Countercurrent: Conversations With Professor Roger Kneebone

Vis specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, an eye disease where pressure on the optic nerve leads to impaired sight. As a surgeon he performs operations of the utmost delicacy and precision; as a teacher he passes on his wisdom to less experienced surgeons; as a statistical geneticist he researches the scientific basis of eye disease. In this conversation we explore the interplay of these many perspectives across his career.

Peter Randall-Page is internationally known for his carvings in stone, often at massive scale and in public places. He is fascinated by connections between ideas, metaphors and the natural world. Much of his work is inspired by nature and underpinned by mathematics. https://www.peterrandall-page.com His current exhibition at the Pangolin Gallery in London runs from 16 November 2022 until 14 January 2023 https://www.pangolinlondon.com/exhibitions/115-peter-randall-page/works/  

Mr Simon Blackburn’s clinical work varies from operating on premature babies with congenital abnormalities to treating adolescents with surgical problems. We discuss how he combines technical precision in the operating theatre, communication with children, their parents and others who provide care, and supporting clinical colleagues in his educational leadership roles. 

Monica Lalanda spent much of her career as an emergency doctor. She has always had a passion for drawing and developed a parallel career as a graphic artist, developing the concept of ‘graphic pathographies’ to help patients and their carers express their responses to illness. She has explored graphic medicine in a number of areas, including medical ethics and graphic recording of conference presentations. In this conversation we explore how our different experiences of medicine and healthcare intersect.  www.monicalalanda.com 

Iain Burnside studied at Oxford University, the Royal Academy of Music and the Chopin Academy in Warsaw. As a freelance pianist, he specialises in song repertoire and has collaborated in performances and recordings with many of the world’s leading singers. In his recently formed Trio Balthasar, he performs a wide range of repertoire with violinist Michael Foyle and cellist Timothy Hugh. Iain is also a writer and broadcaster, and for many years presented BBC Radio 3’s Voices, for which he won a Sony Radio Award. He is Artistic Director of the Ludlow English Song Weekend.   http://finalnotemagazine.com/articles/iain-burnside/

Hansjorg Schmidt heads the MA Light in Performance programme at Rose Bruford College in London. In this conversation he explains how he uses light when designing theatrical productions, and we explore ideas about the role of light in professional settings.  https://www.hansjorgschmidt.net

Austin O’Carroll spends much of his time working with homeless and marginalised people in Dublin, where he founded Safetynet (an organisation designed to address inequalities and improve healthcare for homeless people). His PhD, based on ethnographic research, examines the experiences of marginalised groups. He is active in disability politics and sails with the Irish Paralympic Sailing Team.

As a professional keynote speaker, James Taylor is a skilled performer who works with audiences across the world. His Supercreativity podcast features over 350 conversations with leaders the field. In this conversation we explore similarities and differences between podcast conversations, formal keynote presentations and clinical encounters. We both identify trustworthiness as a key aspect of our work. https://www.jamestaylor.me/the-new-supercreativity-podcast-show-291/  

Tim Weekes has wide experience in the world of pre-hospital care. Trained as an Emergency Medical Technician and solo responder, his degree course as a paramedic has led to his many roles as a care provider, teacher and coach.

Jeff Bezemer and I discuss our collaboration aimed at making sense of the operating theatre as a pedagogic space. Jeff’s background in applied linguistics and ethnomethodology gives him completely different perspectives from mine as a surgeon. In this podcast we explore points of intersection between our different ways of looking at professional contexts.

The moral philosopher Onora O’Neill (Baroness O’Neill of Bengarve) has a longstanding fascination with trustworthiness. She has explored these ideas extensively, through writing and broadcasting (including her 2002 BBC Reith Lectures). Her 2022 book A Philosopher Looks at Digital Communication examines the impact of contemporary forms of communication, including social media. In this conversation we examine issues around trustworthiness within the medical realm and beyond.

As a postdoctoral synthetic chemist, Luke Delmas is fascinated by the challenges of conducting experimental work and teaching students the skills of the laboratory. He is a core member of the Chemical Kitchen project at Imperial, where undergraduate students gain laboratory skills by mastering culinary tasks.

Sarah Whatley trained as a dancer. She has a longstanding interest in how dance and choreography intersect with ways of thinking about movement in other professional areas. In this podcast we uncover unexpected similarities between our experiences in dance, medicine and education. 

Anna Batistatou specialises in the pathology of cancer and is interested in issues of perception, cognition and communication. In this podcast we explore different ways of seeing and making sense of what we observe.

Johnny Messum has a background in art history. In 2016 he established Messums Wiltshire, a multi-purpose gallery and arts centre in a converted 13th century tithe barn in Tisbury, near Salisbury. In this conversation we discuss the nature of craftsmanship and explore the triangular relationship between artist/maker, gallerist and buyer/collector, with underlying connections based on trust and care.  https://messumswiltshire.com

Kishor Gulabivala specialises in endodontics and restorative dentistry. His work requires him to integrate different forms of perception and intervention in order to diagnose and treat conditions affecting the inner contours of his patients’ teeth. We discuss how he gained these skills himself and how he passes them on to those he teaches.

Alex Auerbach is sport psychologist and Director of Wellness and Development for the Toronto Raptors, an elite basketball team based in Canada. In this conversation we discuss the nature of coaching and psychological support for individuals and teams. We uncover intriguing parallels between our experiences in sports coaching and GP training. 

Rick and I collaborated on Experimental Words, a project bringing together the perspectives of artists and scientists through the medium of poetry. In this conversation we explore Rick’s approach to collaborative work, bringing together his background in psychology with his work as a poet and performance artist. https://experimentalwords.bandcamp.com/track/communion-with-the-fabric https://linktr.ee/rickdove

Ben Thomas’s description of his role as an independent financial adviser resonates with my experience as a clinician, and especially as a general practitioner. For both of us, our roles involve developing relationships of trust and care against a background of professional knowledge and experience. In this podcast we explore the similarities and differences between our professional experiences. 

Ben Griffiths has been the Aurora Orchestra’s Principal double bass player since 2012. The orchestra is widely known for its electrifying performances of symphonies played entirely from memory. In this conversation we examine role of risk in professional performance, whether in music or medicine.