A snapshop of the night
The University of Bath last week launched its 60th anniversary year with an inaugural Adelard Lecture, welcoming Government Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty to the historic Pump Room for an evening focused on the future of health.
The lecture marked the beginning of a new flagship series inspired by Adelard of Bath, bringing together leading thinkers to explore today’s most pressing challenges. Adelard, a pioneering natural philosopher from Bath, was known for his curiosity, his engagement with ideas across cultures, and his commitment to bringing knowledge into public debate.
From treatment to prevention
In his address, 'Looking back to shape a healthier future', Professor Whitty reflected on how health interventions have evolved over the past sixty years, highlighting major advances in public health, the growing importance of prevention, and areas where progress has been uneven.
Drawing on decades of evidence, he set out both the scale of the challenge and the opportunities ahead, particularly as health systems look to shift from treating illness to helping people stay well for longer.
The discussion that followed reinforced this theme, with a panel chaired by Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost Professor Marcus Munafò, joined by Cara Charles-Barks, Anna Gilmore and Millicent Stone. Together, they explored what a more preventative, evidence-led health system could look like in practice, and the role universities like Bath can play in supporting that shift.
Professor Phil Taylor, Vice-Chancellor and President at Bath, added: "The Adelard Lectures take their inspiration from Adelard of Bath, whose curiosity and commitment to sharing knowledge across cultures still resonate today.
"As the University marks its 60th anniversary, that spirit remains central to how we work, connecting research with real-world application to tackle the challenges that matter most. Our first event in the series, with Government Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, captured that ambition clearly, opening up a focused, evidence-led conversation on the future of health, including the shift towards prevention where Bath has real strength.
"We are very grateful to Professor Whitty and our panellists for a discussion that was both rigorous and forward-looking. The evening demonstrated the value of open, informed debate and set a strong tone for the series ahead. As we reflect on the University’s first sixty years, it also reinforced our focus for the future: applying our strengths with purpose and working in partnership to address the complex challenges facing society."
Professor Whitty added: "It was a privilege to deliver the first Adelard Lecture to celebrate the University of Bath’s 60th anniversary. In the 60 years since the University of Bath was founded health has changed remarkably and will continue too. Health improvements are driven by advances in science, engineering, public health, and policy. The University of Bath has strengths in all of these."
Innovation, research and skills
Ahead of the lecture, a health showcase brought together our local partners with Bath students, researchers and innovators, demonstrating the breadth of work underway across disciplines. This interdisciplinary strength underpins the University’s contribution to local, national and international health priorities, including alignment with the NHS’s long-term direction.
The Adelard series is delivered in partnership with the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, Bath Festivals and Bath Digital Festival, with support from the EPSRC and ESRC Impact Acceleration Accounts.
The next Adelard event takes place on Wednesday 20 May, focused on AI and digital, with global technology pioneer Dr Jacky Wright, taking place in BRLSI. On Thursday 25 June our third sustainability-focused Adelard event will take place in the Abbey with global climate governance leader and architect of the Paris Agreement Christiana Figueres with her Outrage + Optimism podcast.