Curiosity on Tap @Newcastle

Curiosity on Tap brings experts out of the lecture hall and into the pub. Two speakers, two short talks of 15 minutes each, no jargon. Then the floor is yours: ask the questions you've always wanted to ask, in a relaxed room full of curious people. THE TALKS Dr Sreelakshmi Babu: Anitbiotics are losing and the evidence is going down your drain Antibiotics changed the world, making deadly infections easy to treat and surgery, cancer care and childbirth far safer. But bacteria are fighting back. Drug-resistant "superbugs" already kill over a million people a year, quietly spreading through our hospitals, homes and rivers. Experts call it the next silent pandemic, and it's already here. So how do we track an invisible enemy? The answer is flowing beneath our feet. Every flush leaves an anonymous record of our community's health, revealing rising infections, new variants and early signs of the next outbreak, often before anyone feels ill. Sree shares what her research uncovered in hospital and community wastewater, and why some superbugs survive treatment. Pull up a stool and find out how what we flush away could help save us from the next pandemic. Dr Manjunadh Pillai: Healthy Ageing — It’s Never Too Late Is it ever too late to make changes that help us age well? Dr Manjunadh Pillai explores how factors such as sleep, movement, nutrition and social connection can shape our wellbeing as we grow older. Come away with a fresh perspective on healthy ageing and the positive changes we can make at any stage of life. About the speakers Dr Sreelakshmi (Sree) Babu is an environmental scientist at AtkinsRéalis, working on water quality across the UK. She brings over 10 years of experience in environmental engineering from the UK, US, UAE and India. Her PhD at Newcastle University tracked antibiotic resistance through the sewers of hospitals and communities, in collaboration with the NHS, Northumbrian Water and Scottish Water. She's passionate about turning sewage data into decisions that protect public health. Dr Manjunadh Pillai, MD, MRCPsych, is a Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist, Royal College of Psychiatrists examiner and senior researcher. Passionate about lifestyle medicine, holistic wellbeing and dementia prevention, he believes it’s never too late to make positive changes, embrace life and age well. RUNNING TIME Doors: 5:45 pm (arrive early to grab a drink and a seat) Welcome: 6:00 pm Talk 1 + Q&A: 6:05 pm Talk 2 + Q&A: 6:28 pm Mix and mingle: 6:48 pm Finish: 7:00 pm Where: Newcastle upon Tyne. The venue and full address will be in your confirmation email. Coming earlier? Our separately bookable Not Just Water infusion-making workshop runs 2–4 pm at the same venue: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/2004191551883?aff=oddtdtcreator Curiosity on Tap is hosted by HeatAction Communities CIC. Any surplus after event costs supports our work on extreme heat in India and the UK. Talks offer general information, not personal medical advice.