Cactus Communications (CACTUS)
Insights Xchange: Conversations Shaping Academic Research
Welcome to the Insights Xchange podcast, brought to you by Cactus Communications (CACTUS). Hosted by Nikesh Gosalia, this podcast is your guide to the world of research and academic publishing. Tune in to hear lively discussions with experts from the academic and publishing realms. Earlier known as All Things SciComm, the new series covers a variety of topics, from the latest trends in academic publishing to critical issues faced by researchers in an increasingly AI-driven world. Join us for insightful conversations and expert perspectives that will help you navigate the exciting world of aca...
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Cactus Communications (CACTUS)
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Podcast website
Latest episode
Apr 30, 2026
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Episodes
From Output to Experience: Why Content Retention Matters in Publishing 30.04.2026 42:25
In this episode of Insights XChange, Nikesh Gosalia is in conversation with Oliver Cocks, who works at the intersection of editorial strategy, product thinking and author experience at Springer Nature. Together, they explore how content retention is emerging as a key competitive strategy in publishing and what it takes to design more connected, efficient and author-centric publishing journeys. S...
Scholarly Publishing at Scale: Balancing Growth, Trust, and Sustainability 16.04.2026 55:34
In this episode of Insights XChange, Nikesh Gosalia is in conversation with David Crotty, Executive Director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. They discuss how scale, consolidation and evolving business models are reshaping scholarly publishing and why long-term sustainability will depend on balancing quality, trust and author needs. Social media links Nikesh Gosalia: https://www.linkedi...
What Comes Next for Academic Libraries? 19.03.2026 39:16
Doug Way, Dean of Libraries at the University of Kentucky, joins Nikesh Gosalia to unpack how academic libraries are evolving rethinking collections, metadata, AI and equity to better serve researchers, students, and communities in a time of constant change. Social media links Nikesh Gosalia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikeshgosalia/ https://x.com/NikeshGo Doug Way: https://www.linkedin.com/in/...
AI Readiness at Scale: Skills, Systems, and Strategic Leadership 11.03.2026 41:36
Tim Flagg, CEO of the UK AI Council, joins Nikesh Gosalia to unpack what AI readiness really means from everyday AI literacy and apprenticeships to leadership mindset, ethics, governance and the UK’s narrow window of opportunity to lead in 2026. Social media links Nikesh Gosalia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikeshgosalia/ https://x.com/NikeshGo Tim Flagg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timflagg/ Sho...
Building Adaptive Learning Ecosystems: Where Human Wisdom Meets Artificial Intelligence 29.10.2025 30:05
Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, Director of IIM Kozhikode, joins Nikesh Gosalia to explore how AI is transforming higher education from teaching and learning to research to leadership and ethics. With a blend of global experience and philosophical insight, he shares why adaptability matters more than AI-savviness, how to preserve human wisdom in a tech-driven world and what it takes to build truly adap...
The Next Chapter in Scholarly Publishing: Building an Equitable Open Access Future 15.10.2025 32:14
In this episode of Insights Xchange, Mandy Hill, Managing Director of Academic Publishing at Cambridge University Press, reflects on three decades in publishing and the accelerating shift toward open access. She discusses the Cambridge Open Equity Initiative, the role of journals and why equity must be central to the future of scholarly communication. Social media links Nikesh Gosalia: https://ww...
The Open Access Movement: Are We Truly Prepared for a New Paradigm in Scholarly Communication? 08.10.2025 38:50
A candid, clear-eyed look at open access with Colleen Campbell about how libraries are shifting from paying for reading to funding open publishing and why equity, transparency and author rights must anchor the transition. Social media links Nikesh Gosalia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikeshgosalia/ https://x.com/NikeshGo Colleen Campbell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenclairecampbell/ T...
As AI Redefines Research and Users Demand More, Can Scholarly Publishing Platforms Become Strategic Allies? 25.09.2025 57:04
In this thought-provoking episode, we sit down with Will Schweitzer, CEO of Silverchair, to explore the rapidly changing landscape of scholarly publishing platforms. With decades of experience spanning product leadership, publishing strategy, and platform innovation, Will offers an unfiltered look at the industry’s most pressing challenges—and where true opportunity lies. From the rise of non-huma...
Human-AI Collaboration in Editorial Workflows: A Framework for Responsible Innovation 18.09.2025 50:59
AI is rapidly changing the landscape of scholarly publishing—from detecting image manipulation and plagiarism to assisting with reviewer matching and assessing statistical rigor. But as these tools become more embedded in editorial workflows, they also raise serious questions around bias, transparency, and ethical oversight. In this episode, Dr. Chhavi Chauhan—a scientist, ethicist, and global voi...
Responsible Peer Review: Building Systems That Work 15.09.2025 44:06
This episode of Insights XChange dives deep into the evolving landscape of peer review and the responsibility publishers carry in building systems that are fair, fast, and future-ready. Guest Lucy Threadgold, Peer Review Manager at Emerald Publishing, shares how Emerald revamped its reviewer pools, introduced structured feedback systems, and is prioritizing transparency at every step of the publis...
Rethinking Science Communication: Beyond Technology Trends 25.07.2025 1:05:34
This episode unpacks the complex relationship between technology, innovation, and trust in scholarly publishing. With decades of experience and candid insight, Joy Moore and Kent Anderson call out some of the most pressing contradictions facing the publishing world today. They explore how publishers risk losing sight of their core values by chasing tech trends, and why the goals of science and tec...
The Metadata Behind the Manuscripts: Ed Pentz on the Future of Scholarly Infrastructure 20.06.2025 35:52
Every day, over 8,000 scholarly articles are published—but how do they become discoverable, citable, and connected across journals, databases, and platforms? The answer lies in the invisible infrastructure of scholarly publishing: metadata, persistent identifiers, and interoperability. In this episode of Insights Xchange, we’re joined by Ed Pentz, Executive Director of Crossref, the organization...
Shaping a Global Research Landscape: Trust, Equity, Inclusivity, and Knowledge Communities 07.04.2025 49:22
This episode explores the role of trust, inclusivity, and accessibility in global research publishing today. It highlights how biases in editorial boards exclude underrepresented voices and the critical role publishers play in fostering equity. The discussion also examines the balance between commercial realities and open access, emphasizing the need for transparency in scientific communication. T...
AI, Academic Libraries, and the Future of Research: The Librarian’s Perspective 06.12.2024 29:29
In this episode of Insights XChange, host Nikesh Gosalia speaks with Alyssa Grimshaw, a research and education librarian at Yale School of Medicine. Alyssa shares her insights on the evolving role of librarians in fostering research collaboration, especially in clinical settings. She highlights the importance of communication, technology, and interdisciplinary teamwork in advancing research. The c...
The Expanding Influence of AI in Academic Research: Benefits, Pitfalls, and Future Opportunities 21.11.2024 51:32
In this episode of Insights XChange, host Nikesh Gosalia speaks with Avi Staiman, founder and CEO of Academic Language Experts and co-founder of SciWriter.ai. They explore the impact of AI on scholarly publishing, discussing its potential benefits and ethical challenges. Avi emphasizes the need to differentiate between various AI applications, asserting that while AI can assist with tasks like lan...
Redefining Open Access: What Do Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Truly Mean in Research? 28.10.2024 52:03
In this episode of Insights Xchange, host Nikesh Gosalia engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Godwyns Onwuchekwa, a social justice advocate and Head of Communities at eLife. The conversation dives deep into integrating justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) principles into the open access (OA) movement. Godwyns highlights the limitations of focusing solely on financial aspects...
Lauren Kane, CEO of BioOne, on Innovation, Non-Profit Collaboration, and Collective Impact in Scholarly Publishing 14.10.2024 36:27
In this episode of Insights Exchange, host Nikesh Gosalia interviews Lauren Kane, CEO of BioOne, about the transformation of nonprofit scholarly publishing over the past two decades. Lauren discusses the pressures faced by nonprofits due to tightening resources, increased demand for accessibility, and evolving research needs. She emphasizes the role of innovation and collaboration in overcoming th...
Combining AI and Knowledge Management in Academia: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Potential 19.07.2024 36:43
In this insightful episode of Insights Exchange, host Nikesh engages in a fascinating conversation with Mitja Alexander, a leader in academic publishing. He emphasizes the crucial role of AI in revolutionizing the accessibility and impact of research, accelerating the dissemination of new discoveries globally. He highlights how open access is revolutionizing the accessibility and impact of researc...
The Changing Face of Academic Publishing: Transformational Agreements, Interdisciplinary Research, and Evolving Technologies 05.07.2024 50:10
In this episode of Insights XChange Dr. Guido F. Herrmann, Managing Director at Wiley, joins Nikesh to discuss the evolving landscape of academic research, AI, and scientific publishing. Dr. Herrmann shares insights on maintaining research integrity amidst challenges like fraud and predatory journals. The conversation explores how AI is revolutionizing the scholarly ecosystem, enhancing peer revie...
Scholarly Communication in Mental Health Research: The Editor’s Perspective 17.06.2024 52:18
In this episode, Joan Marsh, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet Psychiatry , joins Nikesh Gosalia for a thought-provoking discussion about issues in academic publishing and mental health research, highlighting the fight against predatory journals and plagiarism. Joan shares insights on using AI to enhance peer review processes and ensure reviewer diversity, while addressing ethical considerations. She...
Mental Health Awareness in Scholarly Publishing: Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion 27.05.2024 39:28
In this episode of Insights XChange, Nikesh engages in an insightful conversation with Randy Townsend, President of the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP). Randy dives into the crucial topic of mental health in academia, sharing his experiences and insights. He shares his strategies for promoting mental health awareness, the importance of breaking the stigma, and his new Mental Health Awarenes...
Technology, Integrity, and Open Access: The Future of Academic Publishing 29.02.2024 50:22
In this episode of Insights Xchange, Dr. Harsh Jegadeesan, Chief Publishing Officer and Member of the Management Board at Springer Nature Group, discusses with Nikesh Gosalia the evolving landscape of the academic publishing industry, the various disruptions taking place within it, and the ocean of opportunities in digital publication. Dr. Jegadeesan underscores the delicate balance between tradit...
Engaging Diverse Audiences, Building Trust, and Embracing Uncertainty: How Can Scientific Research Be Best Made Accessible in Today's Dynamic Media Landscape? 05.02.2024 54:23
Meagan Phelan, Communications Director, Science Family Journals, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) joins Nikesh Gosalia for an insightful discussion about the myriad challenges in science communication. They explore the balance between media coverage and scientific accuracy, the role of alternate formats in simplifying complex ideas, and the importance of building public...
Shaping the Future: Technology, Diversity, and Open Access in Scholarly Publishing with Heather Staines 11.12.2023 1:14:28
In this episode, Nikesh Gosalia engages in conversation with Heather Staines, Director of Community Engagement and Senior Consultant at Delta Think and a veteran in scholarly communications and academic publishing. They discuss the evolving role of technology in academics, the importance of diversity in academic content, and the challenges and opportunities in the open access space. Heather emphas...
Higher Education: Remote Learning, AI, Research, and THE University Rankings with Phil Baty 17.11.2023 1:01:41
In this episode, Nikesh Gosalia interviews Times Higher Education's (THE) Chief Knowledge Officer Phil Baty to talk about the importance of transparency in ranking systems, key trends in university rankings, and the consultancy services offered by THE to help universities improve their reputation. They also discuss the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education, including t...
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