Triumphant return to Hay for Medic researcher
13 June 2017
Every year Hay Festival brings readers and writers together to share stories and ideas in sustainable events around the world.
The festivals inspire, examine and entertain, inviting participants to imagine the world as it is and as it might be.
This year's festival ran from Thurs 25 May to Sun 4 June and was held in a tented village at Hay-on-Wye, on the edge of the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park.
Nobel Prize-winners and novelists, scientists and politicians, historians and musicians talk with audiences in a dynamic exchange of ideas.
Last year saw Cardiff University School of Medicine’s Dr Simone Cuff, a Research Associate in the Division of Infection and Immunity, deliver a talk on ‘The Ecosystem Inside – Your Body and its Tiny Citizens’.
It was such a success that Simone was invited back to speak again this year.
‘Could viruses be good for you?’ was presented to a sell-out audience on Fri 26 May.
Talk synopsis: We all know that ’flu is bad for you. And Ebola. And Zika. Why on earth are there so many viruses that cause such terrible diseases? And what does current research teach us about the fascinating rabbit-hole that is the world of virology?
Speaking after the event Simone said:
“It was great to be invited back to Hay Festival. It is always fascinating to see who is interested in research and though it always starts with the presenter giving a talk, the really rewarding part is the dialogue you can have with members of the audience afterwards, particularly when that audience is curious and engaged. These are the people that our science is supported by, and who are affected by our findings. It is a privilege - and great fun - to be able to talk with them in such a forum."