Shows
Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneEmily Kneebone in conversation with Roger KneeboneThe classicist Dr Emily Kneebone talks to me about her recent book Oppian’s Halieutica: Charting a Didactic Epic (published by Cambridge University Press in September 2020). We discuss how Oppian's overlooked 3,500-line poem from the second century AD provides insights into relationships between people, fish and nature in the ancient world - issues that continue to confront us all today.
2021-08-301h 14Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneOllie Howell in conversation with Roger KneeboneOllie Howell is a jazz performer and composer whose career crosses many disciplinary boundaries. As a music student specialising in jazz drumming, Ollie needed neurosurgery for an Arnold-Chiari malformation of the brain. While recovering he composed his first album Sutures and Stitches. Since then he was awarded a prestigious Sky Academy Arts Scholarship, which gave him the freedom to develop his career in new directions. Now his focus is on composing music for film and television. In this podcast we discuss the excitements and challenges of crossing disciplinary boundaries. http://olliehowell.com
2020-09-071h 01Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneLuke Blair in conversation with Roger KneeboneLuke Blair began his career as a newspaper journalist for the Reading Chronicle. He then became a lobby journalist and political correspondent before moving into communications for many public and private sector organisations. In his current role at Imperial College London he bridges the worlds of education, research and external relationships. In this conversation we explore how we understand the term ‘communication’ in our different professional worlds. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/luke.blair
2020-08-241h 01Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneAndy McKillop in conversation with Roger KneeboneAndy McKillop was an editor and publisher for many years, becoming Publishing Director at Random House and reading up to 40 books every week. In 2003 he suffered a stroke which radically affected his speech and language. Unable to continue in his former role, he underwent a long period of speech therapy during his recovery. He then changed direction, retrained as a gardener and developed a new career. Since then he has changed direction again, focusing on drawing and painting. In this conversation we explore his experience of moving from a world dominated by words to a life built on different...
2020-08-171h 02Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneRoger Neighbour in conversation with Roger KneeboneRoger Neighbour is well known to GPs as the author of The Inner Consultation and The Inner Apprentice, two books which had a powerful influence over Roger Kneebone when he was a GP. In this conversation we discuss how Neighbour combined his interests in medicine, psychology, Zen Buddhism and clinical medicine to write books which have shaped what it means to be a general practitioner.
2020-08-101h 06Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneHoward Williams in conversation with Roger KneeboneHoward Williams is a distinguished musician who has conducted many leading orchestras in the UK and across the world, including the English National Opera and Royal Ballet. He is professor of conducting at the Royal College of Music and has a particular interest in teaching conductors. In this conversation we explore parallels between our experiences, discussing similarities and differences between music and medicine. Finally we discuss Howard’s experience of teaching conducting in silence. https://www.rcm.ac.uk/Conducting/professors/details/?id=03945 http://www.whowardwilliams.com
2020-07-271h 03Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneWill Liddell in conversation with Roger KneeboneWill Liddell studied zoology at university before working on cotton pests in South America. He then changed direction, studied medicine, and eventually became a general practitioner. In this conversation we discuss how his many interests, including Neuro-Linguistic Programming, have fed into his clinical work over the years. Will also owns a farm and has an enduring commitment to environmental science and sustainability. We explore the idea of healing as something that applies both to people and the natural world.
2020-07-131h 02Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneErma Hermens in conversation with Roger KneeboneErma Hermans combines academic knowledge with practical skill. Trained as a painting conservator and holding a doctorate in art history, Erma is also an art teacher and has a wide knowledge of fine and decorative arts. In this conversation we discuss what it means to become an ‘expert generalist’, exploring parallels between her world and my experience as a clinician. Erma is fascinated by the ‘material biography’ of each object she works with, interpreting its construction and history in the context of our contemporary lives. https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/press/press-releases/erma-hermens-rijksmuseum-professor-of-studio-practice-and-technical-art-history
2020-06-281h 02Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneDavid Roach in conversation with Roger KneeboneDavid Roach started his career by training to become a professional footballer. Injuries compelled him to change direction and he became a personal trainer and sports coach, working with clients at every level of fitness. David’s passion is climbing, which he sees as a kind of three dimensional chess - combining strength, agility, problem-solving and a meditative focus on the moment. http://www.davidroachtraining.co.uk
2020-06-1556 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneTabitha Tuckett in conversation with Roger KneeboneTabitha Tuckett’s career has moved across poetry, Classics and Renaissance literature. She has been an editor at the Oxford English Dictionary. As a musician she specialises in baroque cello and has performed and taught extensively. In this podcast we explore what it means to cross disciplinary boundaries and discuss ideas around identity and change.
2020-06-011h 02Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneDarren McHugh in conversation with Roger KneeboneDarren McHugh started his career as an actor and playwright before changing direction and joining the world of fine dining. He has been at The Ledbury for seven years, where his responsibilities extend from front of house dining to the financial and organisational sides of the restaurant. He sees developing his team as central to his role and he believes that ‘authentic interestedness’ is a key quality of expert service. https://www.theledbury.com/front-of-house/
2020-05-181h 04Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneAveril Mansfield in conversation with Roger KneeboneAveril Mansfield’s career was in vascular surgery. A consultant surgeon at St Mary’s Hospital in London, in 1993 she became the first female professor of surgery in the United Kingdom. In addition to her clinical practice, teaching and research, she has been a role model for women in surgery, establishing Women in Surgical Training (WIST). An accomplished pianist, in her retirement she has also taken up the cello. In this podcast we explore the challenges and satisfactions of her career.
2020-05-041h 00Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneGeorge Waddell in conversation with Roger KneeboneA pianist by training, George Waddell’s many interests include the evaluation of performance and the role of technologies in music education. Brought up in rural Manitoba (where his parents are both vets), he studied piano in Brandon before moving to London for his PhD in performance science at the Royal College of Music. He researches and teaches performance across domains of expert practice.
2020-04-2059 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneSara Rankin in conversation with Roger KneeboneProfessor Sara Rankin is a leading scientist in the field of stem cell and leukocyte research. Throughout her career she has crossed disciplinary boundaries, working with experts across medicine, science and the arts. She only recognised her own dyslexia and dyspraxia in mid-career. In our conversation we explore the drawbacks and benefits of neurodiversity alongside our shared interest in public engagement and story-telling.
2020-04-061h 00Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneMerlin Strangeway in conversation with Roger KneeboneIn this podcast we discuss Merlin’s work as an medical illustrator, exploring her fascination with narrative and the need to make sense of people’s stories. Merlin’s unorthodox career has moved from studying English and History at university to developing a widening array of skills around illustration, including drawing, painting, wax modelling and using digital technology. https://www.drawntomedicine.com/about
2020-03-231h 05Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneTerry Clark in conversation with Roger KneeboneAfter training as a professional flautist in Canada, Terry Clark changed direction and entered the field of performance science. His doctorate exploring the role of mental skills in addressing issues around musical and sports performance laid the foundations for his current research in the evolving field of performance science.
2020-03-091h 01Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneNicholas Cooper in conversation with Roger KneeboneNicholas Cooper is well known for his books The Opulent eye: Late Victorian and Edwardian Taste in Interior Design and Houses of the Gentry 1480-1680 and for his extensive practical and theoretical knowledge of architecture and history. In this conversation we explore unexpected parallels between architectural history and medicine.
2020-02-2359 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneJoshua Byrne in conversation with Roger KneeboneJoshua Byrne designs and creates men’s jackets and suits. Starting from scratch with each garment he makes Joshua begins by identifying the needs of his customer. Each garment takes shape through a series of fittings, each depending on knowledge, skill and the Joshua’s ability to improvise. This has illuminating parallels with the world of medicine. In this podcast we explore how Joshua’s experience and mine shine light on one another’s practices.
2020-02-091h 04Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneStephen Birkill in conversation with Roger KneeboneStephen Birkill’s career began as an engineer in the BBC transmissions section. In the following decades he made numerous technical advances in his field. He discovered a talent for solving practical problems in unorthodox ways and was instrumental in the development of tuning systems for satellite television, set-top boxes and digital radio. In parallel with his engineering career he has a longstanding fascination with the songs of Pete Atkin and Clive James and was responsible for the revival of Atkin’s music in the 1990s.
2020-01-271h 01Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneAnthony Luvera in conversation with Roger KneeboneIn this podcast we discuss Anthony’s work as a socially engaged artist who works extensively with people who have experienced homelessness. Through his work with assisted self-portraits he creates shared experiences with people in diverse communities. In this conversation we explore similarities and differences between our professional experiences.
2020-01-1352 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneDame Emma Kirkby in conversation with Roger KneeboneEmma Kirkby is a distinguished soprano, well known for her pioneering performances and recordings of Renaissance and Baroque music. In this conversation we explore perspectives around music and silence, and how early music performances are a conversation between voices, instruments, audiences and space
2019-12-2556 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneFulceri Bruni Roccia in conversation with Roger KneeboneFulceri Bruni Roccia’s career and interests cross many disciplinary boundaries. From his long experience in the world of banking he became Visiting Professor on Global Political Economy at the University of Bologna. In this podcast we discuss the the opportunities and challenges of changing direction and becoming an expert generalist connector.
2019-12-1654 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneebonePaul Smith in conversation with Roger KneebonePaul Smith has been singing since he was a child. In 2005 he co-founded VOCES8, now one of the worlds leading vocal ensembles, with his brother Barnaby. He is passionate about music education and the importance of music at all stages of life. We explore how VOCES8 combine vocal precision with intensive listening and discuss parallels with the world of medicine. www.voces8.foundation
2019-12-0248 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneLewis Macleod in conversation with Roger KneeboneLewis Macleod is one the UK’s leading voice actors. Well known for his wide-ranging roles, from Start Wars to Postman Pat, Lewis is a regular on BBC Radio 4’s Dead Ringers, where his Donald Trump is a particular favourite. In this conversation we explore the range and diversity of Lewis’s interests and discuss how his use of voice and silence in satire and film resonates with the world of medicine. https://www.lewismacleod.co.uk
2019-11-181h 00Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneAlison Joseph in conversation with Roger KneeboneAlison Joseph is the author of the Sister Agnes series of crime novels featuring a detective nun. In this podcast we discuss how Alison’s background as a philosopher, a documentary film maker and a writer of radio plays has shaped her career as a successful novelist. We explore her fascination with particle physics and discuss how conversations with experts from diverse fields can bring unexpected insights. http://alisonjoseph.com
2019-11-1149 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneSimon Callaghan in conversation with Roger KneeboneSimon Callaghan is an international concert pianist who performs and records all over the world. In this conversation we discuss the nature of performance, the role of memorisation and the ability to improvise in response to different contexts.
2019-10-2849 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneTheresa Hickey in conversation with Roger KneeboneTheresa Hickey is a leading theatrical agent with a large stable of actors. In this podcast we discuss the relationship of care between agent and actor, exploring similarities with the clinical context before turning to the stresses and pressures of working in a rapidly changing world.
2019-10-2149 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneDimitri Bellos in conversation with Roger KneeboneDimitri Bellos has been Restaurant Manager at The Fat Duck for over five years. In this podcast he describes his philosophy of service in this 3 Michelin starred restaurant where waiters are ‘storytellers’ in a culinary narrative based on Heston Blumenthal’s childhood experiences. We discuss parallels between fine dining and clinical care, exploring Dimitri’s ideas around attentiveness and presence as the foundations of an outstanding experience for diners.
2019-10-1454 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneBen Marks in conversation with Roger KneeboneBen Marks trained as a conservator and restorer of historical pianos, working with Lucy Coad in the West Country. Now he is responsible for seventeen early keyboard instrument, the oldest of which is over 450 years old. We discuss Ben’s relationship of care with fragile and irreplaceable instruments which nevertheless need to be played and explore how his experience resonates with mine in the world of medicine. http://www.keyboardconservation.co.uk/Home.html
2019-10-0554 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneJohn Acland in conversation with Roger KneeboneWhen John Acland retired he was managing director of Williamson’s Diamond Mine Ltd in Tanzania, having turned it from being a failed mine into a highly profitable organisation. After cutting his teeth as a miner in northern Canada he trained at the Camborne School of Mines in Cornwall before a career that took him from South Africa and Botswana to Angola, Namibia and Tanzania before changing direction and becoming an olive farmer in South Africa’s Western Cape.
2019-09-3031 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneebonePetur Jonasson in conversation with Roger KneebonePetur is Head of Classical Guitar at the Iceland Academy of the Arts. He studied classical guitar in Mexico and Spain. He is a performer of contemporary music as well as more traditional repertoire. He has an interest in music technology, plays in a rock band and is currently studying for a PhD at the Royal College of Music. He divides his time between London and Reykjavik.
2019-09-2352 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneSir Nicholas Serota in conversation with Roger KneeboneNicholas Serota’s studies moved from economics to art history before he became Director of the Whitechapel Gallery in London. He was appointed Director of the Tate in 1988 and was responsible for the conversion of Bankside Power Station into Tate Modern, one of the world’s most successful art gallery spaces. Since 2017 he has been Chair of Arts Council England. In this conversation we explore the challenges and opportunities we have both experienced in our careers.
2019-09-151h 05Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneDr Tony Saner in conversation with Roger KneeboneTony Saner’s first degree was from South Africa’s only veterinary school. He practised as a vet, then took up a Rhodes Scholarship to study cardiac physiology at the University of Oxford before returning to South Africa to study medicine. His long career as a general practitioner was profoundly shaped by his time as a GP trainee in Norfolk. Five years ago he was diagnosed with malignant melanoma but despite all predictions remains alive and well. In this conversation we explore the implications of changing career paths, discuss the nature of general practice and hospital medicine and talk abou...
2019-09-0249 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneJohan Esterhuizen in conversation with Roger KneeboneJohan Esterhuizen studied drama in South Africa before spending time in the United Kingdom. After returning to Cape Town he was involved in experimental and political theatre at a time of huge upheaval and change. A longstanding commitment to applied theatre took him to the townships and schools of South Africa, working with a wide variety of communities. Later in his career he turned to lecturing at Stellenbosch University, while continuing to develop his career as an actor and director. In this conversation we discuss how our careers have changed directions and how early experiences have shaped our later...
2019-08-1947 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneebonePete Atkin in conversation with Roger KneebonePete Atkin’s collaboration with Clive James led to six ground-breaking LPs in the 1970s, starting with Beware of the Beautiful Stranger. Narrowly avoiding stardom, Pete’s career then took a different direction and he became a radio producer for the BBC. He is perhaps best known for his series This Sceptr’d Isle on BBC Radio 4, which ran to 396 fifteen minute episodes and covered British history from 55 BC to the present. https://www.peteatkin.com
2019-08-051h 04Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneSam Cooper in conversation with Roger KneeboneSam Cooper writes speeches for leading figures in the Corporation of London and other institutions. Building on his understanding of language and metaphor and his PhD in English, he crafts speeches that recreate the rhythms and nuances of a speaker so they sound entirely natural - a form of bespoke. We discuss the challenges of writing when there are ‘many hands on the pen’ and the need to combine creativity, diplomacy and technical mastery in a under-recognised area of expertise. www.drsamcooper.com
2019-07-2248 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneRuth Morgan in conversation with Roger KneeboneProfessor Ruth Morgan began her academic career studying geography. After a doctorate in forensic geoscience she became fascinated by forensic science more widely. Now she is Director of the University College London Centre for the Forensic Sciences. In this conversation we discuss the challenges of interpreting evidence within a criminal context and the intersection between laboratory science and human interaction in this complex and rapidly evolving field.
2019-07-0855 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneFlora Smyth-Zahra in conversation with Roger KneeboneFlora Smyth-Zahra trained as a dentist and has a special interest in periodontology. In this podcast we explore the nature of clinical care, whether in dentistry and medicine, sharing our perspectives and experiences of surgery in different domains. Alongside her clinical practice, Flora has expertise in education, literature and the arts and has pioneered dental humanities as an emerging part of the dental curriculum. In our conversation we discuss how cross-disciplinary exploration can enrich clinical practice.
2019-06-2453 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneDavid Owen in conversation with Roger KneeboneDavid Owen QC has developed parallel careers as a barrister (now specialising in mediation and arbitration for complex business disputes) and a magician and member of the Magic Circle. In this podcast we explore similarities and differences between our worlds of medicine and the law, and explore performative aspects of our work and interests.
2019-06-1054 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneProfessor Thomas Schlich in conversation with Roger KneeboneThomas Schlich’s career spans clinical medicine and the history of medicine. In this conversation we explore similarities and differences between these two approaches, including how the idea of ‘taking a history’ plays out in different contexts. We discuss how the perspectives of clinical practice and historical scholarship complement one another before talking about Thomas’s seminal work documenting the Swiss ‘osteosynthesis’ movement (fixing broken bones with screws and plates) in the mid twentieth century. https://www.mcgill.ca/ssom/staff/schlich
2019-05-2653 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneFabrice Ringuet in conversation with Roger KneeboneFabrice Ringuet has been a hair stylist for 35 years. Initially trained in France, he has made his career in the UK, first as a stylist and then as a teacher and hair styling coach. In this podcast we explore unexpected parallels between hair styling and medicine, where technical expertise must be matched by sensitivity, performance and interpersonal skill.
2019-05-1753 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneRichard Jones in conversation with Roger KneeboneRichard Jones is one of the UK’s most well-known directors of theatre and opera. His productions have been staged all over the world and he has a reputation for challenging expectations and disrupting traditional boundaries. In this conversation we compare the dramatic theatre and the operating theatre, discuss where theatre and opera intersect and explore our experiences of success and failure.
2019-05-0652 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneBridget Bailey in conversation with Roger KneeboneBridget Bailey is a leading textile artist and designer who co-founded the Bailey Tomlin brand, creating and producing millinery for major labels. In this conversation we explore ideas around inspiration, precision and perfectionism. Over the years Bridget has moved from creating ‘trim’ for hats to more abstracted work which has echoes of the natural world. bridgetbailey.co.uk
2019-04-2953 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneebonePhil Wilson in conversation with Roger KneeboneIn this conversation the distinguished medical artist Phil Wilson and I explore how expertise in illustration allows medical artists to convey the essence of a clinical procedure or anatomical idea. We dissect the notion of visual narrative and discuss how Phil’s perspectives as an artist and my perspectives as a clinician intersect and overlap. Phil describes how the shift from pen and watercolour to working in the digital arena entails radical new techniques, but how the essentials of close observation remain unchanged. http://www.medart.co.uk
2019-04-1551 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneJeremy Herbert in conversation with Roger KneeboneJeremy Herbert’s career has taken many unexpected swerves. He is fascinated by the aesthetics and the practicalities of design, both in theatre and outside. An expert maker with a strong sense of the mechanical, he creates imaginative landscapes for a wide range of productions. In this conversation we discuss how our different perspectives on practicality overlap and intersect.
2019-04-0852 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneJane Dorner in conversation with Roger KneeboneJane Dorner’s first career was in publishing. From art editor for Longman’s and then as fiction reader for Penguin. After thirty years she fell in love with glass-making and developed a parallel career designing and making art works in glass. In this conversation we discuss the similarities and differences between our worlds of medicine, publishing and the arts.
2019-04-0142 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneMr Chris Peters in conversation with Roger KneeboneIn this conversation Chris Peters and I discuss the fast-moving world of robot-assisted surgery and explore new developments that are changing how surgeons operate. We talk about the shifting balance between vision and touch as surgery has evolved from ‘open’ procedures to keyhole surgery and now to robot-assisted operating supported by augmented reality and artificial intelligence.
2019-03-2546 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneProfessor Roberto di Napoli in conversation with Roger KneeboneRoberto di Napoli graduated in modern languages and linguistics in Italy before developing a career in education which has taken him to many institutions. A gifted teacher, he is passionate about making complex educational concepts accessible to people with expertise in a wide range of domains. In this conversation we explore the roles of performance and human interaction in teaching and learning.
2019-03-1847 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneHeather Mayfield in conversation with Roger KneeboneHeather Mayfield joined the London Science Museum in 1979 as a museum assistant. By the time she left in 2014 she was its Deputy Director. In this podcast she describes her excitement in being part of the team unpacking and cataloguing Sir Henry Wellcome’s extraordinary collection for the first time since his death. She maps her career within the world of museums and her passion for engaging with people around the ideas and controversies of science. Now CEO of Nottingham Castle Trust, Heather is back in the city where she grew up.
2019-03-111h 06Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneProfessor David Nott in conversation with Roger KneeboneDavid Nott trained as a trauma surgeon and has worked in war-torn areas all over the world. At the same time he trained as an airline pilot, gaining his airline transport pilot's licence and flying corporate jets in parallel with his surgical career. In this podcast we discuss the challenges, excitements and downsides of living and working in some of the most extreme environments on the globe. David's book ‘War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line’ was published in February 2019.
2019-03-0445 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneebonePhil Bayman in conversation with Roger KneebonePhil Bayman is a combat pilot and instructor with over 4,500 flying hours experience. Alongside an active career flying combat missions in Hawks and Tornadoes, Phil is passionate about education. Six of the 2018 intake of Red Arrows pilots are his former students. In this podcast Phil describes the extraordinary world of combat flying, where pilots steer along the edge of what is physiologically possible. We explore similarities and differences between our experiences in aviation and medicine and ask what these worlds might learn from one another.
2019-02-2558 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneJames Peto in conversation with Roger KneeboneJames Peto’s interests range from art history and contemporary design to the creation of ground-breaking exhibitions at the Wellcome Trust. Our discussion explores how these interests have helped to form the Wellcome Collection’s identity as an intersection between medicine, science and the arts.
2019-02-1148 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneAngela Barrett in conversation with Roger KneeboneAngela Barrett is one of the UK’s leading illustrators of children’s books. Her much-loved works include Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, The Emperor’s New Clothes and The Diary of Anne Frank. Her illustrations combine an inspired imagination with detail and humour, resulting in imaginary worlds of extraordinary power. In this conversation we explore the relationship between words and images and draw parallels between our very different worlds.
2019-01-2845 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneAlan Spivey in conversation with Roger KneeboneProfessor Alan Spivey designs and creates biologically important molecules. In this conversation we discuss the differences between ‘following a recipe’ in chemistry and ‘designing an experiment’, exploring our perspectives from science and medicine. We discuss the concept of ‘performance’ in a science laboratory and how this resonates with other areas of expert practice.
2019-01-1454 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneDerek Frampton in conversation with Roger KneeboneA taxidermist for over 45 years, Derek Frampton is one of the leading experts in his field. His work is in many museums and scientific collections, and he has worked in film and television too. In this podcast he describes how his work stands at the intersection of science, craftsmanship and art. From voles to giraffes, from crocodiles to dinosaurs, Derek’s range is extraordinarily diverse. Each day brings a different challenge, and ‘everything is a prototype’.
2019-01-0149 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneSir Terence English in conversation with Roger KneeboneSir Terence English carried out the UK’s first successful heart transplant in 1979 and established the transplant programme at Papworth Hospital which revolutionised clinical care. In this podcast we discuss the events of that extraordinary time, looking back to the world’s first heart transplant in 1967 by Christiaan Barnard and forward to new horizons for cardiac transplantation today.
2018-12-2453 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneRebecca Salter in conversation with Roger KneeboneThe artist Rebecca Salter RA was elected Keeper of the Royal Academy in 2017. In this podcast we discuss her fascination with drawing, her time as a Leverhulme Scholar in Japan, the differences between Eastern and Western artistic cultures and her role at the Royal Academy of Arts
2018-12-2458 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneWill Houstoun in conversation with Roger KneeboneOne of the UK’s leading close-up magicians, with a international reputation as performer and teacher, Will Houstoun was Magic Circle Magician of the Year in 2015. Will is renowned for his extraordinary skill in manipulating coins and cards. Alongside his career in magic, Will studied mechanical engineering before completing a PhD in Victorian conjuring. In this podcast we discuss parallels and differences between our approaches to practical skill, scholarship and performance. drhoustoun.co.uk/ Roger and Will discuss connections between medicine and magic in Roger's Gresham College Lecture as Visiting Professor of Medical Education on 5 Dec...
2018-12-0557 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneRoger Highfield in conversation with Roger KneeboneRoger Highfield is Director of External Affairs at the Science Museum Group. A physical chemist by training, he honed his journalistic skills while a postdoctoral researcher before becoming Science Editor of the Daily Telegraph for the next 20 years. After a spell as Editor of the New Scientist he joined the Science Museum, where he works at an intersection between scientists, historians, curators and multiple publics. In this extended conversation we explore tensions between depth and breadth, ask whether medicine is a science or a practice and talk about the craftsmanship that underpins the performance of laboratory science.
2018-11-2649 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneSarah Angliss in conversation with Roger KneeboneSarah Angliss defies conventional definition. A multitalented creator of musical scores and an expert performer, she describes herself as a composer. With degrees in electroacoustics and robotics and a fascination with musical automata, Sarah’s interests cut across orthodox categories.
2018-11-1254 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneMalcolm Love in conversation with Roger KneeboneMalcolm Love’s career has included being a Baptist minister in London’s Battersea, a freelance journalist in Nicaragua and El Salvador, a producer and presenter for the BBC, a leading science communicator and a mentor and coach in the changing landscape of public engagement. In this conversation we explore how our varied paths intersect, and discuss our shared fascination with making connections. http://www.malcolmlove.org
2018-10-2945 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneProfessor Andrea Sella in conversation with Roger KneeboneAndrea Sella is well known as a chemist, a teacher, a science communicator and broadcaster. In this podcast we discuss the nature of contemporary chemistry, talk about its development over the last couple of decades and explore issues of uncertainty and risk.
2018-10-1551 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneAaron Williamon in conversation with Roger KneeboneAaron Williamon started his career as a trumpeter before changing direction and studying psychology. As one of the world’s leading conservatoires, the Royal College of Music (RCM) attracts performers with extraordinary skill but who also work under extraordinary pressure. In this podcast we discuss our shared interests in expert performance, whether in music, medicine or the arts, and talk about the RCM-Imperial Centre for Performance Science which we jointly lead.
2018-10-0153 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneIan Blatchford in conversation with Roger KneeboneAfter a law degree at Oxford and an MA in Renaissance Studies at Birkbeck, Ian Blatchford trained as an accountant and worked at the Bank of England, the Arts Council and the Royal Academy of Arts. After a spell as Finance Director at the Victoria & Albert Museum he became its Deputy Driector. In 2010 he moved across the road the Science Museum as its Director. In this conversation we discuss Ian’s fascination with science and scientists and how the various strands of his career have intertwined.
2018-09-1757 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneSaagar Patel in conversation with Roger KneeboneSaagar Patel and I discuss the technical, aesthetic and human challenges of dentistry and medicine. We explore how dentists carry out delicate work in a confined space using mirrors; how they combine dexterity, craftsmanship and a sensitivity to the subtleties of materials; and how they meet the challenges of ensuring that each patient has the best possible experience.
2018-09-0352 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneSusie Hopkins in conversation with Roger KneeboneThe distinguished couture hattist Susie Hopkins describes how she became entranced by hats while an art student in Vienna. After becoming a Master in Austria she moved to a Paris fashion house as their creative designer. Her subsequent career in London has included teaching at the London College of Fashion. Susie is not only a gifted designer and maker but an expert in creating bespoke hats for weddings and special occasions. This requires high levels of interpersonal skill, and her expertise has interesting parallels with my own experience as a clinician working with the complex family relationships and tensions...
2018-08-2052 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneAndrew Garlick in conversation with Roger KneeboneAndrew Garlick is one of the UK’s leading harpsichord makers and has been creating instruments for 45 years. In this conversation we explore what drew him to this specialised field, and how his skills as a craftsman, an artist and a creator of sound worlds have come together to create over 250 instruments. http://garlick-harpsichords.co.uk
2018-08-0645 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneVicki Ambery-Smith in conversation with Roger KneeboneVicki Ambery-Smith is one of the country’s leading silversmiths, with work in major collections around the world. She specialises in creating tiny, exquisitely beautiful sculptures of buildings that can be worn as jewellery. We discuss how she designs and creates these tiny works of art and explore how her skills in the workshop are an expression of the human relationships she develops with those who commission her work. In the process we uncover unexpected similarities with the world of medicine. http://www.vickiamberysmith.co.uk/index.html
2018-07-2342 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneDr Simon Chaplin in conversation with Roger KneeboneSimon Chaplin’s varied career has included studying history and philosophy of science, directing the Museum and Special Collections at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, heading the Wellcome Library and becoming Director of Culture and Society at Wellcome Trust and Director of the Wellcome Collection. We explore our different perspectives on anatomical museums and their contents, drawing on Simon’s engagement with the physicality of anatomical specimens and my experience of dissection and prosection. The conversation ranges from the disciplines of close observation to the skills of maintaining old tractor engines before exploring what has prompted us both...
2018-07-0949 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneKatharine Coleman in conversation with Roger KneeboneKatharine Coleman is one of the country’s leading glass engravers. She moved from being a hispanophone historian of sixteenth century Spanish American history to a fascination with the ancient craftsmanship of glass and a painstaking mastery of her craft. In our conversation we explore how a deep knowledge of this extraordinary material allows Katharine to exploit its instabilities as she creates her exquisite work. http://www.katharinecoleman.co.uk
2018-06-2544 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneJeremy Rosenblatt in conversation with Roger KneeboneIn this podcast, Jeremy and I explore how his ability to manage judges and clients is as important as his knowledge of the law. Jeremy describes his unusual upbringing and the many influences that have shaped his interests and career. We discuss parallels between law and medicine, and how each has important elements of performance.
2018-06-1144 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneProfessor Kathrin Altwegg in conversation with Roger KneeboneKathrin Altwegg’s career has moved from solid state physics to physical chemistry and then to space science. For 20 years she has worked with the Rosetta mission as principal investigator of the Rosina project, gathering spectroscopic data from Comet P67 at a distance of 600 million kilometres. Kathrin is fascinated not only by the ‘how?’ of space research but also by the ‘why?’, and her research group in Bern, Switzerland brings together scientists and technicians with philosophers, theologians and scholars of science fiction literature.
2018-05-2847 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneProfessor Richard Reznick in conversation with Roger KneeboneRichard Reznick is well known internationally for his groundbreaking ideas in medical education and his work on assessment of surgical skills. Now Dean of the Faculty of Healthcare Sciences at Queen’s University in Ontario, Richard is testing a revolutionary approach to clinical education based on competency rather than time which will be adopted throughout Canada. Richard and I are both fascinated by the intersection between surgery and education. In this conversation we discuss how our personal histories have enabled us to develop new ideas. http://surgery.queensu.ca/home/attending_staff/dr_richard_reznick
2018-05-1448 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneBrigid Edwards in conversation with Roger KneeboneBrigid Edwards works at a nexus where science, art and craftsmanship are inextricably linked. We explore how her images of the natural world capture an essence of the plants and animals she works with, and how her awareness of colour and texture infuses her work. http://www.brigidedwards.co.uk
2018-04-3046 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneJane Smith in conversation with Roger KneeboneJane Smith has been making hats for over forty years, working with some of the country’s leading actors, directors and designers in film and theatre. In this podcast we explore how theatrical hat-making demands detailed knowledge, three-dimensional thinking, craftsmanship and the ability to improvise under pressure - characteristics of clinical practice too. http://www.janesmithhats.co.uk
2018-04-1641 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneCaroline Kilpatrick in conversation with Roger KneeboneActor and voice coach Caroline Kilpatrick and I explore how good actors ‘don’t know what they are going to say’ until they say it, even though they have learned the words they will speak. In the conversation we exchange our perspectives on the voice in the consulting room and on the stage, discussing the roles of emotion and empathy in drama and clinical practice.
2018-04-0244 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneJohn, Earl of Selborne in conversation with Roger KneeboneJohn Selborne has many roles, including apple farmer, Fellow of the Royal Society, past chairman of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee and current chairman of the Foundation for Science and Technology. In this conversation we discuss what it is to lead discussions with disparate groups of experts and the value of asking the ‘idiot question’
2018-03-1946 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneValerie Jamieson in conversation with Roger KneeboneValerie Jamieson initially trained as a particle physicist. As a postdoctoral scientist she became fascinated by the challenges of explaining science to those outside her field. Her career moved into science journalism, and for the past fifteen years she has been at New Scientist. She now leads New Scientist Live, a major annual event in London which brings together scientists from every field with members of the public to explore the excitement and curiosity of discovery. In this podcast we discuss similarities and differences between our approaches to communication and engagement.
2018-03-0546 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneIsabella Kocum in conversation with Roger KneeboneIsabella Kokum studied gilding and frame conservation in Switzerland before going to America to train in classical ballet and modern dance. A gifted artist whose work defies orthodox disciplinary distinctions, Isabella’s expertise in wood-carving, ceramics and frame-making underpins her work at the National Gallery and beyond.
2018-02-1943 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneebonePhil Abel in conversation with Roger KneebonePhil Abel studied biology at university. After reading Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance he underwent a radical change in direction, becoming one of the country’s leading letterpress printers and establishing Hand & Eye Letterpress. More recently he has been Master of the Art Workers Guild. In this conversation we discuss similarities and differences between our experiences and explore issues of craftsmanship and embodied knowing.
2018-02-0543 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneDr Anna Harris in conversation with Roger KneeboneAnna Harris became a medical anthropologist after an initial career as a clinical doctor. She brings multiple perspectives to bear on her ethnographic studies of medical practice and her current focus on the role of materials and the senses in the learning of clinical skills. In this conversation we discuss what it means to ‘become’ a clinician or an anthropologist, and how an interest in embodied knowing and the senses can shed light on learning and expert practice.
2018-01-2245 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneJames Kinross in conversation with Roger KneeboneJames Kinross combines his career as a consultant surgeon in a London teaching hospital with groundbreaking biological research at Imperial College London. In this conversation we explore how working across such different areas of expert practice requires fluency in the ‘languages’ of science, medicine and patient care.
2018-01-0842 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneTamzin Cuming in conversation with Roger KneeboneTamzin Cuming’s career has moved between medicine and literature. As a consultant surgeon specialising in anal disease, her work takes place at a point of intersection between fields of expertise. Her clinical experience has been shaped by a longstanding fascination with literature and the humanities.
2017-12-2641 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneDr John Launer in conversation with Roger KneeboneDr John Launer has many strands to his career. A general practitioner, a specialist in family therapy and a prolific author, John approaches conversation from multiple perspectives. His model of interactional skills - ‘Conversations Inviting Change’ - draws on his lifelong experience as a clinician. In this podcast we compare notes from our own experiences of medicine and writing.
2017-12-1142 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneMicky Astor in conversation with Roger KneeboneMicky Astor has many strings to his bow. He trained as an engineer, joining an arctic expedition sailing the North West Passage in an umiak before switching to parallel careers in financial services and farming. A gifted jazz musician and a keen sportsman, Micky is fascinated by intersections between different kinds of performance. In this podcast we compare notes from our different perspectives, exploring similarities and differences between surgery, jazz and aviation.
2017-11-2645 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneHans Johannsson in conversation with Roger KneeboneHans Johannsson is one of Iceland’s most distinguished luthiers. He has been making violins, cellos and double basses for over 40 years. This conversation, recorded in Reykjavik at the 2017 International Symposium on Performance Science, explores the embodied ways of knowing on which violin-making and medicine both depend. In it we uncover unexpected intersections between science, art and craftsmanship.
2017-11-1343 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneChris Nichols in conversation with Roger KneeboneChris Nichols’ career has included extended periods in the civil service, investment banking, an academic position at Ashridge Business School, individual and organisation coaching and now the independent company GameShift. He has played a ‘trickster’ role throughout, defying classification as he switches roles. In this conversation we explore areas of similarity between our apparently different perspectives, including simulation, careers that change direction and the respective roles of insider and outsider.
2017-10-3042 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneProfessor David Cotterrell in conversation with Roger KneeboneDavid Cotterrell is an installation artist whose work crosses many boundaries. Working all over the world, from Shanghai’s burgeoning cityscape to a military trauma unit at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, David defies traditional classification. He challenges himself and his ideas through a continual drive towards artistic discomfort. In this extended conversation recorded on David’s converted coal barge on the River Thames we explore how medicine and art can intersect in surprising ways.
2017-10-1652 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneBrian Morgan in conversation with Roger KneeboneThe retired plastic and reconstructive surgeon Brian Morgan has combined a long clinical career with a lifelong fascination with sculpture, painting and playing the jazz trombone. In this conversation we discuss some challenges of steering a course between medicine and the arts, and explore the three dimensional thinking that plastic surgery demands.
2017-10-0137 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneProfessor Misha Persouansky in conversation with Roger KneeboneProfessor Misha Perouansky has developed parallel careers as an anaesthetist and an experimental neuroscientist. Multilingual in every sense of the word, his experience ranges widely across cultures and traditions. A passionate desire to interrogate his work deeply led led him into the history and philosophy of science. He is currently exploring responses to brain trauma through genetic research with fruit flies at his university of Madison, Wisconsin. In this conversation we explore our experiences of intersection between science and clinical practice.
2017-09-1841 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneHarrison Pearce in conversation with Roger KneeboneHarrison Pearce is an artist and philosopher whose work brings together many interests and influences. Much of his artistic work is shaped and inspired by his fascination with analytical philosophy. In this discussion we explore how art, philosophy and medicine intersect in unexpected ways, and how conversation provides a framework for enquiry.
2017-09-0440 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneRoberto Trotta in conversation with Roger KneeboneDr Roberto Trotta is Reader in Astrophysics at Imperial College London and also directs Imperial’s Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication. His recent book The Edge of the Sky sets out to explain cosmology using only the most common thousand words in English - which do not include ‘universe’, ‘scientist’ or ‘telescope’. He is also exploring how we might use different senses to think about cosmology and describes his collaboration with leading chefs at Kitchen Theory around gastronomy for communicating complex ideas. In this podcast we discuss our ideas about communication and translation in science, medicine and the arts.
2017-08-2135 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneAlan Alda in conversation with Roger KneeboneOne of America’s most distinguished actors, Alan Alda is widely known for his roles as Captain Hawkeye Pierce in the American TV series M*A*S*H, as Arnold Vinick in The West Wing and for many films throughout his career. He has a longstanding fascination with science and for 14 years hosted the television show Scientific American Frontiers. Alan brings these interests together to help scientists communicate about their work, drawing on techniques and insights from improvisational theatre. In this conversation, he and Roger discover unexpected parallels between their worlds and explore how communication underpins science, med...
2017-08-0643 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneDr Steve Rowlands in conversation with Roger KneeboneMy friend and colleague Dr Steve Rowlands recently retired after spending much of his career as a general practitioner in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. Diagnosed a few years ago with a rare cancer in an even rarer form - mycosis fungoides, a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma - Steve’s condition remained quiescent for years but has suddenly flared up. Now affecting most of his skin, it is exceptionally painful and distressing. Steve is currently having experimental chemotherapy at Guy’s Hospital. Drawing on our personal experience of serious illness, we discuss how being a doctor can help and hinder coping with disease.
2017-07-2436 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneMonica Carbone in conversation with Roger KneeboneMonica Carbone’s first language is Italian. Equally at home in English and French, Monica is a leading simultaneous and consecutive interpreter who works across multiple domains of expert practice and has a special interest in medical simulation. Based on Roger’s recent experience of leading a three day workshop in Sardinia at the invitation of the Sardinian Ministry of Health and interpreted by Monica, this conversation explores resonances between conference interpretation and the clinical consultation.
2017-07-1030 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneAdam Rutherford in conversation with Roger KneeboneAdam Rutherford is a geneticist, science writer and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Inside Science. An editor at the science journal Nature for many years, Adam crosses boundaries between science, journalism and the media.
2017-06-2645 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneClare Matterson in conversation with Roger KneeboneClare Matterson played a leading role at the Wellcome Trust for 18 years, most recently as Director of Strategy. She was responsible for some of Wellcome’s most spectacular innovations around engagement - founding the Wellcome Collection, transforming the Wellcome Library, establishing the National STEM Learning Centre in York and leading the Our Planet, Our Health programme.
2017-06-1146 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneEd Lamont in conversation with Roger KneeboneAt various points in his career Ed has been a commodities broker, a professional street juggler and an executive coach with a special interest in leadership, motivation and productivity. He is Co-founder and Senior Partner of Next Action Associates. An accomplished linguist, he is at home in multiple cultures. The conversation ranges widely across our shared interests.
2017-05-2945 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneRachel Warr in conversation with Roger KneeboneRachel Warr is a dancer, dramaturg, theatre director, puppeteer and puppet maker who uses puppetry in innovative ways. In this podcast we discuss puppetry and surgery as instances of performance where participants have to read and respond to one another’s bodies as they perform.
2017-05-1536 minCountercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger KneeboneMagdalene Bak-Maier in conversation with Roger KneeboneMagdalena Bak-Maier is a neuroscientist, educator, writer and coach. In our conversation we explore the idea of coaching and discuss its parallels with the clinical consultation and other forms of encounter.
2017-05-0144 min