Keith Palmer Lecture with Professor Alice Roberts

Keith Palmer Lecture Series - Professor Alice Roberts

Thursday 30 November 2023 18:00 - 19:30

We are pleased to announce the fifth annual Keith Palmer Lecture 2023 is taking place on Thursday 30 November at 18:00 at Heartlands Academy in Nechells, Birmingham.

This year our speaker will be Alice Roberts, Professor of Public Engagement in Science. Alice is an anatomist and biological anthropologist, author and broadcaster who has presented more than 100 television documentaries and written numerous popular science books.

Her topic is ‘Ancestors: A history of Britain through burials’. What can a grave tell us about a person and past lives? From the Bronze Age to the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons, Alice will explore how burial archaeology sheds light on ancient societies, and will show us how genetics is completely revolutionising what we know about the past.

Alice is a passionate supporter of the ambitions of the Keith Palmer Lecture. She says, “I don’t think learning stops when you finish school, or university. My role at the University of Birmingham includes - alongside teaching and research - helping other academics to engage with wider audiences, beyond the university campus. It’s a two-way thing - academics have a lot to learn from people outside universities. And we all need university research to be as relevant to wider society as possible.”

No specialised knowledge is required. This event is free to attend, and you are welcome whether you have a connection with the University or not.  It is suitable for family audiences (children aged 8 and up are welcome to attend).

Venue: Heartlands Academy, 10 Great Francis Street, Birmingham B7 4QR

The Keith Palmer Lecture Series was established to promote the “public understanding of natural science” by a distinguished invited speaker for a not only-University audience. The events featured in the series are widely publicised both within and outside the University community and are on a relevant topic of public interest with an audience drawn from a wide range of groups across the Midlands.

Photo credit: Craig Hastings