Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences' Inaugural Lecture series

Join us for an exciting event in room 4013 in the Centenary Building at the University of Southampton, where we will be hosting a series of engaging lectures from newly appointed Professors at the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences.

During the event, our Professors will present a lecture to highlight their research, real-world impact and future research directions.

At our next event on Wednesday 18th March 2026, Professor Mari Carmen Portillo from the School of Health Sciences and Professor Andrew Power from the School of Geography and Environmental Science will be presenting their research.

Professor Mari Carmen Portillo is Professor of Long-Term Conditions at the University of Southampton and the Long-Term Conditions theme lead for the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex. Portillo is a mixed methods nurse researcher with wide experience in applied research, leading sustainable research programmes and multidisciplinary teams national and internationally in relation to living with Long Term Conditions, personalised care, complex interventions and community social support. Portillo has national and international reputation as a lead in multiple long term conditions management and an expert in building sustainable research programmes and research capacity across sectors. Prof Portillo has secured over £30M in grants and programmes across countries and has published over 160 outputs. Portillo’s work in education and leading/management model has always attracted new talents seeking further professional development and involves a successful research capacity and capability building strategy in the field of long term conditions.

Professor Andrew (‘Andy’) Power is Professor of Social Geography in the School of Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Southampton. His introduction to social geography came through an undergraduate module of the same name, which included a focus on the geographies of disability. After completing his degree, he worked part-time as a disability assistant for a disability organisation, an experience that inspired him to undertake a PhD on family care and disability.

Following two postdoctoral fellowships, Andy joined the School of Geography and Environmental Science as a Lecturer in 2011. Immersed in the discipline, he began teaching social geography while also working closely with scholars, practitioners, and organisations beyond geography. Through these collaborations, he became increasingly engaged with wider debates around social justice, care, and inclusion.

His research includes several collaborative projects with adults with learning disabilities, notably an ESRC-funded study exploring how people build lives together in the community, and an NIHR School for Social Care Research–funded study focused on shared homes.

Info: Professor Steve Darby, Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, opens the event.

Info: Rethinking research strategy and partnerships to tackle challenges in Long Term Conditions: Long term conditions have become a global challenge. Traditional researcher led approaches to long term conditions are less effective and a conceptual shifting towards multisectoral inclusive strategies is needed to reconcile individual & system drivers at national and international levels. Person centered approaches and optimised support and resources in community neighborhoods need to be prioritised. In her Inaugural lecture, MC will unfold her trajectory as a pioneer nurse leading large transdisciplinary teams to tackle challenges in long term conditions & changing research culture. She will discuss key strategies to build sustainable & inclusive applied research and how to improve wellbeing for people with long term conditions & careers, establishing community, multiagency & innovation partnerships.

Info: Navigating the Geographies of Care: Disability, Support & the Making of Place - From the home to the community and the everyday places that shape our lives, care plays a central role for all of us, as everyone has needed, does need, or will need support at some point.
Care is often viewed as altruistic & benign, yet for many people who rely on support it can also be disruptive, intrusive, and controlling. For disabled people, the home may become a workplace for care staff, turning it into a space of both comfort & intrusion. In community settings, care is shaped by boundaries that can unintentionally disempower those it is meant to support.
Professor Power’s inaugural lecture explores the spaces in which care is lived, experienced, and negotiated. He will reflect on his collaborative, person-centred research with disabled people & others, & on his career journey, highlighting how research, practice, & lived experience can come together to support more just & inclusive lives.

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