Theme: Portals of Discovery

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, we are uniting the brightest and most forward-thinking minds in a variety of industries and fields for an exciting day of thought-provoking talks and discussions. Our inaugural event in 2017 saw speakers from across the world share their ideas not only to students, staff, and alumni but to an international community of over 500,000 people. Building on last year’s success, we are collaborating with a panel of remarkable innovators, thinkers, and doers to host a conference centred on the theme: Portals of Discovery—a quote taken from James Joyce’s ulysses.

For more visit tedxtrinitycollegedublin.com

Trinity College Dublin
College Green
Dublin, Dublin, Dublin 2
Ireland

Emily Power Smith

Clinical Sexologist

Passionately sex- positive, Emily Power Smith holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Sexology and is Ireland’s only clinical sexologist. Leaving judgement and outdated values at the door, Emily outlines how sex can be fantastic, if we so wish. She writes a weekly sex and relationship column for the Evening Herald and is a regular contributor to the national press, radio, and TV. Emily’s shame-free style gives her listeners permission to ponder, question and develop their own sexual intelligence in a fun and entertaining way.

Ian Hughes

Author

Dr Ian Hughes ties together his background in science, psychology and political science to discuss how he finds that many leaders share similar personality disorders. His talk reminds us that psychology has a place in the study of politics, but we often overlook its value. Hughes’ credentials span from his background as a scientist, psychotherapist, writer and government policy advisor in science and technology. Having graduated with a PhD in atomic physics, Hughes has worked in some of the top international research laboratories and has helped establish a Department of Creative Technologies.

Luke O'Neill

Chair of Biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin

Professor O’Neill holds the Chair of Biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin where he leads the Inflammation Research Group. He has a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of London and carried out Postdoctoral research at Cambridge UK. In 2016, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 2017, he was named one of the world’s most influential scientists by Clarivates Analytic. He is co-organizer of ‘Schrodinger at 75: the future of biology’, an unprecedented 2 day conference with 19 eminent speakers including 6 Nobel laureates, Sept 5th and 6th 2018.

Mark & Andrew Ansell

When they were 14, identical twins Mark and Andrew Ansell came home from school to find that their family had been evicted from their home. Nowadays, they are double-majoring in Engineering and Business at UC Berkeley on prestigious scholarships and have interned with tech giants Tesla, Apple, and Microsoft.

Niall Dennehy

COO & co-founder, Aid Tech

Niall is the co-founder and chief operating officer of AID:Tech, the first company in the world to deliver humanitarian aid using blockchain technology in a completely transparent manner. Watch as Niall describes how blockchain technology has been used to aid Aid:Tech’s mission is to bring social and financial inclusion to the world’s undocumented and underserved populations.

Paola Rivetti

Assistant Professor at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University.

Dr Paola Rivetti taps into her experiences working with refugees in Athens to discuss this pressing issue. She was named the Early-Career Researcher of the Year by the Irish Research Council in 2017 and is an Assistant Professor at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University. She holds a PhD in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Siena and an MA in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Turin. She regularly travels the globe to help and study people deprived of their most basic vital needs.

Ruth Fitzmaurice

Author

Author of “I Found My Tribe” and 2017 winner of the Newcomer of the Year Award (Bord Gáis Energy Book Awards), Ruth Fitzmaurice delves deep into human emotion. After the passing of her late husband, Ruth and her family were presented with an ocean of hardship which they overcome - by swimming. Ruth’s talk is a rousing celebration of endurance and hope.

Tomi Reichental

Activist

Tomi Reichental, now 83, moved to Ireland in the 1950s to become a successful engineer. After ignoring his past trauma for over 60 years, Tomi has made it his mission to tell people his story, visiting schools around Europe on a weekly basis to teach school-children. Among his accolades, he has received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and has won RTÉ’s (Ireland’s National Broadcaster) Person of the Year Award in 2014.