Event type
Science and Conservation Events
ZSL200
In-person
Previous Event
ZSL200
In-person
Previous Event
Event status
Passed
Dates
23 May 2026 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Location
Queen’s Stone, Riverside Walkway, South Bank, London, SE1 9PP
Price
Free
Accessibility
This event is fully accessible.
London’s iconic Southbank will host leading women and non-binary people in science, as ZSL’s Soapbox Science returns for its 15th year inspiring the public in the capital.
On Saturday 23rd May 2025, from 1-4pm, Gabriel’s Wharf on the Southbank will once again become a hive of scientific sharing, as some of the UK’s leading scientists take to their soapboxes to showcase cutting-edge research in this free live event.
Co-founded by ZSL Institute of Zoology’s Professor Nathalie Pettorelli and UCL’s Professor Seirian Sumner in 2011, Soapbox Science’s mission is to promote gender equality in science by championing the vital role of women and non-binary people. The popular London event celebrates experts across Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). This year is particularly special, as we celebrate 15 years of Soapbox Science, and the project's founders, Nathalie and Seirian, will be taking to their soapboxes for the first time alongside a range of outstanding other scientists.
Speakers
Selected from a competitive pool of researchers, our 12 speakers will be sharing their work in technology, science, medicine and engineering. The speakers and their discussion topics are:
Dr Ameenat Lola Solebo, UCL, “Eyes on eyes”
Prof Sudaxshina Murdan, UCL, “Vaccines for humans, fish, chicken and livestock”
Prof Zoë A. E. Waller, UCL, “The Changing Shape of DNA”
Prof Seirian Sumner, UCL, “Why you should love wasps!”
Dr Clíona Farrell, UCL, “Our brilliant brains and why they forget”.
Dr Bhavana Solanky, UCL, “Magnetic Resonance Imaging- an introduction”
Prof Sophie Scott, UCL, “You and your brilliant brain”
Dr Charlie Outhwaite, ZSL, “Insects! Why you should care and how you can help the little things that run the world”
Dr Patricia Brekke, ZSL, “Why do eggs fail to hatch?”
Prof Nathalie Pettorelli, ZSL, “Rewilding our cities: why and how?”
Dr Hollie Folkard-Tapp, ZSL, “Tales of the Southbank: reconnecting with the city’s secret infrastructure- nature”
Sophie Ledger, ZSL, “Extinction isn’t black and white – it’s a rainbow”
15 years of Soapbox Science
In 15 years, the project has delivered 318 events celebrating 3,783 speakers in 17 countries and 90 cities. From Rio de Janeiro to Queensland, and Arusha to Indonesia, we estimate having inspired more than 400,000 people.
In 2026, there will be 42 events Soapbox Science events globally, with two new countries joining for 2026: Greece and Finland.
Sponsors
We couldn’t run this London event without the generous logistical and financial support of our sponsors. Our London event is supported by the L’Oreal UNESCO For Women In Science Scheme and ZSL.
We're challenging stereotypes
Only 13% of the UK’s STEM workforce are women while many reports on diversity in STEM still fail to consider non-binary people. By giving scientists a public voice through their free events, Soapbox Science’s award-winning work helps address this imbalance by challenging stereotypes and providing a fun, accessible way for people from all backgrounds to engage with science.
Why is Soapbox Science so important?
By transforming public areas into hubs of scientific learning, Soapbox Science events give leading scientists a new way of sharing their work and allow absolutely everyone to learn from and be inspired by their ground-breaking research – all part of ZSL’s wider work empowering change through outreach and education. We’ve spent the last 15 years challenging stereotypes of who can be a scientist, and now hold Soapbox Science events in 17 different countries around the world. It all started here in London, so we’re excited to be back in the city again for our 15th year of breaking down barriers to science.