Let's Talk Research Life

We made it to the first anniversary and season finale of LTRL!!!Tremendous thanks to everyone across the globe who tuned in and supported us through this incredible first year of the podcast! Having you as our cloud companions has been the ultimate reward! In our Season 1 finale, we dove deep into something that shapes every academic journey: Role Models. We broke down what we look for in academic...

People say to you that the only certainty is uncertainty, but what do you do when your research life feels like one giant question mark? In this episode, Anne and Yifan normalize the feeling of "possibility without clarity," exploring how uncertainty evolves from a daunting hurdle into an enticing part of the research life. We ruminate on the emotional weight of living in the "in-be...

Did you pick up your phone to look up something important but somehow started listening to our awesome podcast again? In this episode, Anne and Yifan dive into "brain-rot" and how the technology we use every day might be harming our minds. We reflect on how technology acts as both a trigger for "brain-rot" and a vital tool that has expanded access for early career researchers....

Is your research jealous of the attention you give to other relationships? In this episode, Anne and Yifan dive into the rewarding, but sometimes exhausting reality of balancing research with the people who make us who we are. We explore the unique hurdles of maintaining family ties across time zones, the "two-world" feeling of living as a first-generation researcher abroad, and how our...

Feeling like an imposter? As we endeavor through our research lives every day, it’s not always smooth sailing without doubting ourselves. In this episode, Anne and Yifan dissected their experiences on imposter syndrome in their early careers. We shared what makes these imposter feelings pop up and how we normally respond to them. We sought out some solutions to prepare ourselves better, nipping th...

Life abroad comes with new perspectives: opportunities, challenges, excitement, disheartenment, you name it. In this episode, Anne and Yifan reflected on how it feels during holiday season while away from home and whether cultural shock has ever stricken. We shared how our identities have been impacted and how our research lives are shaped by new perspectives. We appreciate you starting your 2026 ...

Got no motivation? No worries, we got you! In this episode, Anne and Yifan talked about how to keep ourselves motivated and what things, or people, can help us get there. We recognized how important reconnecting with why we started the journey and dug deeper to find motivation and joy from daily research life. Also, we would love to hear from you whether you should give it 100% or 80%!   Have a li...

Ka-ching! In this inaugural episode of “What if -” thought experiment series, Anne and Yifan became researchers with the deepest pockets. We explored what do we do with all the money in the world, what research projects we would fund, and what unlimited funding means for us after all. We hope this thought experiment will bring you some joy as it for us!   Have a listen and let us know if you appro...

As an academic year came and went, Anne and Yifan reflected on their year in this episode: what are the achievements, what are the lessons, and most importantly, how to internalize whatever research life throws to them. Now with another new year loading, we sorted through our thoughts and packed our momentum into brand new outlooks.   Wish a great year ahead of everybody!     Music:    "Ciphe...

Are you taking a regular break? Or do you find it difficult to switch off? In this episode, Anne and Yifan tried to figure out what taking a break means for research, whether it is a micro break in between tasks in a day or an annual vacation. And we discussed how would a break feed back to our research. We also took a break from the previous formats and tried a few exciting new things for the epi...

Anne and Yifan have both been GRINDING on their keyboards recently. As academic writing is such an essential component in research life, in this episode, they talked about how their writing habit revolution was, what the writing process is looking like now, and highs and lows through the long journey of drafting. Have a listen and WRITE to us if you have anything to share! Music generated by Muber...

Working with supervisors can be one of the most defining—and sometimes challenging—aspects of research life. In this episode, Anne and Yifan continued their discussions from EP04 and branched out to heavy topics on managing conflicts and handling criticism, all for a good reason—growth. They reflected on their experiences with advisors and gave their takes on mentorship.   Have a listen and see if...

Working with supervisors can be one of the most defining—and sometimes challenging—aspects of research life. In this episode, Anne and Yifan dive into the many layers of supervisory relationships: from choosing the right supervisor (or making peace with the one you didn’t choose), to spotting red flags, and building a healthy working dynamic. They also shared their experiences navigating different...

Are you living and working in your secondary language? In this episode, Anne and Yifan started the exploration of secondary language induced self-discoveries all the way from how it is in the research life to tiny “identity crisis”. We talked about cultural cues and personality switches, bilingualism in the workplace, and the fancy “Cultural Frame Switch”.   Have a listen and see if this helps you...

Attending conferences is a huge part of research life. It brings you into a cosmic and active world where science thrives. Yet it can be challenging, as well. In this episode, Anne and Yifan shared their experiences on selecting conferences, navigating conference experience, and presentation strategies. We also jogged down the memory lane and talked about our starstruck moments and memorable stori...

As early career researchers, we are most likely facing forks on the road here and there. In this episode, Anne and Yifan dug into their own experience as a rumination as well as an outlook for the future. We talked about motivation for pursuing an advanced degree, navigating the transition from corporate to academia, and exploring career options beyond academia. AND we introduced our standing segm...

Hooray! Welcome to Let’s Talk Research Life podcast!   In this inaugural episode, Anne and Yifan, two early career researchers, introduced themselves and talked about the motivations behind starting a podcast.   Have a listen and we would love to become your cloud research companions! Music generated by Mubert: https://mubert.com