Leading the conversation

The future of flight, dealing with disasters and applying psychological research to real-world settings will all be in the spotlight during keynote talks at Ergonomics & Human Factors 2026.

Russell Porter, Head of Future Flight Engagement at NATS will deliver this year’s Institute Lecture. Russell leads the air traffic service’s relationships across emerging sectors including uncrewed aircraft systems, drones and air taxis. With the aviation industry changing so rapidly, he’ll discuss what this could mean for passengers – as well as designers and human factors experts.

The Broadbent Lecture will be given by Fiona Earle, Professor of Psychology at the University of Hull. Fiona has more than 25 years’ experience of human factors and occupational psychology, working across both academia and industry. She’s a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and the founder of the Centre for Human Factors and her interests are broadly based in the areas of workplace stress and fatigue.

As well as the keynote lectures, the conference will also feature a fireside chat between disaster recovery expert Lucy Easthope and Paul Salmon, Professor of Human Factors at Australia’s University of the Sunshine Coast. Lucy is Professor in Mass Fatalities and Pandemics at the University of Bath and is an expert on emergency planning and disaster recovery. She challenges traditional thinking about how we recover from tragedy and how to prepare for what comes next.

EHF2026 runs from 27-29 April at the East Midlands Conference Centre and will feature dozens of talks and presentations showcasing the latest work happening in human factors. There’s also a selection of hands-on Masterclasses, plus plenty of opportunities for networking and fun.