How have scientists contributed to UK government decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic? What are the structures and mechanisms that have drawn science into the policy process? In today’s episode we’re exploring what the past two years have been like for the scientists involved in government and SPI-M, the experts providing the advice based on COVID modelling and epidemiology.    

In today’s episode, host Dr Rob Doubleday is joined by Julia Gog, Professor of Mathematical Biology at the University of Cambridge, who has been heavily involved throughout the pandemic within SPI-M, the specialist advisory group on modelling pandemics which feeds into the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) process. Plus, Sir John Aston, Harding Professor of Statistics in Public Life, University of Cambridge. He was Chief Scientific Adviser in the Home Office from 2017-2020 and during the COVID pandemic was heavily involved in SAGE and advising the Secretary of State in the Home Office. 

As part of our series on science advice and government, we’re looking ahead to the public inquiry into the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic this spring. We hope the episodes will highlight lessons on what worked well, how scientific advice has helped governments make difficult decisions, and how this process can be improved for the future. 

Season 5 is produced in partnership with the research project Expertise Under Pressure, Centre for the Humanities and Social Change at the University of Cambridge.

CSaP: The Science & Policy Podcast is hosted by CSaP Executive Director Dr Rob Doubleday, and is edited and produced by CSaP Communications Coordinator Jessica Foster. Research for this series is supported by CSaP Policy Researcher Nick Cosstick.

Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm. Learn how to start a podcast here.

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Resources relevant to this episode: 

• Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M): https://bit.ly/35G8jgt
• Chief Scientific Advisors: https://bit.ly/3KzNPEY 
• Scientific evidence supporting the government response to coronavirus (COVID-19): https://bit.ly/3JhBaq1 

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