Dr. Anthony Fauci
National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (USA)
Keynote: One of the lead members of the Trump administration's White House Coronavirus Task Force, Dr. Fauci will speak to members about the battle to fight the pandemic and the relationship between science and the public.
Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, where he oversees an extensive research portfolio focused on infectious and immune-mediated diseases. As the long-time chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, Dr. Fauci has made many seminal contributions in basic and clinical research and is one of the world’s most-cited biomedical scientists. He was one of the principal architects of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program that has saved millions of lives throughout the developing world.
Bill Gates
Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (USA)
Keynote Interview: Bill Gates has been a leading voice in the fight against COVID-19 and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to improve detection, isolation and treatment efforts; protect at-risk populations in Africa and South Asia; accelerate the development of vaccines, drugs and diagnostics; and minimize social and economic impacts of the virus. Moderated by medical journalist Dr. Mercy Korir.
In 1975, Bill Gates founded Microsoft with Paul Allen and led the company to become a worldwide leader in business and personal software and services. In 2000, Bill and Melinda Gates established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and in 2008, Bill transitioned to focus full-time on his foundation’s work to expand opportunity to the world’s most disadvantaged people. Along with co-chair Melinda Gates, he leads the foundation’s development of strategies and sets the overall direction of the organization. In 2010, Bill, Melinda and Warren Buffett founded the Giving Pledge, an effort to encourage the wealthiest families and individuals to publicly commit more than half of their wealth to philanthropic causes and charitable organizations during their lifetime or in their will. In 2015, Bill created the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, a group of individuals and entities committed to clean energy innovation, followed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures in 2016, an investor-led fund focused on providing patient capital to support cutting-edge clean energy companies.
Dr. David Suzuki
Geneticist, Broadcaster & Activist (Canada)
Sparks of Inspiration: With his landmark CBC television show The Nature of Things celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, Dr. David Suzuki will discuss his decades-long career fighting for a sustainable future, COVID-19 and its impact on the environment, as well as science literacy and how effective he believes the media has been in communicating science and environmental issues to large audiences.
Dr. David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author, and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. He is Companion to the Order of Canada and a recipient of UNESCO's Kalinga Prize for science, the United Nations Environment Program medal, the 2012 Inamori Ethics Prize, the 2009 Right Livelihood Award, and UNEP’s Global 500. Dr. Suzuki is Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and holds 29 honorary degrees from universities around the world. He is familiar to television audiences as host of the CBC science and natural history television series The Nature of Things, and to radio audiences as the original host of CBC Radio's Quirks and Quarks, as well as the acclaimed series It's a Matter of Survival and From Naked Ape to Superspecies. In 1990 he co-founded The David Suzuki Foundation with Dr. Tara Cullis to “collaborate with Canadians from all walks of life including government and business, to conserve our environment and find solutions that will create a sustainable Canada through science-based research, education and policy work.” His written work includes more than 55 books, 19 of them for children.
Luisa Neubauer
Activist & Leader of Friday for Future Movement (Germany)
Spark of Inspiration: Luisa will join Dr. David Suzuki to discuss the fight for a sustainable future.
David Olusoga
Historian, Broadcaster & Filmmaker (UK)
Sparks of Inspiration: An outspoken advocate for equal representation in television, David Olusoga will speak about the world events making history today—from COVID-19 to Black Lives Matter to Trump’s America—and their impact on society and documentary filmmaking.
David Olusoga is a British-Nigerian historian, broadcaster and filmmaker. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, David studied history and journalism before joining the BBC. He began his TV career behind the camera, first as a researcher on the 1999 BBC series Western Front. In 2005, he became a producer of history programs, including Namibia: Genocide and the Second Reich, The Lost Pictures of Eugene Smith and Abraham Lincoln: Saint or Sinner? In 2014, he became a television presenter with The World's War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire, about the Indian, African and Asian troops who fought in the First World War, followed by several other documentaries and appearances on BBC One television's The One Show. It was announced in 2015 that he would co-present Civilisations, a sequel to Kenneth Clark's 1969 television documentary series Civilisation, alongside the historians Mary Beard and Simon Schama. His most recent TV series include Black and British: A Forgotten History, The World's War, A House Through Time and the BAFTA award-winning Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners. He is the author of the 2016 book Black and British: A Forgotten History, which was awarded both the Longman–History Today Trustees Award 2017 and the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2017. His other books include The World’s War, which won World War One Book of the Year at the Paddy Power Political Book Awards in 2015, The Kaiser’s Holocaust: Germany’s Forgotten Genocide and The Colonial Roots of Nazism, which he co-authored with Casper Erichsen, and Civilisations (2018). He was also a contributor to the Oxford Companion to Black British History, and has written for The Guardian, The Observer, New Statesman and BBC History magazine. Mr. Olusoga was included in the 2019 and 2020 editions of the Powerlist, a ranking of the 100 most influential Black Britons, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to history and to community integration.
Jana Bennett
Senior Broadcast Executive (UK)
Closing Remarks: Jana Bennett will speak about her personal experiences in science communication, which began as first female editor of the BBC's Horizon, continued as head of its science department, then as a broadcast executive and, most recently, patient
Jana Bennett is currently a member of the board of the British Library and the Pew Research Center, member of the board of the Headlong Theatre Company, and Adviser to Ozy Media. Previously, she was President and General Manager of History and H2 at A+E Networks in New York. In 2013, she joined A+E Networks as President of The Biography Channel and Lifetime Movie Network and went on to launch the FYI network. Prior to joining A+E Networks she was President of BBC Worldwide Networks and Global BBC iPlayer, where she was responsible for BBC Worldwide's television channels, which operate in more than 100 countries, and the development and roll out of the commercial global iPlayer. Bennett was also Worldwide's managing director for Latin America, overseeing the company's businesses in the region. She sat on Worldwide's executive board and on the board of UKTV, Britain's second largest pay-TV group. She took up this role in 2011, after moving from the BBC's UK public service where she had been Director of Vision at the BBC from 2006. As Director of BBC Vision, she headed "the largest multi-media production, commissioning and broadcast group of its kind in the world," with overall responsibility for BBC Television and its online services, BBC Films and BBC Productions. In 2002 she was appointed BBC Director of Television. In her position as leader of the BBC’s television service, Jana Bennett steered the BBC TV portfolio through its transition into the mainstream digital age and promoted landmark science series and coverage of climate change. In 2000 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her work in science broadcasting.
Liz Bonnin
Science, Natural History & Enviro Broadcaster (UK)
What's the Buzz: Our annual round-up of the hottest trends in science, history and factual media.
A science, natural history and environmental broadcaster, Liz Bonnin has hosted over 40 primetime television programs, including BBC One’s Blue Planet Live, Super Smart Animals, Galapagos and Horizon. She started her prolific career at the BBC hosting the popular science magazine show Bang Goes the Theory, which aired for eight series. Since then, Liz has worked on various science and natural history shows, including BBC Two’s Museum Of Life, a series about the Natural History Museum in London; BBC Two’s Horizon, presenting the specials The Transit of Venus and Tomorrow’s World, where she delved into the latest science and technology set to transform the planet; and Animals in Love for BBC One, which saw her travel the globe to investigate the science of animal behaviour, cognition and emotional intelligence. In her recent landmark BBC One documentary, Drowning in Plastic, Liz investigates the ocean plastic crisis, raising the level of public debate on this important topic. She also regularly speaks at and hosts science and natural history events across the country, including the National Science + Engineering Competition, the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards, New Scientist Live and Blue Dot Festival. Liz has a Masters in Wild Animal Biology with the Royal Veterinary College and Zoological Society of London.
Trace Dominguez
Science Communicator & Podcaster (USA)
What's the Buzz: Our annual round-up of the hottest trends in science, history and factual media.
Trace Dominguez is a curiosity explorer, award-winning science communicator, TV and online presenter, producer, and podcaster. Trace started his video career founding Seeker, YouTube’s first daily science show. Over the ensuing decade, Trace crafted thousands of stories to educate audiences across all aspects of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. He is the producer and host of Star Gazers, a weekly television series on naked eye astronomy, airing nationwide on PBS, and Uno Dos of Trace, a monthly video series exploring diverse topics across the sciences. Never one to shy away from a crazy plan, Trace explored the ‘Doomsday’ Vault deep in the Arctic, flew in an F-18 fighter jet, and received a Webby for being the first team to capture a full 360-degree video from a weather balloon as it ascended into the stratosphere. A respected voice in the science community, Trace has been featured on the Discovery and Science channels, Animal Planet, NowThis, Thrillist, This Week in Science, Story Collider, and more. He is also the creator and writer of SciencePlus, a video podcast series breaking down complex topics in science, engineering, futurism, physics and humanities. Trace has a B.S. in Psychology from Western Michigan University and an M.A. in Strategic Communication from American University.
Juju Chang
Co-Anchor, ABC News Nightline (USA)
Covering COVID: Lessons from the Hot Zone
Juju Chang is an Emmy® Award-winning co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline.” She also reports regularly for “Good Morning America” and “20/20.” Chang has been recognized for her in-depth personal narratives set against the backdrop of pressing national and international news. Her exclusive television interview with transgender solider Chelsea Manning explored issues of national security leaks and LGBTQ military service. Chang has also covered major breaking news for decades for ABC News, including Superstorm Sandy, the Orlando nightclub massacre and the Boston Marathon bombing. She has traveled around the world to report on global issues including a three-country trip through Central Africa on the front lines against Boko Haram in the latest on #bringbackourgirls, and to Honduras for “Femicide: the Untold War,” an eye-opening look at rampant violence against women. Chang has profiled newsmakers like Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, former Vice President Joe Biden and Oprah Winfrey as well as entertainers like Chris Pratt, Nicki Minaj, and Bella Thorne. Chang’s work has been recognized with numerous awards including multiple Emmys®, Gracies, a DuPont, a Murrow and Peabody awards. In 2017, she was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Front Page Awards.
Richard Engel
Chief Foreign Correspondent, NBC (USA)
Covering COVID: Lessons from the Hot Zone
Richard Engel is the chief foreign correspondent for NBC News and the host of MSNBC’s award-winning series “On Assignment with Richard Engel.” For over 20 years he has covered wars, revolutions and political transitions. His reports appear across all NBC News and MSNBC platforms, including “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt,” “TODAY,” “Meet the Press,” “Dateline” and NBCNews.com. He has received numerous awards, including eight News & Documentary Emmy® Awards. Most recently, “On Assignment” won the prestigious Peabody Award for “American Betrayal,” as well as the Sigma Delta Chi Award and the National Headliner Award for the same episode. Additionally, Engel was honored with two Peabody Awards for his coverage of the rise of ISIS (2014) and for his reporting on the Viper Company, a remote U.S. Army unit in Afghanistan (2008), as well as a National Headliner Award for his continuing coverage of Syria (2020). In 2013, Engel was the recipient of the John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism and was also honored with the “Tex” McCrary Award for Journalism Excellence by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Richard also received two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards for his coverage of the Arab uprisings (2012) and for his report “War Zone Diary” (2008), a one-hour documentary, compiled from his personal video journal, that gave a rare and intimate account of the everyday realties covering the war in Iraq. In 2007, Engel received the Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism, the first ever given to a broadcast journalist, for "War Zone Diary." Engel is the author of three books, “A Fist in the Hornet’s Nest”, “War Journal: My Five Years in Iraq,” and “And Then All Hell Broke Loose: Two Decades in the Middle East.”
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Chief Medical Correspondent, CNN (USA)
Covering COVID: Lessons from the Hot Zone
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the multiple Emmy®-award winning chief medical correspondent for CNN. A practicing neurosurgeon, Dr. Gupta plays an integral role in CNN's reporting on health and medical news for all of CNN's shows domestically and internationally, and regularly contributes to CNN.com. Since 2001, Gupta has covered some of the most important health stories in the United States and around the world. He was awarded an Emmy® for 2018’s "Finding Hope: Battling America's Suicide Crisis," which he co-hosted, and for the 2016 documentary "Separated: Saving the Twins." In 2010, Gupta reported on the earthquake in Haiti, for which he was awarded two Emmys®, and in 2005 contributed to CNN's Peabody Award-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina. His "Charity Hospital" coverage for Anderson Cooper 360° resulted in his 2006 News & Documentary Emmy® for Outstanding Feature Story. Over the last few years, Gupta has increasingly focused on long-form reporting. He is the host of the CNN Original Series "Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta," which follows his travels around the world in search of the secret to living longer, healthier and happier.
Miles O'Brien
National Science Correspondent, PBS NewsHour (USA)
Covering COVID: Lessons from the Hot Zone
Miles O’Brien is a veteran, independent journalist and filmmaker who focuses on science, technology and aerospace. In 2008, he founded Miles O’Brien Productions, LLC, a production company that creates award winning documentary films for PBS as well as several educational and corporate clients. He is the science correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, a producer, director, writer and correspondent for the PBS documentary programs NOVA and FRONTLINE and an aviation analyst for CNN. For nearly 17 of his 38 years in the news business, he was a staff correspondent and anchor with CNN. He served as the science, environment and aerospace correspondent and the anchor of various programs, including “American Morning”. While at CNN, O’Brien secured a deal with NASA to become the first journalist to fly on the space shuttle. The project ended with the loss of Columbia and her crew in 2003—a story he told to the world in a critically acclaimed 16-hour marathon of live coverage. Most recently, he produced, directed and wrote “Coronavirus Pandemic” for FRONTLINE. The film premiered on PBS on April 21, 2020 - six-weeks after it was greenlit. He has won numerous awards over the years, including six Emmys®, a Peabody and a DuPont for his role as anchor of CNN’s Hurricane Katrina coverage.