Top award for Masud Husain

Festival speaker, neurologist Masud Husain, has won the 2025 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize for his book Our Brains, Our Selves: What a Neurologist’s Patients Taught Him About the Brain.

The prize exists to bridge the divide between science and the public, championing non-fiction books that use captivating narratives to open science to a wider audience.

Husain’s book stood out to the judges for its combination of storytelling, cutting-edge science told in an engaging way, and for its humanity.

In a style reminiscent of the late Oliver Sacks, Husain explores how the brain shapes our identity, and what happens when this identity is disrupted by neurological disorders.

Dr Sandra Knapp FRS, chair of the 2025 judging panel, said: “Throughout the seven stories of his patients, Husain perfectly balances compassionate and deeply empathetic narratives with clear and expert detail of the inner workings of the brain.

“Even when the science is complex, you never forget that these are not simply case studies, they are real people.”

Masud Husain is in conversation with Dr Lucy Pollock on Monday 20 October at 6pm.