Publish date: 2 December 2024
A West London forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist is the BBC Reith Lecturer for 2024.
Dr Gwen Adshead, who works at Broadmoor Hospital, is delivering lectures on the most pertinent questions on violence, that she has faced in her work as a forensics psychiatrist.
She will explore these questions from a clinical perspective, informed by thinking about the developmental and social roots of violence.
Dr Adshead’s work has led her to study how people develop social minds; how trauma affects the development of the mind and capacity to be pro-social and how best to help offenders rehabilitate.
The lectures are being recorded in front of live audiences in London, Dundee, Bergen and HMP Grendon - the first time a Reith lecture has been recorded in a prison. They will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service in December this year and will be available to listen to on BBC Sounds.
You can listen to the first episode Is violence normal? on the BBC Sounds website. The second episode Aren't they all evil? will air on Tuesday 3 December at 9am.
The Reith Lectures were inaugurated in 1948 by the BBC to mark the historic contribution made to public service broadcasting by Lord John Reith, the corporation's first Director-General.
The lectures feature some of the brightest minds, in front of a live audience, with a question and answer session.
Past Reith lecturers include philosopher Bertrand Russel, physicist Stephen Hawking and writer Hilary Mantel.
Dr Gwen Adshead trained at St Bartholomew’s hospital, St George’s hospital and the Institute of Psychiatry. In addition to her medical degree and her qualifications as a psychiatrist, she holds a Master’s Degree in Medical Law and Ethics, a Master of Science Degree in Mindfulness based Cognitive Therapy from Oxford University and she is a Qualified member of the Institute of Group Analysis. She was Yochelson visiting fellow at Yale School of Law & Psychiatry in 2013, professor of psychiatry at Gresham College between 2014 and 2016 and has been awarded two honorary doctorates by St George’s Hospital medical school in 2016 and 2024. In 2013 the Royal College of Psychiatrists awarded her the President’s Medal for her work in mental health ethics and in 2024, she was named as one of five Honorary Fellows of the Royal College of psychiatrist.