Top scientist to speak at GCA Conference

Bestselling author and BBC radio and TV neuroscience presenter Dr Hannah Critchlow will be speaking about wellbeing at the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) annual conference on Tuesday 30 January 2024.

Named by the journal Nature in 2019 as one of the ‘Rising Stars in Life Sciences’, Critchlow is an internationally-acclaimed neuroscientist and Fellow at Magdalene College, University of Cambridge.

Will Blake, GCA chairman elect for 2024/25, who is helping organise the 2024 conference, says: “One of our key sub-themes this year is 'health and wellbeing', and we’re really looking forward to hearing what Hannah has to say, and how we can take her insights back to our garden centres and businesses and use them within our teams.

“Hannah is renowned in her field and is an experienced radio, TV and in-person presenter. She was recognised as a ‘Top 100 UK scientist’ by the UK Science Council in 2014 and one of Cambridge University’s most ‘inspirational and successful women in science’ for her work in science communication. In 2022, Hannah received an Honorary Doctorate for her work in science communication.

“Her expertise spans topics from decision-making, morals and ethics, resilience, mental wellbeing, boosting brain performance, intuition and creativity, collective intelligence, cognitive diversity, communication, recruitment strategy and our evolving relationship with AI.

“She has spoken internationally on the science of collective intelligence to a range of audiences including business leaders, government officials and financial institutions.”

Critchlow regularly appears on BBC, ABC and Korean TV and Radio, most recently in the EPS ‘Great Minds’ series, as science presenter in ‘Family Brain Games’, ‘Tomorrow’s World Live’, BBC Radio 4’s ‘Destiny and the Brain’ and ‘Start the Week’.

Her book on ‘Consciousness: A Ladybird Expert Guide’, was published with Penguin in 2018. ‘The Science of Fate’, published with Hodder in May, 2019, made The Sunday Times Bestseller list, receiving international press coverage and was translated into eight languages.

Her third book: ‘Joined up Thinking: the science of collective intelligence’ was published with Hodder in August 2022 to critical acclaim.

Peter Burks, GCA CEO, says: “For anyone who would like a taster of Hannah’s expertise, there are several YouTube videos she has presented available online including ‘How our Brains Shape our Destiny’ and ‘The Science of Fate’. She’s going to be a not to be missed speaker at our conference this year.

“To find out more, please go to the conference pages on our website members’ section. There is also a dedicated email [email protected] for any queries anyone may have. If non-members would like to join us, so they can attend, please email [email protected].”

The GCA 2024 annual conference will be held at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park Hotel near Cirencester, Gloucestershire, from January 28-31 2024 and places can be booked via the organisation’s website gca.org.uk.

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