Disruptive Voices from UCL Grand Challenges

In this special episode for Mental Health Awareness Week, host Siobhan Morris is joined by UCL academics Patrizia Pezzoli and Rochelle Burgess to discuss an innovative project focused on promoting safe adolescent relationships and tackling intimate partner violence (IPV) among young people. With research showing that nearly half of teenagers in romantic relationships have experienced violent or co...

In this episode, host Jade Hunter delves into Grand Challenges-funded project, Visible CoSpace Study - a youth-led, co-produced study aimed at addressing the health inequalities faced by young people from marginalised communities.     Joined by project co-leads Dr Keri Wong and Dr Lusi Morhayim , the discussion uncovers the critical role of youth clubs and community spaces in supporting the mental...

In this episode, host Jade Hunter is joined by UCL Professor of Anthropology, Jo Cook, to explore AnthropoloJOY, an ambitious project examining how joy is experienced, expressed and understood across different cultures. AnthropoloJOY is the first long-term qualitative research project of its kind, investigating what joy means in the UK and beyond. Professor Cook shares how the absence of joy durin...

In this episode, Jade Hunter explores a pioneering Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) project focused on early detection and support for university students. Joined by Dr Georgina Krebs, Dr Thomas Kador and Dr Thomas Osborn, the conversation highlights a Grand Challenges-funded project developing scalable digital tools to identify BDD symptoms and deliver accessible interventions. Co-designed with stu...

In this episode, Jade Hunter explores the Grand Challenge-funded project "Embodying the Social: ‘The Challenge of Urban Violence and Inequalities in the Era of the Exposome’ with the project’s co-leads: Professor Sahra Gibbon, Rosie Mathers, and Professor James Kirkbride. This interdisciplinary research initiative brings together experts from anthropology, epidemiology, and psychiatry to investiga...

In this episode, host Ethne James Souch speaks with Professor Mette Louise Berg, Dr Judith Spirig, Faith Nyamakanga, and Nelson Gomez about the lived realities of asylum housing in the UK, and the wider political and policy landscape that shapes them. Drawing from a Grand Challenges-funded participatory research project focused on asylum dispersal areas in Yorkshire, the episode explores how narra...

In this episode, host Ethne James Souch is joined by Professor Sara Mole, Noël Caliste, and Dr Sinead Murphy to explore how UCL is fostering inclusion and equity through intersectional initiatives focused on protected characteristics, mental health, and institutional change. This conversation highlights the work of Grand Challenges-funded projects such as Safer Space Conversations and Heads Togeth...

In the first episode of our Inequalities mini-series, host Ethne James Souch is joined by Prof Jessica Ringrose, Dr Marc Tibber, and Sophie Wilson to delve into the complex intersection of social media, mental health, and regulation. The conversation spans topics from online safety and digital literacy to phone bans in schools and the lived experiences of neurodivergent communities. It explores ho...

In the fourth episode of our Mental Health & Wellbeing mini-series, host Jade Hunter is joined by UCL's Pro-Vice Provosts for Mental Health & Wellbeing, Professors Essi Viding and Argyris Stringaris to discuss the findings of a significant new survey conducted in partnership with YouGov.  This survey, which gathered responses from 1,545 young adults aged 16 to 25, sheds light on the pressi...

In the third episode of our Mental Health & Wellbeing mini-series, host Jade Hunter speaks with Dr Flaminia Ronca, Evie Watson, and Katie Sykes about the Active Minds Project at UCL, an innovative pilot exploring how students’ physical activity and lifestyle habits impact their mental wellbeing and cognitive function.   Through wearable technology and behavioural insights, the team is working...

In the second episode of our Mental Health and Wellbeing mini-series, host Jade Hunter sits down with Professor Hugo Spiers, Dr Fiona Zisch, and Isabelle Charval,  the trailblazing team behind the world’s first international centre for neuroarchitecture and neurodesign. Together, they delve into how neuroscience and the built environment are converging to shape healthier, more inclusive spaces for...

In this special episode for Mental Health Awareness Week, host Jade Hunter is joined by Professor John Tomaney, Dr. Dimitrios Panayotopoulos-Tsiros, and James Fildes, founder of Space North East. Together, they explore a growing public health crisis: rising rates of male suicide in the UK, particularly in post-industrial regions like the North East. This conversation examines how non-clinical, com...

Dr Meena Khatwa and Dr Kelly Dickson delve into the bio-psychosocial impacts of menopause with special guests Lauren Chiren (CEO, Women of a Certain Stage); Sonia Abrams (UCL Head of Events OPVA) and Josephine Falade (Associate Professor, UCL School of Pharmacy). Together, they explore menopause awareness, acceptance, and the transition process.  This podcast is part of the wider UCL Grand Challen...

Join us in this special episode as we explore UCL's evolved Grand Challenge: Data-Empowered Societies. In this podcast, you’ll hear from UCL staff about the transformative potential of this Grand Challenge, ethical data practices, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. This episode features UCL colleagues, including: • Prof. Allison Littlejohn, Professor of Learning Technology and...

In this episode, Professor Nick Tyler (Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering, UCL Engineering) shares his vision of how cities are built, evolve, and how this process might include more creativity and humanity. Using perspectives from academia and the arts, Professor Tyler paints a picture of cities that puts people at the centre.

In this episode, Dr Mine Orlu (UCL School of Pharmacy) shares her positive perspective on ageing, and explains the need for a cultural change in ageing research and policy. She also shares some learning from actively involving participants in her own research and the outputs they have co-created. You can find out more and access the transcript here: Uclsound – Disruptive-voices-celebrating-old-age

In this episode, we speak to Dr Marina Romanello and Professor Ilan Kelman, about climate change as a health disaster. We discuss how to better measure the impact of climate change on health, and crucially, how to protect the most vulnerable from its negative effects. Our guests also propose alternative framings to achieve the best health and prosperity for all in the future. Music: Dancing on the...

In Episode 4, we speak to Ayşe Lisa Allison, a PhD Student working with the Plastic Waste Innovation Hub. We explore some of the barriers to environmentally friendly action, and examine the links between behavioural science and design, focusing on biodegradable and compostable packaging and labelling. We also discuss the issue of disposable healthcare items, exploring some of the trade-offs when i...

In this episode, we speak to Professor Sophia Psarra (The Bartlett School of Architecture) to discuss how the architecture of parliament buildings across Europe influences the nature of political debates and contributes to shaping national identities. More info: www.ucl.ac.uk/grand-challenges/c…d-democracy-europe Music: Dancing on the Sidewalk by David Szesztay (social media license) Find out more...

In this series, guests from across UCL and beyond share their innovative solutions and ideas for addressing societal challenges, discussing topics from a cross-disciplinary perspective and inspiring and encouraging us to think differently about issues of local, national, and global concern. In this week’s episode, Professor Rose Luckin (UCL Institute of Education) and Nimmi Patel (TechUK) discuss...

In this series, guests from across UCL and beyond share their innovative solutions and ideas for addressing societal challenges, discussing topics from a cross-disciplinary perspective and inspiring and encouraging us to think differently about issues of local, national and global concern. -- In Episode 1, we speak to two academics from the Faculty of Laws, Dr Myriam Hunter-Henin and Professor Phi...