Kevin Fong on medical planning for Mars and Earth-based emergencies

There can't be many people in the world who've saved lives in hospital emergency rooms and also helped care for the wellbeing of astronauts in space – but Kevin Fong’s career has followed a singular path: from astrophysics and trauma medicine, to working with NASA, to becoming an Air Ambulance doctor. Kevin is a consultant anaesthetist and professor of public engagement and innovation at University College London. He’s worked on the front line in hospitals, dealing with major incidents and helping shape policy; but he's also stayed true to his childhood passion for space, working on multiple projects with NASA and even going through the astronaut application process himself. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s also become a well-known figure in science broadcasting through his various radio and TV shows. Speaking to Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Kevin admits it hasn't always been an easy path – but his passion for both space and medicine have got him through. And today, he's channelling his energies into ensuring we protect the NHS's most precious commodity: its staff. Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Lucy Taylor This programme was a BBC Studios Audio prouction for Radio 4.

You can listen to Kevin Fong on medical planning for Mars and Earth-based emergencies online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Kevin Fong on medical planning for Mars and Earth-based emergencies is an episode from The Life Scientific by BBC.

This episode is 28:39 long.

This episode was published on Jul 15, 2025.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from The Life Scientific when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.