Dr. Paul Keedwell

Hi. I’m a fully grown up psychiatrist with a silly number of side projects, including neuroscience researcher, writer, media commentator, building restorer, restaurant reviewer,a ka appreciator, and now podcaster. After graduating in medicine at Leeds, I trained in psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital in London, and obtained a PhD at King’s College o how the brain works in depression.

I like to explore how behavioural science can contribute to wider debates about human culture and well-being, even down to the design of our cities (having studied architecture for a while). Apart from some years spent imaging brains in Cardiff I’ve been wedded to London ever since. I’ve written a couple of books: How Sadness Survived was about psychology and evolution, and Headspace: The Psychology of City Living was about how architecture can make us think and feel. As a mental health pundit, I publish the odd article and chip in to debates on national TV and Radio. Mostly though, I’m happy doing the simple things like sipping a good red, supping a hoppy beer, and running through fields of wheat with Theresa May.

Oliver Turnbull

By day I call myself a Management Consultant, which is a rather grandiose term for someone who uses digital technology to help businesses and Governments, both in the UK and abroad. Despite being a dreadful nerd, I also like to show off quite a lot. I have written and performed in three full length comedy shows and was an in-demand compere on the London stand-up circuit for 10 years. These days, I use this experience in business, where I continue to host large meetings and conferences with a bit more humour and energy than corporate people expect. I am also responsible for a team of consultants and have become increasingly alarmed at how often the stresses of our job becomes too much for some to bear. The idea of sharing ideas with a renowned expert and trying to help sufferers of depression and anxiety seemed obvious: I have known Paul for over 30 years and have spent a lot of that time giggling away over pint or two discussing matters both silly and serious. I presented my own show on the award-winning University Radio Nottingham when I should have been learning about physics, so using a microphone should be a piece of cake. I am married with two children and a horse (called Norman - see article here) and live in Kent.