Dementia Researcher Blogs

Kate Turley narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. In her first blog for Dementia Researcher, Kate shares her unique journey and insights from working at the intersection of industry and academia. Starting as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) associate, Kate faced the challenging yet rewarding task of bridging the gap between a lighting design company and university research teams...

Dr Anna Volkmer , narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. Anna's blog offers an insightful and relatable journey through the ups and downs of her grant application experiences. In this candid review Anna discusses the challenging and often disheartening world of academic funding. She shares her experiences of applying for various grants and awards, including the intricacies involved in...

Dr Sam Moxon , narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. 2023 marks a pivotal year in the evolution of public understanding of dementia. In this blog Sam explores some of the key news that sits at the heart of this transformation. Sam discusses the breakthroughs and challenges faced in dementia research, emphasising the importance of community awareness and scientific advances. He sheds l...

Ajantha Abey narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. Embarking on a PhD is a monumental journey, not only in its execution but also in its initiation. Ajantha's blog is a treasure trove of insights and guidance, illuminating the path to a successful PhD journey. Drawing from personal experiences and an insider's view from the graduate studies committee at Oxford, Ajantha unravels the co...

Dr Gaia Brezzo narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. Whether you're a seasoned educator or about to deliver your first lecture, this blog offers invaluable tips and personal experiences to enhance your teaching approach. Gaia goes into the intricacies of making lectures engaging, avoiding common pitfalls, and utilising effective teaching aids. From planning and content arrangement to...

Dr Kamar Ameen-Ali narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog Kamar explores the delicate balance between seizing opportunities and setting boundaries. Discover her journey from a PhD student to a lecturer, and learn the art of saying "no" to opportunities that don't align with personal and professional growth. This blog offers a unique perspective on managing workload and avo...

Dr Aitana Sogorb-Esteve, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In this blog Aitana explores the latest advancements in biofluid-based biomarkers for dementia research, sharing highlights from the recent ISTAART Biofluid Based Biomarkers PIA Year in Review Meeting. The 2023 highlights include detailed discussions on proteomics, plasma biomarkers, and innovative protein ass...

Emily Spencer, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Join Emily, a PhD student and new mother, in her compelling blog. In this insightful piece, she shares her unique experience of balancing doctoral research in dementia with the joys and challenges of motherhood. Emily candidly addresses the complexities of gendered expectations and the evolution of her identity, offerin...

Hannah Hussain narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. Explore the crucial intersection of economics and dementia in Hannah's insightful blog, "The Economics of Dementia." As a PhD student at The University of Sheffield, Hannah explores the escalating costs associated with dementia in the UK, projected to soar from £25 billion in 2021 to an astonishing £47 billion by 2050. This blog goe...

Rebecca Williams, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Experience the magic of neuroscience this holiday season with Rebecca's blog. In a heartwarming tale set against the backdrop of Christmas morning, discover the fascinating world of Magnetoencephalography, or MEG, as it unveils the secrets of the brain's inner workings. Join the journey as Rebecca takes you through th...

Dr Connor Richardson narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog, Connor shares his eventful year in dementia research at Newcastle. Highlighting his professional journey, he reflects on securing an NIHR Fellowship, contributing to important publications, and engaging in global conferences like #AAIC23 in Amsterdam. Amidst these achievements, Connor also opens up about personal...

Dr Jodi Watt, narrating a new blog they wrote for the Dementia Researcher website. Jodi shares personal experiences and practical advice on navigating the holiday season after a family member is diagnosed with dementia. Reflecting on cherished traditions with their gran in Scotland, Jodi highlights the profound impact of dementia on family celebrations. They offer thoughtful strategies to adapt an...

Dr Clarissa Giebel narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. Clarissa invites listeners into a world of festive tranquility and thoughtful retrospection. She beautifully intertwines her personal experiences, from decorating with Manchester Christmas Markets mugs to recalling her extensive travels and professional accomplishments. Clarissa's narrative transcends the ordinary, detailing her...

Beth Eyre  narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. Beth reflects on her nearly one-year experience as a post-doc, highlighting the lack of control in research projects, the significant responsibilities of the role, the never-ending tasks, the importance of time management, and the constant uncertainty of what's next in an academic career.... Sound familiar? She acknowledges the dynamic...

Dr Yvonne Couch , narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In her blog, Yvonne tackles the issue of academic burnout, drawing from her personal experiences and insights from the podcast 'No Stupid Questions'. She discusses her own misconceptions about burnout, initially viewing it as extreme exhaustion, and discovers her potential vulnerability to it through self-assessment a...

Rebecca Williams, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In her blog, Rebecca delves into the challenges of academic burnout, recounting her personal experiences of exhaustion and lack of motivation in her research role. She reflects on the irony of academic flexibility, highlighting how this often translates to extended working hours rather than genuine work-life balance....

Dr Anna Volkmer , narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. Anna's blog explores the vital role of feedback in academic growth. Reflecting on her personal experiences with learning challenges, Volkmer underscores the importance of embracing feedback, despite its potential difficulty. She categorises feedback types and emphasises the necessity of using constructive criticism for personal a...

Dr Sam Moxon , narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this insightful blog, Sam Moxon discusses the surprising silver lining in the link between obesity and dementia. While highlighting the concerning rise in dementia cases due to lifestyle factors, Sam offers a message of empowerment. He argues that understanding the role of obesity in dementia is not just alarming, but also an opp...

Emily Spencer, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Emily is a second-year PhD student at University College London (and our newest staff blogger), in this blog she provide an intorudction, sharing her unconventional academic journey and experiences as a researcher and soon-to-be parent. Growing up as the 'academic' one in a large family, Emily's route to academia was no...

Dr Clarissa Giebel narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. Clarissa's blog emphasises the crucial role of mentors throughout various stages of a research career, from PhD students to senior leaders. Clarissa highlights the benefits of mentorship in offering career guidance, new ideas, and a chance to reflect on one's path with the insight of experienced academics. She suggests seeking m...

Dr Jodi Watt, narrating a new blog they wrote for the Dementia Researcher website. Jodi's blog critically examines tokenism in academia, highlighting its impact on individuals with intersectional identities. She argues that showcasing underrepresented groups as a facade of inclusivity fails to bring about real systemic change, placing undue mental burden on those treated as tokens. This practice n...

Hannah Hussain narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. Hannah's blog addresses the intricacies of statistical mapping, a technique essential to her work investigating the differences in quality of life assessments for people living with dementia as reported by themselves and their proxies. She discusses her approach to quantitative analysis and the challenges she faced in understanding...

Dr Anna Volkmer , narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. Anna details her evolution from a Speech and Language Therapist to a PhD supervisor, highlighting her unique approach to supervising students. With a background rich in clinical experience, she applies strategies akin to coaching, emphasising reflective questioning and empathic listening. This helps supervisees develop their own...

Rebecca Williams, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In this blog Rebecca explores the challenges of using p-values in statistics, comparing their anxiety-inducing nature to horror movie jump scares. Critiquing the arbitrary 0.05 significance threshold, it suggests this leads to false results. Rebecca promotes Bayesian statistics as a more intuitive alternative, offerin...

Dr Sam Moxon , narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. Sam's blog addresses the familiar struggle of feeling overwhelmed by work, particularly in demanding fields like academia, industrial research, and medicine. He candidly shares his own experiences with managing a heavy workload, including sorting multiple papers and dealing with grant deadlines, while trying to maintain lab research...