Science communication is central to everything I do. Ongoing areas of focus are climate science, emerging technologies, digital health, and future media technologies. I like to experiment with new digital formats to reach out to new audiences, while also working with creative innovators to design extraordinary science communication experiences.

Check out The SciComm Space at Salford University, where a lot of my work is found.

Other areas of EXPERTISE.

digital: Drones / Social Media / Internet of Things / Citizen Journalism

Bioethics and the Sociology of Health: Bioart & Biodesign / Genetic Editing & Selection / Nanotechnology /Human Enhancement / Life Extension and Aging / Synthetic Biology / Cloning / Stem Cell Research /Ethics of Outer Space

Doping in Sport: Gene Doping & Genetic Tests / Sport Technologies / Drug Use / Human Enhancement

The Olympic Games: General Olympic History / Recent and Forthcoming Olympic gamex / olympic Politics / Cultural Olympiad / Media Activism

Over the last ten years, I have given over 300 interviews.

TV: BBC 2 Newsnight, BBC News 24, BBC World with David Eades, CBC The Hour, CNN, Sky News, Channel 4, TV Globo

Radio: BBC Radio 4 Start the Week with Andrew Marr, CBC The Current, BBC World Service

Print: TIME, Associated Press, AFP, BBC Focus Magazine, Chicago Tribune, El Pais, Globe & Mail, The Guardian, House Magazine, The Independent, La Vanguardia, Politiken, Reuters, The Washington Post, Scotland on Sunday, The Scotsman, The Sunday Express, The Times, The Times Higher Education Supplement, Vogue Magazine, Wallpaper Magazine, Wired Magazine,

Esports

Career Highlights

2023

FEB: Host of the ESIC Global Esports Summit, London

2022

NOV: Working with BBC Children in Need to celebrate active lifestyles and gaming behaviour with young people.

AUG: Co-Host with LJ Rich of the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Forum, which opens the world’s first Commonwealth Esports Championships.

JUNE: Speaker at the Esports Education Summit, produced by British Esports in partnership with Pearson and AOC.

MAY: Proud to join the Global Esports Federation newly inaugurated Metaverse Council with some incredible people from around the world.

MARCH: Speaker at BETT - the first year that esports has a presence, led by British Esports.

2021

MAY: new article in the international journal of olympic studies

2020

AUG: launched the international journal of esports with dr aaron koshy.

JULY: BBC RADIO DOCUMENTARY COVERING ESPORTS

JUNE: FOUNDING MEMBER OF ESPORTS RESEARCH NETWORK

APR: Appointed Commission Member for the Global Esports Federation

APR: Published Esports and the Beginnings of Transmedia Architecture for The Design Exchange

2019

NOV: Appointed Advisory Board Member to the British Esports Association

OCT: Esports is the future of all sports - here’s why, The Conversation

Sept: launch of Esports Science Insights

This new platform is designed to bring critical insights from the world of academic research to the attention of people within the esports sector. Really excited about its potential and keen to work with partners on its development.

SEPT: keynote at Esports Regulatory Congress, Barcelona

Keynote / Speaking on Emerging Realities in Esports, I opened the conference with a talk about the growing number of immersive reality technologies that are making their way into the esports world. The most wonderful part of this was bringing along our student ambassador Morgan Palmer [pictured], who spoke on 2 panels.

JULY: The Value of Esports, Manchester

Event / Chaired and led an Esports industry and research event at Media City, Manchester, bringing together participants from around Europe to discuss the value of esports. More information here

MAY: keynote at The Spot, Lausanne

Title / Athlete 2.0: Examining the convergence of digital, gaming, and esports.

2018

Appointed / Academic Adviser, International Esport Federation

Published / Japanese translation of ‘Sport 2.0’ published.

Keynote / On esport’s future at The Next Web, Amsterdam

PyeongChang 2018

While at the Games, I covered the rise of virtual reality esports exhibited at sponsor pavilion and other technology stories, such as the Intel Drone show. Drone racing has been described as a real world computer game and is part of my vision for the future of esports.

Gaming and Mental Health

Published / NHS in Fortnite and Facebook? It would put mental healthcare where it’s needed (2018)

“what if health services and support could be brought into digital environments, where harm occurs – rather than merely hoping young people will go and seek them out elsewhere, after the fact?” Professor Andy Miah

Global Executive Esport Summit, Busan

In my second appearance at the Summit, I spoke about the need to develop a research agenda around esport that informs our understanding of how it affects players.

Published / Sport 2.0 with MIT Press, covering esports and the wider digital shift taking place in elite sports.

2016

Sport Accord, LauSANNE

I worked to put esport on the Accord agenda, involving the IESF as speakers and. My keynote was titled ‘Why the future of all sports is esport’

2016

Will Super Mario Ever be an Olympic Sport? (2016)

Published / “With Tokyo hosting the next games, perhaps we can expect to see a version of Pokemon Go out there, encouraging spectators to be more physically active. This might even fit in better with the Olympic Games.” Professor Andy Miah

2015

World Esport Championship, Seoul

While in Korea giving a keynote on the future of esport, I was lucky enough to see the championships take place.

IOC Athletes Commission Forum

This year, I also gave a keynote on digital technology in sport at the IOC Athletes Commission Forum in Lausanne, where I discussed the rise of esports and the gamification of physical activity.

BBC Documentary

Media / I featured in a BBC documentary on esports, which followed esports athletes from around the world to document their lives. It was a major step in conveying how elite gaming can serve as a role model for younger people on how to integrate healthy behaviours into gaming experiences.

“To be good as a gamer, you need to be fit like an athlete” - Prof Andy Miah, 2015

2014

IOC Athletes Learning Gateway

I produce a module for Olympic athletes on sports media, setting out the future of esports and fan engagement. I also gave media training to elite junior athletes at the World Junior Championships in Oregon.

Published / The CyberSport Nexus, for the Routledge Handbook of Sport and New Media, detailing the intersecting worlds of esports, social media, and broadcasting.

2013

IOC Press Commission, New York

I was invited by the IOC to speak about the future of digital technology in sport, describing the emerging world of esports as a potential Olympic discipline.

2012

London 2012 Olympic Games Social Media Impact Study

This work emphasised the importance of gamifying the spectator experience through social media platforms.

Published / The Olympic Movement’s New Media Revolution: Monetization, Open Media & Intellectual Property, In: Wagg, S. & Lenskyj, H. Handbook of Olympic Studies, Palgrave, pp.274-288.

drones fascinate me because they bring together a number of our anxieties about the future. 

In one platform, we see the playing out of worries about machines taking over our world and yet they are also deeply embedded in our history of creating technology that intends to destroy. In 2020, I publish my major work on drones with Emerald, bringing together a number of strands that describe how drones are taking over our social world.

Recent Posts on Drones

"My interest in technology spans debates about enhancing evolution through human enhancement and the rise of alternative digital worlds"

I was part of the early scholarly transhumanist community, which grew up at the end of the millennium and includes some notable figures like Nick Bostrom, Anders Sandberg, and Natasha Vita-More.

I’ve also been involved with some of the pioneering projects examining the ethics of human enhancement, particularly working with The Hasting Center New York, Oxford University, and a variety of European institutions.

My early work focused on the transformation of athletic potential through technology as frontrunners in the human enhancement milieu. This research grew quickly into a broader focus on the ethics and cultural study of human enhancement, along with biolegal research. At the turn of the century, the human genome project and the growing shift in language within research and medicine to think of ageing as a disease rather than just something that people encounter as they grow old, focused my work on the range of ways that humanity could be made more resilient and more biologically adaptable by way of human enhancements.

Over the years, I have written about various kinds of enhancement, from memory deletion to genetic modification and I've published in journals of law, philosophy, cultural studies, sociology and science. After completing my PhD in 2002, I undertook a Master degree in Medical Law, which really brought home how crucial it is for these discussions to borrow from different disciplinary insights. Since then, I have been involved with a range of international projects, focused on human enhancement. Alongside this work, I have developed theoretical perspectives on posthumanism, cyborg culture, and challenges to conventional bioethics.

SOME OF MY FAVOURITE Publications

Miah, A. (2008) Human Futures: Art in an Age of Uncertainty. Liverpool University Press & FACT.

Miah, A. (2004) Genetically Modified Athletes. Routledge.

Miah, A. (2020) Life Extension and Immortality, The Bloomsbury Handbook of Posthumanism.

Miah, A. (2019) Enhancing Evolution: The Transhuman Case for Gene Doping. In: Lightfoot, J.T, Hubal, M.J. and Stephen M. Roth (Eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Sport and Exercise Systems Genetics. Oxon: Routledge, pp.463-474.

Rich, E. & Miah. A. (2016) Mobile, wearable and ingestible health technologies: towards a critical research agenda, Health Sociology Review, 26(1), 84-97.

Miah, A. (2015) Human Enhancement in Sport. Global Handbook on Bioethics, Springer Reference.

Miah, A. (2013) Justifying Human Enhancement: The Accumulation of Biocultural Capital, in More, M. & Vita More, N. (Eds) The Transhumanist Reader: Classical and Contemporary Essays on the Science, Technology, and Philosophy of the Human Future, Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Miah, A. (2012) Genetics & Sport: Bioethical Concerns, Recent Patents on DNA and Gene Sequences, 6(3), 197-202.

Miah, A. (2011) Ethical Issues Raised by Human Enhancements, in: Gonzalez, F. Ethics and Values for the 21st Century, BBVA Spain, 199-233 [Also in Spanish].

Miah, A. (2011) Bioethical Concerns in a Culture of Human Enhancement. In Bouchard, C. & Hoffman, E. Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine, Genetic and Molecular Aspects of Sport Performance. Lausanne, International Olympic Committee, 383-392.

Miah, A. & Rich, E. (2010) The Bioethics of Cybermedicalization, in Nayar, P. The New Media and Cybercultures Anthology, Wiley-Blackwell, 209-220.

Wackerage, H., Miah, A., Harris, R.C., Montgomery, H.E. and Williams, A.G. (2009) Genetic Research and Testing in Sport and Exercise Science: A review of the issues’, Journal of Sport Sciences, 27(11), 1109-1116

Miah, A. (2009) Human Enhancement in Performative Cultures, Annales de Philosophie, pp.171-192.

Miah, A. (2009) Human Enhancement: A Reply to Mehlman, Issues in Science and Technology, 5(4), 6-8.

Miah, A. (2008) Letter to Utopia: A Reply to Bostrom, Studies in Ethics, Law and Technology, 2(1), 1-6.

Miah, A. (2008) Engineering Greater Resilience or Radical Transhuman Enhancement, Studies in Ethics, Law and Technology, 2(1), 1-18.

Miah, A. (2007) Genetic Selection for Enhanced Health Characteristics, Journal of International Biotechnology Law, 4(6), 239-264.

Miah, A. (2007) Genetics, Bioethics & Sport, Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, 1(2), 146-158.

Miah, A. (2003) Be Very Afraid: Cyborg Athletes, Transhuman Ideals & Posthumanity, Journal of Evolution & Technology, 13(2), [Available from: http://www.jetpress.org/volume13/miah.html].

Recent Posts

"Creativity is at the heart of my approach to idea development and problem resolutions"

Over time, my relationship to art has evolved and this continues. Recently, I have found myself occupying curatorial roles in art science programmes within science festivals. I have also worked as an artist and creative lead on projects dealing with the material of science as a communication device. Also recently, I find myself making more films and exploring this practice, while retaining a core interest in photography. I am someone who feels strongly about documenting the world around me and so try to do the best I can to do this creatively and in a way that allows my own ideas to flourish in the most optimal conditions. Without artistic and creative practice, I don't think this is possible.

I've maintained a close relationship with the MA in Design Interactions at the RCA, for which I guest lecture once in a while and have collaborated on new biodesign works by some of its graduates. The most recent brief I worked on with the students related to the drone art project I am involved with from 2015-2016, which explores creative applications of drones.

In 2008, I became involved with the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT) in Liverpool, during its 'Human Futures' year. I ended up edited one of their most ambitious publications, called Human Futures: Art in an Age of Uncertainty from start to finish with 6 months (pictures below). It was a marathon and a sprint all at once. I then became closely intwined with one of its offshoots, Abandon Normal Devices, for which I have worked since its inception. I was also part of the community that developed its intellectual journey in its early years.

Through these links, I have been involved with a range of other artist initiatives and communities. I was on the Executive Committee for the International Symposium on Electronic Arts in Belfast during 2009 and Co-Chair of the Media Art Histories conference in Liverpool during 2011. I'm also a member of the Technical Committee for the Cultural Utilization of Outer Space, part of the International Astronautical Federation.

Together, all of these relationships inform and are informed by my interest in how science and technology are changing what it is to be human. This is the single thread running through all of my work and I work with artists and designers to explore these dimensions.

Photography

I guess I'm a child of the digital era of photography. I purchased a Canon 5D mk II in 2010, which was the first serious camera I have owned.

At this point, I had decided that I wanted to invest much more into photography as an artistic outlet and it really brings me a lot of joy. I am lucky enough to know some truly remarkable photographs, such as Kris Krug, Ed Alcock and, through Olympic connections, Anthony Edgar, Bob Martin, Nick Didlick, and Gary Hershorn. While there is a lot to be worried about in terms of professional photography and how it is affected by the proliferation of pro-amateurs, I think all new innovation leads to challenging creative skillsets and think this is something of a golden age of photography.

Film

In recent years, film making has become an interest for me and I've really got used to being behind a camera, shooting and editing. Here's one recent creative work, which focuses on some of my research around drone technologies.

Curating

Since around 2005, I've situated my work within artistic contexts.

From 2006 to 2016, I was a guest contributor to the remarkable Master Degree at the Royal College of Art called Design Interactions, which was led by Tony Dunne and Fiona Raby, two extraordinary and lovely people. This community of designers and artists have been a huge influence on my approach to working creatively and nicely interfaced with another core part of my creative development which was alongside the Foundation of Art and Creative Technology - FACT - in Liverpool.

I was appointed a Fellow of FACT in 2006 and have worked with its Director Professor Mike Stubbs and its wider entourage of creatives, many of whom have become close friends. Around 2008, I became involved with the foundation of the Abandon Normal Devices festival, having worked closely with Mike, Debbi Lander, and Gabrielle Jenks in producing this new event around the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad period. Working with these organizations has shaped my understanding of curating and working as an artist and allowed me to step into new roles.

LATEST

I have been investigating the Olympics for over 17 years, focusing on the media, culture, politics, and the doping debate within the Olympic Movement.

I have published 3 books on the Olympic Games, the first "The Basics" provides an overview of key, contemporary issues and historical influences particularly interested in the way that the Olympics commands global political attention and the values upon which it is based, which articulate its role as an international social movement. These include chapters on how the Olympics transcend sports, engaging us with a range of contemporary philosophical, social, cultural and political matters, including:

• peace development and diplomacy

• management and economics

• corruption, terror and activism

• the rise of human enhancement

• ethics and environmentalism. 

The second book looks at Social Media and the Olympics, while my latest book 'Sport 2.0' (MIT Press, 2017) considers how journalism has evolved in the digital age and how it changes what we know about the games. It covers the emerging world of eSports and includes a covers such areas as social media, virtual reality, and citizen journalism.

Besides studying the broad dimensions of the Olympic programme, I have conducted fieldwork at every winter and summer Olympics since Sydney 2000 working often as an accredited journalist.

My most recent Olympic role is as the social media mentor for the International Olympic Committee Young Reporters programme, which involved taking 35 trainees to the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games to learn how to be an Olympic journalist. 

I was also a supervising Professor at the International Olympic Academy, spent time researching at the IOC Olympic Studies Centre in Lausanne and saw shot putt at the Ancient Stadium of Olympia during the Athens 2004 Olympics.

I also recently led and delivered a new IOC Massive Open Online Course on Sports Media, which brought together some of the world's best media pros.

Recent Posts

"i have always been passionate about the promise of science... "

...but its beauty is often lost amidst the politics and problems we encounter in getting science done. Whether it’s the battle to ensure that science informs policy, or the challenge to find funding for our work, there are always obstacles to pursuing fascinating questions. This is why science communication is so important to me. Finding new, creative ways to engage with scientific research before it goes too far down a road that we don't want is a crucial part of what the science industries need to be doing. We're still searching for the ideal route to bring society deeper into the science industries and this is why research into science communication and public engagement is so crucial. One of the ways I try to do this work is by giving public lectures at science festivals, which are a great opportunity to exchange ideas about the direction of science and some of the ethical issues society faces as a result of its pursuit.

The video below tells the story of one recent project I was involved with, which brought debates about human enhancement to a youth theatre group.

Recent Posts

My studies of media culture  began during my PhD and focused on questions concerning digital space. at the time, the internet was just taking off...

and it was already apparent that the Internet was changing the way we communicated. A lot of the early debates back in the 1990s were keen to investigate how we would all change as a result and I was fascinated by those kinds of questions. I still am.

Over the years, I have investigated a range of topics in this area, from studies of ethnicity, computer games, and issues of health and cybermedicine. Most recently, my attention has turned to the rise of social media, citizen journalism, esport, and the transformative potential of relocating media production away from media organizations back into society. I am also working on the growing area of mobile health technologies and, more widely, wearable technologies and the Internet of Things. Around 2013-2014, I was a Google Glass Explorer and made a bunch of films at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, which showed its potential.

I am also an avid, amateur digital designer and dedicated netizen. I started working on websites in the late 1990s and have continued to learn new software over the years. I believe that having a web presence is crucial for an academic to reach more people with their research. Also, I think it is difficult to know which critical questions matter about life online, if you don't spend much time there. I've experimented with many platforms over the years and tend to create accounts in places that I think are up-and-coming. I have found that the process of designing presentations and websites becomes an integral part of the research process I go through when initiating a project or beginning to write.

Recent Posts

Questions of social justice, morality and ethics pervade nearly everything I write about.

Whether it is the ethics of social media or of human enhancement, what matters to me is the degree to which science and technological culture alters humanity's conditions for the better or worse.

As a philosopher, I am compelled by the premise that our ability to think clearly about moral concepts is crucial in order for us to get right most things within our society. This doesn't mean that philosophy has all of the answers, far from it, but if we fail to get the philosophy right at the beginning, then anything else that follows is likely to be left wanting.

For instance, as one begins to consider the policy implications of emerging technologies, it quickly becomes apparent how a range of moral perspectives must be identified and accommodated to promote effective solutions. This requires philosophers to assist in making good arguments that can lead to good policies, even when sometimes issues are so complex as to frustrate any suitable resolution.

Most of the website posts I have made on ethics focus on bioethics, which is the core contribution I have made in this area. However, if you search more generally for ethics within the site, you will find a range of work.

Recent Posts

The ethics of outer space extends from my work in bioethics and the philosophy of technology more broadly.

The growth of the European Space Agency and the convergent area that spaces ethics is, provides a very interesting environment through which to study the ethics of emerging technlogies. "At the core of NASA's future space exploration is a return to the moon, where we will build a sustainable long term human presence." (NASA Website, 2009). In 2008, I gave a talk at the International Astronautical Federation Congress and in 2015, I contributed to a panel debate at the UK Space Conference. My interests in this area are in the governance and ethics of space.