Dementia Researcher Blogs

Rahul Sidhu, narrating a new blog he wrote for the Dementia Researcher website. In this blog, Rahul reflects on his experience of imposter syndrome throughout his research career, from early lab work to PhD study. He describes the anxiety of feeling less capable than those around you, the pressure of comparisons within research groups, and the fear of asking questions or making mistakes. Rahul exp...

Dr Ajantha Abey narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog, Ajantha shares how they went from being deeply uncomfortable speaking in front of others to actively enjoying giving talks about their research. Starting with childhood stage fright and a stutter, the story traces a gradual shift through unexpected leadership in university sport, repeated practice presenting research,...

Dr Peter Connelly narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog, Peter compares academically led and commercially sponsored clinical trials, outlining how they differ in goals, recruitment expectations, intensity, monitoring and funding. Drawing on personal experience, he highlights unrealistic recruitment projections, contrasts study cultures, and reflects on the professional re...

Dr Kamar Ameen-Ali narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog, Kam revisits a theme she first explored three years ago: the difference between supervision and mentorship in academia. Drawing on her journey to becoming a primary PhD supervisor, she explores structural barriers facing early career researchers, the funding realities that delay independence, and the risk of blurri...

Dr Clíona Farrell, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. After finishing her PhD and a short postdoc extension, Clíona took a five month career break to travel across Asia before starting a new postdoctoral role at UCL. In this blog, she reflects on the emotional and practical challenges of stepping away from academia, the privilege and uncertainty of taking time out, and...

Emily Spencer, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Emily reflects on a lifelong struggle with perfectionism and how it shapes her learning, work, and wellbeing. Through personal stories spanning school, sport, previous employment, and her PhD, she explores the tension between striving for high standards and recognising when doing less may actually be the wiser and healt...

Dr Gemma Lace, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In this blog, Gemma explores the reality of attending academic conferences as an introvert or neurodivergent researcher. She reflects on her own experiences with imposter syndrome, conference anxiety and social overwhelm, while offering practical strategies to help researchers build confidence and gain meaningful profess...

Professor Louise Serpell, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In this opening post, Louise Serpell traces her journey through Alzheimer’s research, beginning as a shy PhD student and moving through decades of scientific discovery, mentorship, and persistence. She reflects on finding her scientific home in protein misfolding and amyloid structure, the beauty of X ray fibr...

Dr Becky Carlyle, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In this candid blog, Becky reflects on the reality of feeling overwhelmed during a demanding stage of an academic career. She describes the competing pressures of grant writing, teaching, leadership roles, family life and supporting research teams, while still finding joy in discovery and mentoring. Becky shares pract...

Dr Yvonne Couch , narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. This blog explores how storytelling strengthens science communication across papers, presentations, and public engagement. Yvonne reflects on lessons from podcasts, conferences, and outreach work to show how understanding your audience can transform how research is shared. Drawing on personal experiences and examples...

Dr Emma Law, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Clinical trials in dementia rely on carefully designed safeguards to protect participants and ensure treatments are tested responsibly. Emma Law explains how safety is built into every stage of a trial, from ethical recruitment and consent to screening processes, monitoring, and staff training. In this blog Emma highlight...

Rahul Sidhu, narrating a new blog he wrote for the Dementia Researcher website. We're pleased to welcome Rahul as a new regular contributor to the Dementia Researcher blog. In this post Rahul reflects on his route into neuroscience, from early uncertainty and academic setbacks to finding purpose through dementia research. He shares how personal experience, persistence, and discovery in the lab sha...

Dr Sam Moxon , narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog, Sam reflects on the reality of Lewy body dementia through both his research background and his experience caring for his grandfather. He explores why LBD is so difficult to diagnose, how symptoms fluctuate, and how families are often left without clarity or closure. The piece speaks to the emotional weight of uncertain...

Adam Smith narrates his post from the Dementia Researcher Community. In this post Adam reflects on conversations with carers who support people experiencing hallucinations, particularly in Lewy body dementia. Drawing on real encounters, he explores the uncertainty, emotional labour, and isolation that often sit beneath everyday care, and why awareness and shared understanding matter. Find the orig...

Ajantha Abey narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog Ajantha reflects on why Lewy body disease deserves far greater attention within dementia research. Drawing on their journey from Alzheimer’s focused tau research into synuclein pathology, the blog explores co occurring disease, diagnostic challenges, biomarker advances, and why understanding overlap across conditions is e...

Dr Peter Connelly narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog Peter explores how dementia with Lewy bodies can present very differently from other dementias, particularly in its early stages. Drawing on clinical experience, he outlines key features including sleep disturbance, hallucinations, movement changes, and fluctuating attention, and explains how careful observation duri...

Rebecca Williams, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In this blog, Rebecca reflects on nearly three years of blogging during her PhD and how writing regularly changed her confidence, communication skills, and sense of voice as a researcher. She shares early doubts about not being a good writer, the gradual development of her writing process, and the unexpected impact he...

Dr Lindsey Sinclair  narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog, Lindsey reflects on what stepping outside a long held academic home taught her about confidence, career identity, and progression. Drawing on her move from Bristol to Southampton after time in Brisbane, she explores the emotional, practical, and professional realities of changing institution, and how the shift he...

Dr Sam Moxon , narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog Sam reflects on his move from academia into running a university spinout and what that shift has taught him about the role of business in dementia research. He explains why funding decisions, investor confidence, and commercial risk shape which ideas progress and which fall away. Using recent industry examples, he explo...

Dr Kamar Ameen-Ali narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog, Kam shares a personal account of discovering that content from one of her grant applications had been accessed and reused without permission. She explains the emotional and professional impact of the experience, the steps she took to establish what had happened, and the wider issues this raises about intellectual p...

Adam Smith narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. On UCAS deadline day, Adam reflects on how careers are often imagined as fixed destinations rather than evolving journeys. Drawing on his own experience, he explores how sideways moves, pauses, and apparent detours are usually acts of persistence rather than failure. The blog challenges the myth of linear progress in academia and resear...

Emily Spencer, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In this blog, Emily reflects on the quieter strain of doing a PhD while juggling work, parenting, and limited support. She writes openly about feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and out of step with peers, and how those feelings began to shape her confidence. Through a small but meaningful moment of connection with another...

Dr Tom Russ narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog, Tom reflects on how dementia has traditionally been treated and researched within different medical specialties. Drawing on his experience in old age psychiatry, he considers the strengths and limits of neurology, geriatrics, and psychiatry, and argues that dementia care works best when these disciplines collaborate rathe...

Dr Sam Moxon , narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog, Sam Moxon reflects on the discomfort many people feel when working in public spaces like trains or coffee shops. Drawing on British social norms and his own experience, he challenges the idea that working on the move is performative or attention seeking. Instead, he argues that flexible working can support focus, creat...

Gemma Lace, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Gemma joins our lineup of regular bloggers, and in this first post Gemma explores the moments that shaped her journey from a first in family student to Associate Dean and dementia researcher. She describes the triggers that guided her choices, from a desire to help others to a commitment to equity, inspiration, mentoring an...