Jeremy Howick

Jeremy Howick's official speaking topics are listed below:

Beyond Medicine: A Science-Based Toolkit for Resilient Wellbeing:

Based on his bestselling book 'Doctor You', Jeremy shares science-backed strategies to reduce stress, prevent burnout, and support lasting wellbeing – without over-relying on medication. With over 25 years of research and real-world experience, Jeremy shows how to activate the body’s natural resilience systems – without over-relying on medication – and create healthy habits that support performance, clarity, and balance. Blending cutting-edge science with practical tools, this keynote empowers employees and leaders alike to thrive, even under pressure.

Empathic Leadership for Corporate Success:

Based on his internationally acclaimed model of empathic leadership – the first of its kind – Jeremy equips leaders with practical, science-backed tools to thrive in high-pressure environments. Research shows empathic leadership boosts engagement by up to 76%, reduces burnout, and strengthens team performance. An award-winning researcher and Oxford-trained philosopher, Jeremy blends 25+ years of research with lived experience in elite sport and mindfulness. His keynotes are dynamic, credible, and deeply human – offering leaders a clear path to building resilient, high-performing, and people-centred cultures.

Empathy as a Blockbuster Drug:

Drawing on his experience as founder of the Oxford Empathy Programme, the Global Network for Empathy in Healthcare, and the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare, Jeremy delivers a powerful case for empathy as one of the most effective – and underused – tools in modern medicine. Backed by over 20 years of clinical research, Jeremy reveals how empathy reduces pain, complaints, and even mortality – while also protecting clinician wellbeing and improving team performance. This keynote blends compelling evidence with practical strategies leaders can use to embed empathy across healthcare systems – from patient care to executive leadership.

Science-Based Wellbeing:

Embark on a transformative journey with Jeremy as he unveils the untapped potential of your body's inner healing in a groundbreaking talk. Beyond acknowledging its near-miraculous advancements, Jeremy exposes the overlooked harm caused by modern medicine’s overuse. Engage in a captivating talk where he shares innovative studies, showcasing your body's innate pharmacies, surgeons, and psychologists. Backed by robust scientific evidence, he reveals natural alternatives that not only cost less than industrial drugs but also sidestep harmful side effects while maintaining efficacy. This empowering presentation, supported by the latest evidence, guides you in making informed health decisions. Navigate the medical landscape, discern when to harness your body's natural capabilities for healing, and break free from over-reliance on pharmaceutical interventions. Jeremy's transformative lecture isn't just an eye-opener; it's a revolution in healthcare decision-making. Elevate your understanding, take control of your wellbeing, and book this empowering presentation for a journey towards transformative health choices.

The Placebo Revolution:

Based on his groundbreaking book on placebos, Jeremy delivers a provocative and timely keynote that challenges how we understand – and apply – one of medicine’s most misunderstood phenomena. The first placebo revolution brought placebo effects out of the shadows and into scientific legitimacy. Now, with overwhelming evidence showing their real impact on pain, recovery, and wellbeing, it’s time for the next step: using placebo science to transform clinical practice and trial design. In this talk, Jeremy argues that continuing to chase obscure placebo mechanisms misses the point. Instead, we must ethically harness placebo effects – through empathy, trust, and communication – and rethink the widespread use of placebo controls in clinical trials, which can harm patients by withholding proven therapies.

What Counts as Evidence? Rethinking the Foundations of Modern Healthcare:

Based on his bestselling book, 'The History and Philosophy of Evidence-Based Medicine', Jeremy takes audiences on an eye-opening journey through the history, philosophy, and future of medical decision-making. In this engaging and thought-provoking keynote, Professor Howick explores what “evidence-based” really means – and why it’s often misunderstood. Drawing sharp contrasts with historical approaches like “eminence-based” and “theory-based” medicine, he reveals how evidence-based healthcare evolved, where it excels, and where it falls short in today’s complex world. Far more than a history lesson, this talk equips audiences with the tools to think critically, ask better questions, and make more informed health decisions – whether as clinicians, researchers, or patients.

The Nocebo Effect:

Based on his widely viewed TEDx talk, Jeremy reveals the surprising power of negative expectations—and how they can silently sabotage our health. In this eye-opening keynote, Professor Howick explores the nocebo effect, the lesser-known counterpart to the placebo effect. While placebos harness the power of positive belief to relieve symptoms, nocebos show how negative thoughts, language, and clinical communication can trigger real physical harm – worsening pain, increasing anxiety, and even undermining treatments. Drawing on the latest science and real-world examples, this talk delivers more than insight – it offers tools. Audiences learn how to identify and reduce harmful nocebo effects through simple, evidence-based changes in communication, mindset, and clinical practice.

Artificial Empathy? Human-AI Collaboration for Culturally Responsive Care:

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into healthcare, a crucial question arises: can machines support – not replace – human empathy? In this timely and thought-provoking keynote, Jeremy explores how AI can be designed to enhance empathic, culturally responsive care rather than undermine it. With communication failures contributing to 1 in 10 patient safety incidents globally – and even higher risks in cross-cultural settings – this talk addresses the urgent need for more emotionally intelligent clinical interactions. Drawing on international research, Professor Howick shows how AI can assist clinicians by recognising emotional cues, supporting sensitive responses, and reducing misunderstandings that lead to harm. At the same time, he argues that AI must be guided by ethical frameworks and paired with empathy-focused training to ensure that warmth, trust, and human connection remain central to care.

• 2023 – Published The Power of Placebos: How the Science of Placebos & Nocebos Can Improve Healthcare
• 2022 – Professor & Director of Empathic Healthcare at University of Leicester
• 2021 – Senior Research Fellow at Cardiff University
• 2021 – Senior Review Manager at Kleijnen Systematic Reviews Ltd
• 2019 – Visiting Professor Lectureship at the University at Buffalo Neurosurgery
• 2019 – Wendy MacDonald Chair Visiting Professorship at McGill University
• 2019 – Executive Secretary of Philosophy & Medicine Network at the University of Oxford
• 2017 – Published Doctor You: Revealing the Science of Self-Healing
• 2017 – Impact Fellow at University of Oxford
• 2016 – Director of Oxford Empathy Programme at the University of Oxford
• 2012 – Media Pundit at the University of Oxford
• 2011 – Published The Philosophy of Evidence-Based Medicine
• 2009 – Lecturer at University College London
• 2008 – Graduated with a Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education from The London School of Economics & Political Science
• 2007 – Consultant & Advisor of Oxford Innovation at the University of Oxford
• 2007 – Senior Researcher at the University of Oxford
• 2003 – Graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Philosophy of Science from The London School of Economics & Political Science
• 1996 – Competed in The Boat Race 1996, representing Oxford
• 1996 – Graduated with a Diploma in Philosophy from the University of Oxford
• 1994 – Won a silver rowing medal at the 1994 Commonwealth Games
• 1994 – Competed as a rower for Canada in the 1994 World Championships