- The Goodwood Health Summit, presented by Randox Health, returns on Thursday 1 October 2026
- 2026 theme: Breathing and the Microbiome exploring how respiration influences human health
- Keynote speaker: James Nestor, bestselling author of Breath
- Host: Dr Chris van Tulleken, doctor, researcher and leading public health communicator
- The Summit will examine the links between breathing, the microbiome, immunity, inflammation and long-term health
- Positioned at the intersection of science, environment and public health, not a wellness trend conversation
- Live streamed globally from the Goodwood Estate, with a select in-person audience of policymakers, clinicians and experts
- Online tickets available via Eventbrite (£10 general admission)
Goodwood Estate has announced the return of the Goodwood Health Summit, presented by Randox Health, on Thursday 1 October 2026, with a pioneering new theme: Breathing and the Microbiome.
Positioned at the intersection of science, environment and public health, the 2026 Summit will explore a fundamental but often overlooked question: how the way we breathe shapes human health.
Breathing is not simply a biological function, but a primary mechanism through which humans interact with the environment. Emerging research suggests that respiratory patterns play a critical role in shaping the human microbiome; the complex ecosystem of microorganisms that underpins immunity, inflammation, metabolism and long-term health outcomes.
This is not a wellness trend conversation. The Goodwood Health Summit 2026 will take a rigorous, science-led approach to examining how breathing influences the body at a systems level and why it may represent one of the most underexplored frontiers in preventative health.
The Summit will explore how breathing shapes the microbial environments of the mouth, airways and gut, how modern living, from air quality and indoor lifestyles to stress and diet, may be altering the way we breathe and whether these shifts are contributing to the rise in chronic disease.
Bringing together leading voices from medicine, microbiome research, environmental health and public policy, the Summit will examine breath as a critical interface between human biology and the world around us and consider what this means for the future of both personal and public health.
James Nestor Announced as Headline Speaker
Leading the 2026 conversation will be James Nestor, the international bestselling author and journalist widely recognised for bringing respiratory science into mainstream discourse.
Nestor is the author of Breath, The New Science of a Lost Art, an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, that has sold more than three million copies worldwide and has been translated into 44 languages. His work explores how modern humans have lost the ability to breathe optimally and the far-reaching consequences this has for health.
An award-winning writer, Nestor has contributed to publications including Scientific American, Outside and The New York Times, and has spoken at leading institutions including Stanford Medical School, Yale School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and the United Nations.
Dr Chris van Tulleken Returns as the Goodwood Health Summit Host
The Summit will once again be hosted by Dr Chris van Tulleken, a doctor, scientist and leading voice in public health and the impact of modern lifestyles on the body.
An Associate Professor at University College London in the Division of Infection and Immunity, Dr van Tulleken specialises in infectious diseases and global health. He is widely known for his work in science communication, bringing complex medical and environmental health issues to mainstream audiences through television, radio, podcasts and bestselling books.
A Platform for Science, Dialogue and Change
The Goodwood Health Summit convenes a cross-sector audience of clinicians, scientists, policymakers, educators and campaigners, creating a space for meaningful dialogue and collaboration.
A select group of invited delegates will attend in person at Goodwood House on the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, while the Summit will be live streamed to a global online audience, ensuring broader access to the ideas shaping the future of health.
By bringing together expertise across disciplines, the Summit aims to move beyond awareness and towards action; fostering the insights, connections and conversations needed to influence policy, practice and long-term health outcomes.
“We’re delighted to present the Goodwood Health Summit, bringing together leading voices in science and health to explore the future of medicine. At Randox Health, we’re committed to advancing this conversation, particularly around the microbiome, which is one of the most exciting and fast-evolving areas in health. Events like this are vital for sharing knowledge and driving new thinking about how we understand and improve human health.”
Dr Peter Fitzgerald, Managing Director, Randox Health
