UCL academic among World Economic Forum’s Young Scientists of 2019

Professor Morgan is one of only three academics named from the UK, and was recognised for her work in the forensic sciences. The WEF programme awards ‘scientists who commit to integrating scientific knowledge into society for the public good,’ and Professor Morgan impressed with the interdisciplinary nature of her research and her engagement work.

The scientists, all under the age of 40, are at the cutting edge of discovery and have been selected for their contribution to advancing the frontiers of science in ways that contribute to health, sustainability, inclusiveness and equity.

Professor Morgan said: “I'm honoured to have been invited to join the Young Scientist community at the World Economic Forum.  We are facing unprecedented challenges that need interdisciplinary, brave and creative approaches to find solutions.  As one of the Young Scientists,  I'm looking forward to working with an incredible group of people from different backgrounds with diverse ideas and perspectives to rethink the status quo and be a part of finding the solutions that we need.  

“In my field of forensic science we face serious challenges around how to integrate science into society to serve the justice system and the public good as the recent House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee inquiry identified very clearly.  Our research at UCL has been highly distinctive in seeking to pioneer creative approaches to address these challenges in a way that has real world impact, so I'm excited to join and contribute to this network that is seeking to be part of the solution to the complex problems we face globally and ultimately creating a more inclusive and equitable future.”

Collectively, their research covers areas as diverse as ecology, quantum technology, physics and materials science, biology and bio-medicine and universe sciences.

The Young Scientists will be at WEF’s 13^th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, taking place in Dalian, China, from the 1^st to the 3^rd July. The scientists will participate in sessions and workshops alongside leaders from government, business, civil society and other stakeholder groups. They will contribute ideas for solving complex challenges within and outside their core areas of interest.

UCL will also be hosting an IdeasLab on Monday 1 July at the WEF Annual Meeting titled ‘Transforming Mental Health Research with UCL. The speakers are Dr Susanne Schweizer (UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience), Dr Joseph Hayes (UCL Psychiatry) and Dr Rick Adams (UCL Computer Science).They will be talking about their research on unlocking the potential of electronic medical records for mental health, modelling the brain to inform diagnoses and treatment and training the brain's resilience to mental health problems.

The theme for the meeting will be Leadership 4.0: Succeeding in a New Era of Globalisation, and more than 2,000 business leaders, policy-makers and experts from over 80 countries will participate in over 200 sessions.

Follow the conference here: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/05/how-to-follow-our-amnc19-meeting-in-china

Links

• Professor Ruth Morgan’s academic profile
• The WEF 13^th Annual Meeting of the New Champions
• UCL Security & Crime Science
• UCL Engineering
• Meet the 2019 Young Scientists

Image

• Professsor Ruth Morgan

Source

• World Economic Forum press release

Media contact

Kate Corry

Tel: +44 (0)20 3108 6995

Email: k.corry [at] ucl.ac.uk