The Struggling Scientists

Welcome to The Struggling Scientists! In this episode, we dive into the world of non-academic careers for PhD holders. Our special guest, Ashley Ruba, shares her remarkable journey from academia to a fulfilling role as a human factors engineer in the medical device industry. We uncover the challenges academics face, the stigma around non-academic careers, and the misconceptions that often hold bac...

In the spirit of Halloween, The Struggling Scientists bring you their most bone-chilling episode yet: "Tales of the PhD".  Join hosts Suzanne and Jayron as they delve into the terrifying world of PhD horror stories. From lost data to deleted thesis drafts, and even a lab transformed into a cutthroat battleground, get ready to be spooked by the nightmarish experiences of fellow scientists. ...

On this episode of The Struggling Scientists Podcast, hosts Suzanne and Jayron dive deep into the prestigious world of the Nobel Prizes. From the emotional impact of receiving such an esteemed award to the collaborative efforts behind groundbreaking scientific discoveries, they explore the highs and lows of the Nobel Prize experience. Join them as they discuss the winners, their research topics, a...

In this 65th episode of The Struggling Scientists podcast, Suzanne and Jayron delve into the hidden costs of pursuing a PhD. They asked their audience about the drawbacks that are not immediately apparent when starting a doctoral program. The responses flooded in, covering financial concerns, strained relationships, mental health struggles, work-life balance challenges, and missed personal milesto...

Welcome to the 64th episode of The Struggling Scientists Podcast! In this exciting edition, we dive into the hilarious and thought-provoking world of the Ignoble Prizes. Prepare to be entertained as we explore the winners in categories like Chemistry and Geology, Literature, and Mechanical Engineering. From the bizarre science of rock-licking to the peculiar phenomenon of jamais vu, we uncover the...

Welcome back to another exciting episode of The Struggling Scientists! In today's episode, titled "Demystifying the Tenure Track," we have the privilege of interviewing Emmanuel Tsekleves, a professor and research director with extensive experience in academia. Join our hosts, Suzanne and Jayron, as they dive deep into the intricacies of the tenure track process and discover the key fa...

In this episode of The Struggling Scientists, we delve deep into the pervasive issue of burnout. Join hosts Suzanne and Jayron as they sit down with guest Cevdet Acarsoy, a psychologist and PhD student, to discuss the impact of burnout on productivity, motivation, and mental health in the academic world. Uncover the vicious circle of exhaustion, procrastination, and anxiety, and learn how to detec...

In this episode of The Struggling Scientists, we dive deep into the world of air pollution, uncovering its lesser-known effects and surprising sources. Join us as we explore the intricate relationship between air pollution and human health, shedding light on the toxic vs. non-toxic substances that fill our atmosphere. Our special guest, David Gonzalez, a postdoctoral scholar at the David Geffen Sc...

Are you a struggling PhD student looking for ways to enhance your research skills and boost your career prospects? Well, you're in luck! In this episode of "The Struggling Scientists," our hosts Suzanne and Jayron, along with special guest dr Kristina Ulicna, dive deep into the world of PhD internships. They discuss the importance of internships for PhD students, the benefits of steppi...

Are you tired of constantly striving for perfection? In today's episode of "The Struggling Scientists," hosts Suzanne and Jayron tackle the topic of perfectionism and its detrimental effects on one's scientific journey. They are joined by an insightful guest, Kate Ahl, a renowned psychotherapist specializing in working with academics, scientists, and knowledge workers. Together, th...

In this episode of The Struggling Scientists Podcast, Jayron shares his experience defending his PhD in the Netherlands. Topics include preparation strategies, unexpected questions, and overcoming self-doubt. We hope our listeners can gain some insights that help them with their own PhDs! If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or papers we really need to read, you can reach out to us vi...

In this episode, we interview Liza Cornet, an expert in making PhD theses more approachable for a broad audience. We discuss her fun and innovative magazine, which translates theses into engaging stories, and offer tips for PhD students looking to communicate their research. We also talk about the challenges of striking a balance between simplifying research and keeping its message intact. Overall...

Another episode about all the Science that has made the news recently! We get you completely up to-date (kind off) with everything you need to know. We talk about: Your native language impacts the wiring of your brain Yellow Crazy Ants create chimeras to reproduce Elephant peels bananas faster than human Beetle drinks water using it’s but Earth wobble might mean your zodiac sign is not what you th...

Choosing the right PhD supervisor can make or break your experience in graduate school. In this episode, hosts Suzanne and Jayron discuss the important qualities to look for in a PhD supervisor, such as mentoring skills, communication skills, and expertise in the field. They also provide advice on how to figure out what you need in a supervisor and how to find out more information about potential...

Are you a PhD student or scientist looking to boost your productivity? In this episode, the Struggling Scientists share their ultimate list of Chrome extensions for academics and scientists. From reference management to writing assistance, these tools will revolutionize the way you work. Tune in to learn how to upgrade your productivity and streamline your research process. If you have any questio...

Science communication has many benefits both for society and yourself.  But it isn't always easy. In this episode, we talk with Dr Vikki Burns from the PhD Life Coach Podcast about the struggles of doing science communication and anything new in general. If you are interested in her work or amazing podcast check out Vikki's website: https://www.thephdlifecoach.com/ If you have any question...

Today we have another amazing episode for you! We are talking with Twitter-validated Ai expert Mushtaq Bilal about AI tools for academic writing. We get to know him first and then we discuss how to use AI tools to make academic writing more efficient, how to stay up to date with new AI tools, and the best ways to use them. Tune in to this episode to learn more about the exciting ways AI is changin...

Today we have another Science News episode again! Filled with amazing Science that reached the news recently. We will discuss it all with a lot of laughs and fun! The topics we discuss in this episode: Robot can print 3D cell structures directly on your organs Our heartbeats can cause 'wrinkles in time' Bugs use a butt-flicker to launch pee at 40G's Dodo's next inline for de-extinc...

Our 50th Episode! Can you believe it? In this episode, we reflect on our science communication journey and answer questions from our fans. We discuss why and how we started the podcast, growing on social media, and our plans for the future, including adding courses on science communication. We also answer questions from our fans about our most rewarding experience as science communicators, changin...

Open Access Publishing has been a significant development for the Scientific world. Today we talk with open access expert Chirag Jay Patel from R Discovery about this topic. We discuss: What led to the open access movement? What have been the biggest benefits of open access publishing? What aspects could still be improved? What developments are occurring with open access? How is R discovery using...

In this episode, we talk with assistant Professor Francesca Grisoni about AI in drug discovery! Her research group focuses on deep learning and we ask her about how AI is used in the lab, how it outperforms (or not) traditional methods and the challenges of AI research. If you have any questions, comments suggestions, or papers we really need to read, you can reach out to us via our website: https...

Today we introduce a new series to our podcast: PhD Productivity, and discuss the why, how, and what of the series. We are going to discuss tools and resources to help PhD students and other Scientists become more organized and productive. And more importantly, feel in control again! We also introduce the first tool, Notion, and discuss how it can be used to capture ideas, manage projects, and mor...

We have for you another fun Science News episode, so much amazing Science has reached the News recently that it was difficult to choose! But we made a selection and will bring you up to speed with the actual science behind the news! Bats channeling their inner death metal singer The first vaccine for Bees approved in US Male and Female stem cells created from a single person Curing Cancer with CRI...

On this second Christmas day, we have a very special gift for you! A Christmas episode about standing up for your Science and Climate Change! Ernst-Jan Kuiper, a former scientist, and current climate change activist, joined us for this episode to discuss his experience with climate change research, activism, and advocacy. He discussed what it is like to join protests as a scientist, the main findi...

Yesterday we had the first real frost here in the Netherlands, and now that we have the first real evidence that winter is finally here we knew we needed to do a special winter-themed episode. So today we are going to talk about the winter dip, more officially called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). We are ready with a warm cup of chocolate or thee on this cold cold day to talk some science! We...