February – Life Beyond Earth: Exoplanets & Extremophiles

Join us as we explore the concept of Life Beyond Earth.

We explore this fascinating concept through a discussion hosted by world leading scientist Prof Fran Balkwill OBE, FRS,  joined by colleagues Dr Edward Gillen and Dr Neil McCarthy to add their insight into the possibility of other life and habitable planets in our cosmos.

Hear from our speakers as they introduce you to their work and their knowledge on this topic before joining the conversation as they share their opinions and answer your questions.

About the speakers

Dr Edward Gillen

Reader in Astrophysics

Dr Gillen’s research focuses on understanding how planetary systems evolve into the diverse and potentially habitable population that we observe. He is also becoming increasingly interested in whether life could evolve on habitable exoplanets and, if so, whether it would give observational signatures that we could detect with current and future state-of-the-art observatories.

Dr Neil McCarthy

Senior Lecturer

Dr McCarthy is interested in Fungi as they have lived on earth for at least 1 billion years and were already busy changing the global climate long before land plants existed (appearing hundreds of millions of years later). Scientists now think that fungi played a key role in engineering the earth’s ecosystem to allow more complex forms of life to develop later. To do this, fungi had to survive in very extreme conditions, and they are still expert at doing so today – in the modern world around us, inside our own bodies, and perhaps even beyond this planet…”

This event is hosted by

Prof Fran Balkwill OBE, FRS

Director of Centre of the Cell

 14+ only.

This event is free, though tickets are required.

Walk ins will be accepted dependent on capacity, advanced booking is recommended.

18th February, 6.00pm – 7.00pm.