Mar 12, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, or ‘JVT’ as he's arguably better known, first came to widespread public attention in his role as Deputy Chief Medical Officer during the Covid-19 pandemic.But even before that, Jonathan had built an impressive career based on a long-held fascination with respiratory illness and infectious diseases. He’s worked across the public and private sectors, contributing significantly to improving our understanding of influenza and treatments to address such viruses. It’s hard to believe that back in his teens, JVT – the man who advised the nation on pandemic precautions and helped make the UK’s vaccine roll-out possible – nearly didn’t get the grades he needed to go to medical school. But early challenges aside, Jonathan went on to discover a love for both medical research and public speaking: making complex public health messages easier to digest – not least by using analogies relating to his beloved football. Speaking to Professor Jim Al-Khalili in the first episode of a new series of The Life Scientific, Jonathan discusses his life and career: from academic emphasis in childhood and imposter syndrome at medical school, to pandemic pressures around Covid-19 and big birthday celebrations.Produced by Lucy Taylor.
Released:
Mar 12, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Angela Gallop: Jim Al-Khalili talks to the forensic scientist Angela Gallop. by The Life Scientific