Theme: Reaching new peaks

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Bath University
Claverton Down
Bath, Bath and North East Somerset, BA2 7AY
United Kingdom

Alexandra de Sousa

Evolutionary neuroscientist/Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Culture and Environment, Bath Spa University

Alexandra is an evolutionary neuroscientist and a Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Culture and Environment, Bath Spa University. She is interested in the biological basis of behaviour in general and the origin of the human mind in particular. Dr. de Sousa is committed to diverse interdisciplinary approaches to her topic, which led her to found the European Network for Brain Evolution Research, and is involved in public outreach through Brain Evolution in the News. Her research also applies evolutionary theory to understanding contemporary human-environmental interactions.

Atira Ariffin

Architecture + Photojournalist

Originally from Kuala Lumpur, Atira was professionally trained as an architect and is currently based in Amsterdam. She graduated from the Architectural Association School of Architecture London in July 2016 where she completed both Part 1 and Part 2 of her architectural studies. A self-taught artists and photographer, she is also an avid explorer who had travelled across 46 countries to date which had greatly shaped her passion towards photojournalism and social/humanitarian architecture. In the past years, she had exhibited some of her artworks on various exhibitions both in Kuala Lumpur and London. Her works have also been featured on both digital and print media publications internationally.

Caroline Cox

Baroness and founder of HART

Baroness Cox sits in the Lords as a crossbencher and is a frequent contributor to Lords debates on Sudan, India, Nigeria, Uganda, and Burma. Baroness Cox’s humanitarian aid work has taken her on many missions to conflict zones, allowing her to obtain first hand evidence of the human rights violations and humanitarian needs. Areas travelled include the Armenian enclave of Nagorno Karabakh; Sudan; Nigeria; Uganda; the Karen; Karenni; Shan and Chin peoples in the jungles of Burma; and communities suffering from conflict in Indonesia. She has also visited North Korea helping to promote Parliamentary initiatives and medical programmes. Additionally Caroline has been instrumental in helping to change the former Soviet Union policies for orphaned and abandoned child

Desree Gumbs-Carty

theatre arts marketing and community arts, spoken word artist.

Desree Gumbs-Carty devotes her time to theatre arts marketing and community arts by day and by night she transforms to a spoken word poet . An advocate for community arts and youth projects. Desree started an open mic night back in her home town of Slough with the sole purpose of empowering individuals of all ages. It was in the open mic night that Desree performed spoken words on stake for the first time. She has been featured at events such as Word up,Extra second london, Headspin, Speakeasy, Word on the street, Heaux noire: the open mic night for Woc by Woc and green belt festival in Kettering and now she here today on the Tedx stage.

Hafiz Haq

Entrepreneur and charity founder

Hafiz Haq has been a 33-year veteran from Philips Electronics, having gained a wide range of global experience in Strategy and business Development. He has served in senior executive positions in Philips around the world, including Silicon Valley, Europe, China and Pakistan. In 2009, Hafiz laid the foundation of ‘Professional Education Foundation’ in Pakistan (PEF). PEF is a Not for-Profit Organization aimed at helping the poorest students in Pakistan who can get admissions in professional universities by merit, but are not able to afford the cost of education. Established as a Trust in Pakistan, PEF started with by funding 75 students in 2010, and has grown to funding 1200 students by 2016!

Nathalia Gjersoe

Senior Lecturer & Chair of Ethics Committee at University of Bath + Developmental Psychologist

Dr. Nathalia Gjersoe is a developmental psychologist with a special interest in children’s magical beliefs. Her specific focus is on how misconceptions in childhood can help explain seemingly irrational, superstitious and supernatural behaviour in scientifically literate adults. When people are tired, frightened, stressed or rushed, all sorts of odd beliefs emerge. Dr. Gjersoe is tracking down the roots of these beliefs and exploring ways that science communication can be used to address deep-seated biases.

Philip Hamann

Rheumatology doctor and researcher

Phil is a rheumatology doctor and researcher who is fascinated by how patterns from real-world data of patients can help us understand how people respond to treatments in medicine. His exciting research uses long-term data from the UK’s largest registry for people with rheumatoid arthritis to identify possible predictors that could help doctors tailor medicines to individuals. By better understanding how patients respond to their treatments, doctors can then try to predict which medicine gives a patient the best chance of long-term successful treatment, before they even start taking it.

Russell Arnott

Oceanographer

Russell has been an oceanographer, a science teacher, and a punk-rock guitarist. As well as working as an Educational Consultant and Presenter for the Incredible Oceans project, he is also researching phytoplankton dynamics at Bath’s WEIR Unit.

Tony Klug

Special advisor to the Oxford Research Group

Dr Tony Klug has written extensively about Palestinian-Israeli issues for over 40 years and has maintained a close affinity with both peoples. His doctoral thesis was on the Israeli occupation of the West Bank between the wars of 1967 and 1973, when he first advocated two states as the indispensable framework for a solution. For many years he was a senior official at Amnesty International, where he headed the International Development programme. In the distant past, he was President of the University of Birmingham Students' Union and Deputy President of the NUS. Currently he is a special advisor on the Middle East to the Oxford Research Group and serves as a consultant to the Palestine Strategy Group and the Israel Strategic Forum.