What role does evidence play when the stakes are high, decisions are urgent, and the science is not settled?

In this week’s episode of Science, Policy & Pandemics, our host Dr Rob Doubleday and guest host Salma Shah explore the principles and practice of decision making in Government. With guests Jeremy Hunt MP and Professor Dame Sally Davies, we explore real life examples of tackling massive public health challenges. We address health emergencies including Ebola, Novichock and childhood obesity.

CSaP's Science and Policy Podcast is a production of the Centre for Science and Policy at the University of Cambridge. This series on science, policy and pandemics is produced in partnership with Cambridge Infectious Diseases and the Cambridge Immunology Network.

Our guests this week:

Salma Shah was Special Adviser to the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, from 2018-19. She was responsible for strategy and communication across the Department. She has served in Government since May 2014, in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG). Prior to this, Salma was a journalist at the BBC, producing the Today programme on Radio 4.

Professor Dame Sally Davies became Master of Trinity College in October 2019. Previously, Dame Sally was the Chief Medical Officer for England. Professor Davies also chairs the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, and is a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Advisory Committee on Health Research; the board of the Office for Strategic Co-ordination of Health Research; the International Advisory Committee for A*STAR, Singapore; and the Caribbean Health Research Council.

The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP is the Conservative MP for South West Surrey. He has previously served as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Secretary of State for Health, and Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport.

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CSaP: The Science & Policy Podcast is hosted by CSaP Executive Director Dr Rob Doubleday, and is edited and produced by CSaP Communications Coordinator Kate McNeil. If you have feedback about this episode, or questions you’d like us to address in a future week, please email enquiries@csap.cam.ac.uk.

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