Will AI save global healthcare or break it?

Professor Anya Hurlbert (Host)

Professor of Visual Neuroscience & Dean of Advancement at Newcastle University

Anya Hurlbert is Professor of Visual Neuroscience and Dean of Advancement at Newcastle University. She co-founded Newcastle’s Institute of Neuroscience in 2003, serving as its co-Director until 2014, and now steers the Centre for Neuroscience. She was a Marshall Scholar and holds degrees in physics, physiology, brain and cognitive science, and medicine from US and UK institutions.   

Anya’s primary research interests are in human vision and applications of AI to medicine. She speaks and writes widely on colour perception and art and has devised several science-based art exhibitions, including an interactive installation at the National Gallery, London. Following early research on machine vision in the MIT AI Lab, Anya now deploys AI to analyse retinal images for monitoring health in the field of oculomics.

Tarek Nseir

Senior Value Partner at Valliance & Newcastle University graduate

Tarek is a repeat entrepreneur who built one of the foremost digital transformation consultancies in Europe working alongside boards and executives creating industry defining outcomes with Aston Martin, JK Rowling, ASOS and Allianz. Now focused on creating market leading time to value to his clients. 

Tarek has spent 25 years proving that transformation works best when you combine vision with execution discipline first, technology second. Today he applies this discipline to AI adoption, helping enterprises identify where the technology creates measurable value and building programmes that balance innovation with operational reality.

He graduated from Newcastle University in 2003 with an undergraduate degree in Information Systems.

Laura Parker

Senior AI Product Manager at Faculty & Newcastle University graduate

Laura is a Senior Product Manager at Faculty, an Applied AI Consultancy, specialising in AI-enabled products across healthcare and life sciences. She has 11 years' experience across Strategy, Product and Propositions, including building AI products for drug discovery and clinical triage.

Laura graduated from Newcastle University in 2011 with an undergraduate degree in Economics. She is currently completing a part-time Master's in AI Ethics and Society at the University of Cambridge.

Dr Lewis Potter BEM

Founder & CEO of Geeky Medics | General Practitioner | Technologist | NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Fellow | Newcastle University graduate

Lewis is the Founder and CEO of Geeky Medics, one of the world’s leading medical education platforms. He founded the company while studying Medicine at Newcastle University in 2010, growing it into a resource used by millions of healthcare learners worldwide.

A qualified GP and Newcastle University graduate, Lewis was recently awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to healthcare and medical education. He has spent the past decade developing technology that transforms how healthcare professionals learn. His current focus is SimChat.ai, an AI-powered simulation platform that enables learners to practise communication skills with realistic virtual patients, while providing educators with powerful tools for assessment and feedback. The platform is now used by universities and healthcare organisations internationally.  

Lewis is passionate about the responsible application of AI in education and healthcare, and how emerging technologies can improve learning outcomes, increase access to high quality training, and reshape the future of healthcare education. 

Professor Colin Rees

Professor of Gastroenterology at Newcastle University

Colin's research interests include endoscopy and colorectal cancer. He has led some of the world’s largest endoscopy trials recruiting around 30,000 patients. He leads a large colorectal cancer research platform (COLO-SPEED).

He is Chief Investigator for COLOCOHORT – a study of risk factors for Colorectal Cancer, the largest study of its kind in the world recruiting 15,000 patients, and COLO-DETECT – a 2,000 patient study of AI enhanced detection at colonoscopy. He led COLOFIT – a research programme establishing the role of FIT in clinical pathways and implemented across all NHS practice. He led the work developing the world’s first patient derived experience measure for endoscopy. He is a world expert in colonoscopy quality, patient experience of endoscopy and in endoscopy research.

Professor Colin Rees was President of the British Society of Gastroenterology from 2024 - 26. He has won multiple research prizes – BSG Hopkins, NIHR & RCP, SAGE, HSJ. RCP Excellence in Patient Care.