Ezenwa Olumba from the Department of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, has been named by the British Science Association (BSA) on its list of Scientific Section Presidents for 2024.

The British Science Festival 2024 will take place between Wednesday 11 September and Sunday 15 September and will be hosted by the University of East London.

It marks the first time that the British Science Festival has been hosted in London in more than twenty years.

The Scientific Section Presidents are 16 nominated science professionals who play a crucial role in shaping the British Science Festival programme each year. The Presidents are tasked with ensuring  talks, exhibitions and events at the festival capture the cutting-edge, exciting research and innovation from across the UK.

Each President is nominated for making a significant contribution to their scientific field. The Presidents represent the 16 Scientific Sections of the British Science Festival, with PhD student, Ezenwa in the general section.

Ezenwa, along with the other Section Presidents, will be presenting his research into the phenomenon of ‘Cognitive Immobility’ - a psychological effect where a person’s mind remains in their ancestral home whilst physically living in a new place.

Ezenwa said: “I am humbled and honoured to be named among these intelligent scholars.

“I will use the platform to highlight a condition I call Cognitive Immobility, which is a stressful feeling of being mentally stuck in a place or past experience that leads people to try to recreate memories of the people, places, events, cultures, and things they encountered there.

“When the mind remains trapped in a previous location or life experience, it can adversely affect how one lives in the present; whether it is integrating into a new location or surviving trauma.

“This condition could be affecting millions of people, especially those who have moved from their homeland, and we need to begin the discussion on this issue.”

Professor Laura Sjoberg, Head of the Department of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy at Royal Holloway, added: “Ezenwa’s role as one of the Section Presidents represents a brilliant partnership between our University and the British Science Festival.

“We are both proud and excited to see the positive attention this will bring to his original and creative research.”