Research Stories

In this episode, Professor Jaime Toney discusses systems thinking, climate adaptation and the partnerships behind Glasgow's efforts to become a thriving, resilient city. The conversation explores how universities can help connect people, organisations and ideas to create meaningful change.  This episode is for researchers at every stage of their journey, from PhD students and research assistants t...

Prof Neil McDonnell discusses philosophy, virtual reality, digital ownership, immersive technologies and the partnerships helping shape the future of culture, technology and innovation.    In this episode:   How Neil’s philosophical questions led to research on virtual reality. Whether virtual objects are truly real and why that matters. Digital ownership and value in virtual spaces. Museums in th...

 “Where other people see problems, I see challenges.” – Manlio Tassieri  Dr Manlio Tassieri discusses his journey into rheology and microrheology, and explains how industry collaboration can drive scientific discovery.    In this episode:  Using optical tweezers to study materials at microscopic scales. Why curiosity is central to scientific discovery. Working with Soapworks through a Knowledge Tr...

Professor Melanie Simms discusses her work at the intersection of employment relations, labour market policy and the future of work. She explains how evidence informs decision-making, why collaboration matters, and how researchers can help shape policies that affect millions of workers.    In this episode  The future of work and how technological change affects workers and employers. Why collectiv...

Professor Chris Halsey discusses the evolution of childhood leukaemia treatment, the search for kinder and gentler therapies, and the partnerships that make progress possible.   In this episode: Advances in childhood leukaemia treatment and survival rates. New approaches to drug delivery. Immunotherapy and personalised cancer treatments. The role of multidisciplinary clinical teams in supporting c...

Featuring Professor Naveed Sattar, Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine and Honorary Consultant, University of Glasgow  Summary  Professor Naveed Sattar discusses weight loss drugs, the role of curiosity in scientific discovery, the importance of challenging accepted ideas, and how evidence-based research shapes healthcare policy. Drawing on decades of work in diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular...

Professor Qammer H. Abbasi, Professor of Applied Electromagnetics & Sensing, James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow. How close are we to a future where nano sensors inside the human body can detect disease before symptoms appear? Or where holograms can be “teleported” with all five senses intact?  This episode features Professor Qammer Abbasi, whose research explores body-cent...

Nicola McEwen, Professor of Public Policy and Governance, Director of the Centre for Public Policy, University of Glasgow How does impartial research shape real-world decisions? Nick Bruce sits down with Professor Nicola McEwen, Director of the Centre for Public Policy and a leading expert on territorial politics and multi-level governance, to demystify how evidence informs government without taki...

Professor Jude Robinson, Professor in Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow.  Social Anthropologist Professor Jude Robinson sits down to discuss her work examining how peri-urban communities in Kenya can access safer water. Jude is passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration, without which her work wouldn’t be possible. In this conversation she explains how this works in practice, the c...

Professor Nicol Keith, Professor of Molecular Oncology, University of Glasgow In this episode, Professor of Molecular Oncology Nicol Keith reflects on his career so far and gets candid about successes, failures, and lessons learned along the way. Our conversation goes deep into Nicol’s passion for interdisciplinary collaboration and how it has influenced his work. We also talk creative stamina, pr...

Mia Perry, Professor of Arts and Literacies in Education, University of Glasgow In this episode, Mia chronicles how she went from studying Theatre and Russian Studies to a career in pedagogical research, and how her background is woven into her current work. She explains her work with the Sustainable Futures in Africa Network and explores the ethical dilemmas of operating in a complex modern resea...

Christina Young, Professor of Conservation and Technical Art History, University of Glasgow. Art Conservator Professor Christina Young explains how her background in physics informs her work in art conservation, and how she uses technology to reveal the hidden histories of artworks. She explains why this work is important, offering a fascinating glimpse into the world of “hidden things” and helpin...