After Dinner Speakers: Mark Porter, Nigel Barlow, David Blaine

Mark’s media career started when he joined the BBC in 1992 and he has since played a key role in much of BBC1’s health coverage, including presenting their flagship health programme Watchdog Healthcheck . Mark is the resident doctor on the Jeremy Vine Show (BBC Radio 2), Health Editor at Radio Times, and health columnist for Sainsbury’s Magazine. He was also a founder editor of www.surgerydoor.co.uk- the award winning consumer health information website. He currently presents two series for Discovery Health - his own medical chat show Doctor in the House and Living Pulse, a review of medical breakthroughs from across the globe - as well as co-hosting the channel’s news slot - Discovery Health Bulletins. Mark is also currently working on the second series of his documentary strand, Medicine and Machines, for BBC Radio 4. Despite these varied commitments Mark still works half time at his busy NHS practice in Stroud and enjoys hosting and lecturing at medical conferences. Mark qualified from Westminster Hospital Medical School, London, in 1986 and spent five years in a variety of hospital specialities before entering General Practice. He is 40, married to Ros, and they have two teenage daughters. He lives in South Gloucestershire.