World-leading consciousness scientist to deliver Sluckin Lecture 2026

Anil Seth, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the science of consciousness, will deliver this year’s prestigious Sluckin Lecture at the University of Leicester.

Professor Seth has transformed contemporary understanding of how subjective experience arises from the biological processes of the brain. 

His interdisciplinary research integrates neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and computational modelling to address one of science’s most profound questions: how and why we experience the world as conscious beings. His work has reshaped academic debates and inspired researchers across fields.

Beyond his academic influence, Professor Seth has had extraordinary impact on public engagement with science. His 2017 TED talk, “Your brain hallucinates your conscious reality,” has been viewed more than fifteen million times globally, making it one of TED’s most popular science presentations. 

He is also the author of Being You: A New Science of Consciousness—a Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller, acclaimed as a 2021 Book of the Year by The Economist, New Statesman, The Guardian, and Financial Times, and recognised as one of the year’s best science and philosophy books by multiple major outlets. 

Professor Seth’s ability to communicate complex scientific ideas to broad audiences has been recognised with prestigious honours including the Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize for science communication. 

The Sluckin Lecture (established to honour the legacy of Professor Wladyslaw Sluckin, one of the founding members of the University’s Psychology Department) is a flagship annual event organised by the School of Psychology and Vision Sciences to celebrate outstanding contributions to psychological and cognitive science. 

Dr Aurelio Bruno from the School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, said: “It is a great privilege and pleasure to welcome a fantastic speaker and scientist like Professor Seth. This year’s lecture promises to be a richly engaging and accessible exploration of consciousness—an invitation to reflect on what it means to be you.”

The free event takes place in Lecture Theatre 1 in the George Davies Centre in Lancaster Road from 5-6pm on 7 May and is open to all. It will be followed by a wine reception in the atrium.
For more information and to confirm attendance, email pvsenquiries@leicester.ac.uk