Annual Distinguished Lecture
Addressing scientific breakthroughs, social, cultural and policy issues
The Aston University Annual Distinguished Lecture, established by our Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Aleks Subic in 2023, aims to bring influential speakers to the University to address major scientific breakthroughs, as well as social, cultural and policy issues.
Annual Distinguished Lecture, 30 April 2025
We are pleased to announce that Professor Magdalena Plebanski will deliver the prestigious Aston University Annual Distinguished Lecture on 30 April, presenting 'Cancer Diagnostics and Therapies: Harnessing Multidisciplinary Innovation'.
A globally renowned immunologist and bioengineer, Professor Plebanski is widely recognised for her groundbreaking contributions to vaccine development, immunotherapies, and disease diagnostics. She has delivered keynote addresses at leading immunology and nanotechnology conferences and serves on esteemed editorial boards and scientific advisory panels.
To attend, please book your place here.
Annual Distinguished Lecture, 22 April 2024
The 2024 Annual Distinguished Lecture was given by Dr R.A. Mashelkar.
Dr Raghunath Anant Mashelkar is a renowned figure in polymer science, national research leadership, and innovation movements. Honoured with India's highest civilian awards, he has made significant contributions to rheology, non-Newtonian fluid mechanics, and polymer reaction engineering. Dr Mashelkar played a key role in shaping India's science and technology policies, serving as Director General of CSIR and leading various institutions globally.
Additionally, his extensive involvement in academia, corporate boards, and social causes reflects a multifaceted career dedicated to advancing science, technology, and societal well-being.
Annual Distinguished Lecture, 25 May 2023.
The first Distinguished Lecture was given by Nobel Laureate Peter Agre on Thursday 25 May 2023.
Professor Agre, an eminent American physician and molecular biologist and Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2003 “for the discovery of water channels”.
He delivered an address on his discovery of aquaporin channels - the ‘plumbing system for cells’ - and its profound impact on scientific research in this field.
See our photos from the Distinguished Lecture 2023 below: