Kate Bingham is a bio-tech venture capitalist brought in to lead the government’s vaccine taskforce in 2020. She was one of the most prominent figures in the handling of the pandemic in the UK, taking the lessons learnt from her six-month period leading the task force as critical reflection on how health crises can be better handled at present and in the future. Awarded a DBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 2021, she is committed to the battle against disease, and is joined by Fiona Fox, Science Media Centre Chief Executive, to discuss her work, challenges, and hopes for the future.