Prof Kevin McConway

Who Prof Kevin McConway is

Prof Kevin McConway is Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics at the Open University, where he taught and researched statistics until retiring in 2016. He works on applications of statistics in biological and medical sciences, and on the representation of risk and uncertainty. He was academic adviser to BBC Radio 4's 'More or Less' for eleven years and is a Trustee and member of the Advisory Committee of the Science Media Centre. He served as Vice-President for Academic Affairs of the Royal Statistical Society and was lead author of the chapter on measurement and communication of health risks from pollution in the 2017 Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer for England. During the COVID-19 pandemic he was a member of the Public Data Advisory Group, which advised the Cabinet Office on public understanding of data.

References for this biography

1. 1.Kevin McConway | Compassion in World Farming International — Establishes role as Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics at the Open University; RSS Vice-Presidency; CMO 2017 report authorship; BBC More or Less advisory role; Science Media Centre trusteeship; educational background at Cambridge, UCL and Open University
2. 2.Kevin McConway – National Press Foundation — Confirms role, BBC More or Less advisory role for 11 years, Science Media Centre trustee and advisory committee membership, journalism training activities
3. 3.Kevin McConway – The Conversation — Confirms role as Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics at the Open University; work on statistics in biological and medical sciences and risk/uncertainty; X handle @kjm2
4. 4.Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer 2017: Health Impacts of All Pollution — Confirms McConway as chapter author on measurement and communication of health risks from pollution in the 2017 CMO Annual Report for England
5. 5.Expert reaction to ONS COVID-19 Infection Survey | Science Media Centre — Confirms membership of the Public Data Advisory Group advising the Cabinet Office on public understanding of pandemic data; Science Media Centre trustee role
6. 6.Expert reaction to study on ultra-processed food and lung cancer risk | Science Media Centre — Confirms active press commentary on health statistics as Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics, The Open University
7. 7.Kevin McConway – Centre for Investigative Journalism — Confirms retirement in 2016, BBC More or Less advisory role, Science Media Centre trusteeship, and interest in health and environment statistics in media
8. 8.Milton Keynes campus | About The Open University — Confirms The Open University headquarters at Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA

Notable achievements

• Lead author of the chapter on measurement and communication of health risks from pollution in the 2017 Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer for England Source ↗
• Served as the first Vice President (Academic Affairs) of the Royal Statistical Society, 2012–2016 Source ↗
• Member of the Public Data Advisory Group advising the Cabinet Office on public understanding of COVID-19 data during the pandemic Source ↗
• Academic adviser to BBC Radio 4's 'More or Less' for eleven years Source ↗

What Prof Kevin McConway has said

• “This is an interesting attempt at modelling potential health effects of UPF consumption in one country (Canada) – but I really wouldn't want to put much trust in the detailed estimates it presents.”

  emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University · Heart disease & stroke · 10 Sept 2026 · Reducing ultra-processed foods could prevent thousands of heart disease deaths, study suggests ↗

• “dismissed the validity of the association's evidence”

  professor emeritus of applied statistics at the Open University · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Sunbed group in hot seat over false claims that tanned skin protects against sunburn ↗

• “the findings were interesting but further research would be needed”

  emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University · Cancer · 27 Aug 2026 · Sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time linked to higher risk of cancer death ↗

Where Prof Kevin McConway has been quoted

1. Cleaner air may help children's lungs grow, study suggestsbbc.co.uk · 30 Sept 2026
2. Reducing ultra-processed foods could prevent thousands of heart disease deaths, study suggeststheguardian.com · 10 Sept 2026
3. Sunbed group in hot seat over false claims that tanned skin protects against sunburntheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
4. Sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time linked to higher risk of cancer deaththeguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily citing them directly.

• Emergency stroke treatment now available 24/7BBC
• ‘It gave a lot of relief’: How guaranteed income changed one mother’s pregnancyCNN
• Metro Health’s Baby Buggy Walk and Health Expo spotlights infant mortalityWOAI

Contact & links

• LinkedInhttps://uk.linkedin.com/in/kevin-mcconway-a2697943
• Xhttps://x.com/kjm2published here ↗
• Staff pagehttp://stats-www.open.ac.uk/personal/km1.html
• Websitehttps://theconversation.com/profiles/kevin-mcconway-168074

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.