UCL Minds

In June this year, UCL launched the UCL Walking Tour, a free guided walking tour aimed at inviting members of the public onto campus to learn more about UCL as a university and research institution and embrace its place at the heart of the Bloomsbury community. This month, host Cerys alongside Ariana Razavi, Molly Rasbash and Chanju Mwanza, delve deeper into three of the tours stops, the Wilkins B...

Katharina Schmack talks to Caswell and Steve about dopamine, hallucinations, how to juggle careers in science and medicine, and why sleep-deprived parents might hear things that are not really there. For more information and to access the transcript: www.ucl.ac.uk/research/domains/neuroscience/brain-stories-podcast Date of episode recording: 2022-10-01 Duration: 00:42:44 Language of episode: Engli...

Date of Lecture: 11 October 2022 About the Lecture: Catalysis – the process whereby chemical reactions are accelerated by reagents that are not consumed in the reaction – is of key economic and societal importance. Catalytic technologies are vital in the production of fuels and pharmaceuticals and in a wide range of manufacturing industry; they also play a crucial role in environmental protection...

Presented by Catriona Gold. In this series, we ask scholars at UCL to reflect on the meaning and practice of Critical Global Health. In this episode, Professor Ama de-Graft Aikins (UCL Institute of Advanced Studies) discusses her research on chronic illness and creativity in London and in West Africa, including ‘Chronicity and Care in African Context’, her ‘Tsui Anaa’ project in Accra, and her rec...

In this episode, we explore the role of racism and colonialism in the construction of the built environment and how we can improve. In October 2022 we have been marking Black History Month at The Bartlett through talks, workshops and our series Black Perspectives in the Built Environment which explores architects, researchers and activists who have shaped – and are shaping – our field. In this epi...

Date: 6 October 2022 Time: 1-2pm About the lecture: Between 1948 and 1973, around 500,000 people arrived in the UK from Caribbean countries, answering the call for workers to take jobs in the newly-formed NHS and other sectors affected by Britain’s post-war labour shortage. In 2017, news began to surface that hundreds of Commonwealth citizens of the ‘Windrush generation’ had been wrongly detained,...

In this episode (3 of 3), René talks about Donny George, living conditions, personal impact, KBR, site protection, working with the military and Heritage for Peace. René Teijgeler is a social scientist and a conservator. He studied Sociology, Social Psychology and Anthropology (summa cum laude). As a conservator he worked at the National Library of the Netherlands and designed risk management plan...

Presented by Catriona Gold. In this series, we ask scholars at UCL to reflect on the meaning and practice of critical global health. In this episode, Dr Lu Gram (UCL Institute of Global Health) discusses the challenges of undertaking critical and impactful work in collaboration with other disciplines. In particular, he introduces us to the concepts of ‘WEIRD’ social science and ‘helicopter researc...

In this mini-series, we ask scholars at UCL to reflect on the meaning and practice of critical global health. Here, Professor Sahra Gibbon (UCL Anthropology) introduces us to the term "critical global health" (CGH), and explains some of the the key considerations involved in thinking about health critically. This podcast series is hosted by the UCL Grand Challenge of Global Heath, with support fro...

In this episode (2 of 3) René talks about Babylon, Archaeological sites, Samara, al-Hatra, looting and evaluation position. René Teijgeler is a social scientist and a conservator. He studied Sociology, Social Psychology and Anthropology (summa cum laude). As a conservator he worked at the National Library of the Netherlands and designed risk management plans for different heritage institutions hom...

In this first of three episodes, Dr Mehiyar Kathem interviews René Teijgeler, about his experience working in Iraq, with a focus on Libraries and Archives, the Ministry of Culture and Museums. Rene, a social scientist and a conservator, studied Sociology, Social Psychology and Anthropology (summa cum laude). As a conservator he worked at the National Library of the Netherlands and designed risk ma...

In this interview from the Department of Statistical Science at UCL, we speak with Dr Mine Dogucu who is a Lecturer in the department of Statistical Science at UCL. Dr Dogucu shares with us her experiences of teaching both frequentist and Bayesian statistics to undergraduates. She also explains what accessibility means in education and in the context of statistics, including being part of changing...

Francesca Boem helps IM@UCL researchers navigate potential problems with maths and Jemima Unwin Teji compares humans and self-driving vehicles' ability to drive safely after dark. Date of episode recording: 2021-11-08 Duration: 00:22:10 Language of episode: English Presenter: Cassidy Martin Guests: Dr Francesca Boem, Dr Jemima Unwin Teji Producer: Cassidy Martin

In the first episode of Building Better Season Three, we discuss fire and the role it plays in architecture and design. Throughout history, fire has shaped the cities we live in, and the risks of urban fire in a warming climate are ever-increasing. Host Christoph Lindner, Dean of The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, speaks to three guests from within and outside the UCL community to disc...

This month, the team has stories from an anthropologist who believes in the power of immersive storytelling, a social researcher trying to improve the health opportunities of young people, and a PhD student whose research is bringing greater access to green spaces. Hosts: Katie Davies, Maria Bunyun, Taqwa Sadiq (UCL Students) Guests: Prof Dinah Lamimmiman, Dr Alexandra Albert, Maryam Bandukda For...

Join hosts Xand and Rochelle for Episode 6 ‘Fat Chance: how the body positivity movement can be used to influence societal changes’ with Stephanie Yeboah and Dr Aaron Parkhurst. “The ways in which we talk about our bodies, the metaphors we use to understand our bodies in the world around us radically shape our health and the way we approach health.” What is meant by the obesity crisis and where do...

An Interview with Dr Renad Mansour of Chatham House on Iraq, policy and cultural heritage. Dr Renad Mansour is a senior research fellow and project director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House. This podcast explores Chatham House's recent work on policy and cultural heritage and its collaboration with the Nahrein Network at UCL. Date of episode recording: 2022-08-26 Duration: 18:59 Language of...

Dr Harry Kennard chats to Dr Marco Springmann from the University of Oxford about the health impacts and planetary consequences of what we eat. Music track credits: Matrix by Biometric https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Bio_Unit__Metre/ & Kevin McCleod's Funkadelic Date of episode recording: 2022-06-15T00:00:00Z Duration: 00:38:51 Language of episode: English Presenter: Harry Kennard Guests: Marco...

Helge Wuderman warns drivers through a tactile robotic chair and Aneesha Singha advocates for the marginalised in her inclusive research approach. For more information and to access the transcript: www.ucl.ac.uk/engineering/intelligent-mobility-ucl-podcast Date of episode recording: 2021-12-07 Duration: 00:23:14 Language of episode: English Presenter: Cassidy Martin Guests: Prof. Helge Wurdemann,...

An interview with Lanah Haddad, Regional Director of TARII. Podcast 2 of 2. Part 2 of this interview with Lanah Haddad looks at the trends and changes in Iraqi archaeology over the past few years, what needs to be done to reform the sector, and the lingering legacies that affect the evolution of Iraqi archaeology. To access the transcript: www.ucl.ac.uk/nahrein/media/podcast/transcript-conversatio...

An interview with Lanah Haddad, Regional Director of TARII. Podcast 1 of 2. Lanah Haddad, Iraqi archaeologist and Regional Director of TARII, speaks here about her work to safeguard, protect and celebrate Iraqi cultural heritage. To access the transcript: www.ucl.ac.uk/nahrein/media/podcast/transcript-conversation-lanah-haddad Date of episode recording: 2022-08-19 Duration: 56:24 Language of episo...

The Nahrein Network speaks to creators of the audio-visual graphic memoir of a lost homeland. Carol and Daniel speak about their memories, experiences and work revolving around Iraqi Jewish music heritage. For more information on Carol Isaacs and Daniel Jonas work see: thewolfofbaghdad.wordpress.com/ Kuwaiti Brothers music credit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybw7INieV…V10&start_radio=1 Date of episode...

In this episode, Merve Emre is interviewed by PhD candidate Sarah Edwards. The discussion focuses on Merve Emre's upcoming book, Post-Discipline: Literature, Professionalism, and the Crisis of the Humanities. Music by Oscar Wilkins. For more information and to access the transcript: www.ucl.ac.uk/moveable-type/sites/moveable_type/files/merve_emre_moveable_type_full_episode_transcript.pdf Date of e...

Join hosts Xand and Rochelle for Episode 5 ‘The power of conversation: redefining the binary around social media and young people’s mental health’ with Dr Chris Bagley and Ella Gregory. “There’s much more room for nuance in the conversation than it feels like we have now.” Social media is a huge part of our lives, but growing fears are fuelling debate that it is bad for children and young people....

Independent researcher Dr Ahmed Naji speaks about his work in documenting and preserving Iraq's modern art heritage and discusses plans to safeguard it against further damage. Dr Naji gives an eloquent talk of the state of Iraq's art heritage over the past few years and its connections to development and identity. Dr Naji is the author of Under the Palm Trees: Modern Iraqi Art with Mohamed Makiya...