Professor Amitava Banerjee Inaugural Celebration

Health data across silos: from heart disease to syndemics

Cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and strokes, cause more deaths and suffering in the UK and globally than any other disease. Which data are available to improve our knowledge, treatment and prevention of heart diseases? What is big data and what are the challenges and opportunities? What about digital health - what is it and what can it do?

The pandemic has also become one of the leading global causes of death, creating burden of disease and disruption across countries, whether to individuals, populations or economies. What links heart disease, COVID-19 and other pandemics? The concept of “syndemics” may help to explain. How are inequalities in heart disease and pandemics related and what can we do to tackle them?


Amitava Banerjee is Professor in Clinical Data Science at University College London, and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist at University College London Hospitals and Barts Health NHS Trusts. In his inaugural lecture, he will recount his journey in clinical research so far, answering these questions, and more, across scientific themes, with a spoken word performance, incorporating visual and musical accompaniment.

Originally trained as an epidemiologist, he moved sideways to health informatics and learning health systems, allowing his clinical, research and education interests in cardiovascular and non-communicable disease to inform and improve each other, centred on patients and driven by data. The theme of better data for better care underpins his work, whether heart disease in homeless individuals, non-communicable disease care in India, global burden of diseases, COVID-19 or long COVID.

Running time approx 1h 40min plus interval

For accessible seating, please e-mail ticketing@ucl.ac.uk or call us on 020 3108 1000

Access to the Bloomsbury Theatre