Tony Andrews tells us who he’s most looking forward to seeing at the Falling Walls Science Summit, reveals a place in Berlin that is magical to him, and admits what he can never resist.
Who are you and what is your profession?
Tony Andrews, Head of Conference at the Falling Walls Science Summit
What are you currently working on?
We are working on putting together an exciting hybrid conference this year.
What is your part in this year’s 6th Berlin Science Week?
I have the great honor of having been able to work with our amazing line-up of speakers to get their talks ready for the final day of the summit on which we present the Breakthroughs of the Year. That includes people like Donna Strickland, only the third woman ever to win the Nobel Prize for physics – the first was Marie Curie, as well as Stefanie Arndt and Markus Rex, who were involved in the MOSAiC expedition to the Arctic. So I will be speaking to and working with all these great speakers. One in particular that I am especially excited about is Ölzem Türeci, who was part of the Pfizer-BioNtech team that developed the first mRNA-based vaccine. This is when science gets personal for all of us. It is because of technology that we are even able to meet for the summit – it is truly what has reunited us.
Why Berlin Science Week?
It allows you to see all kinds of different parts of the city that you might not otherwise encounter, and you get to learn a lot along the way.
What is your favourite spot in Berlin?
Too many to choose, but if I had to… I would say: Sophienstraße in Mitte. That part of town is just magical because of the labyrinthine courtyards there.
Which trend will influence your work the most?
The latest breakthrough in various branches of the scientific community.
Who would you like to work with some day?
Stephen Colbert.
What keeps you awake at night?
The lack of good leaders in our society.
Which newsletter(s) have you subscribed to?
The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Arts and Letters
Is there a takeaway from the pandemic that you would like to share? Has anything changed in your daily routine?
Fund scientists!
Tell us a fun or unknown fact about you!
If you put a plate of chips in front of me, I won’t be able to resist.
In the future, you would like to…
Be wiser.
Find more information about the Falling Walls Science Summit here.