Dara O Briain, Jay Walker (1)

As part of its mission to promote access to the arts and sciences, the Royal Albert Hall is delighted to announce a historic event on Monday 21 April 2014, celebrating the future of medicine and healthcare, and hosted by Irish comedian and presenter Dara Ó Briain with special guest and TEDMED curator Jay Walker.

Following the sold-out success of TEDxAlbertopolis held at the Hall in September, which trended at number 1 on Twitter in the UK and was streamed internationally with viewers as far afield as Canada, Chile and China, Imagining the Future of Medicine will feature inspiring short talks and stunning artistic performances that celebrate the power of unexpected connections to create exciting possibilities.

Imagining the Future of Medicine will curate a spectacular and provocative programme of talks from the world’s experts on the world’s most famous stage, and encompass themes such as: Medicine Without Borders, looking into global medical innovation; Thinking Outside the Box, investigating emerging perspectives in modern medicine; and Translating the Untranslatable, visiting medical concepts not fully understood.

Two very lucky attendees to Imagining the Future of Medicine will receive complimentary Delegate passes to attend TEDMED in Washington DC and San Francisco in September 2014.

SPEAKERS:

Jay Walker is the Curator and Chairman of TEDMED. Founder of three companies that each serve more than 50 million customers, Jay is the world’s 11th most patented living inventor, with his name on 700 U.S. patents across a dozen different industries. Best known as the founder of Priceline, Jay is also the founder and curator of the world's only Library of The History of Human Imagination. Jay will share with us spectacular treasures from his library.

Ben Goldacre, former TED and TEDMED speaker, is a doctor, academic, campaigner and bad science writer whose work focuses on uses and misuses of science and statistics. He is the founder of the All Trials campaign and a keen advocate for clinical transparency.

Chris Toumazou, former TEDMED speaker, is the recipient of Imperial College London’s first Regius Professorship. In the field of devices for medical diagnosis and therapy, Toumazou is pre-eminent amongst the global community of contemporary medical engineers.

Tali Sharot, former TED speaker, investigates how people are resistant to warnings, the reasons for this, and what can be done about it. Tali’s research demonstrates that our brains aren’t just shaped by the past; they are constantly being shaped by the future.

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, former TED speaker, studies the social brain (the network of brain regions involved in understanding other people) and how it develops in adolescents. While many still see adolescence as a source for jokes, Blakemore has found it to be a rich seam of research.

Francis Wells developed a novel way to repair damaged hearts after being inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s medical drawings. Using this method, he has successfully completed over two thousand mitral valve repairs.

Ali Parsa pioneered the staff-owned company Circle that took over an NHS hospital, and is now embarking on a new venture to help patients around the world by developing a technology to deliver healthcare services to patients globally, called Babylon Partners.

Mark Wilson has worked extensively overseas as a researcher for NASA and as an expedition doctor on Arctic and Everest expeditions. He is a Consultant Neurosurgeon and PreHospital Care Specialist working at both the St Mary's Major Trauma Centre and on London's Air Ambulance.

The programme will also feature a series of stunning artistic performances, including The Kaos Signing Choir for Deaf & Hearing Children, who entertained millions at the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony.