A clear reminder that public speaking gets easier through practice, not personality.
Jonathan Abay, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, turns fear of speaking, stage fright, and a later stutter into a plain case for practice.

Dementia Researcher
500 episodes listed below
Dementia research, from inside the work.
Dementia Researcher Blogs collects narrated essays from people working around dementia research, from clinical trials to wet-lab troubleshooting. The tone is practical and reflective, with room for conference momentum, patient expectations, parenthood, funding pressure, and the ordinary friction of trying to do good science.
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Dementia Researcher Blogs is built from narrated essays by people close to dementia research, clinical studies, laboratories, universities, and patient-facing work. It sounds like the field thinking aloud. One episode may report from an Alzheimer's Research UK conference, where clinical trials, fly models, immune signalling, microbiome research, and machine-learning approaches sit beside early career posters and hallway conversations. Another may slow down the supposedly routine site initiation visit and show why delegation logs, protocol training, adverse-event reporting, data recording, and required files matter before any participant is recruited. The show is technical when the subject requires it. It is also plain-spoken about failure. A new postdoc position becomes a story about PCR adaptation, siRNAs, western blot problems, positive controls, reagent trouble, company support, and the discipline of repeating sensible steps when an experiment refuses to behave. That practical texture matters. The feed rarely treats research as a clean sequence of ideas becoming papers. It is more interested in the points where science meets time pressure, funding gaps, family life, diagnosis pathways, communication, and institutional limits. Episodes on motherhood and academia are especially candid, describing lost flexibility, the second shift, school interruptions, PhD funding concerns, and the strain of trying to stay productive inside systems not designed around care. Clinical research episodes carry a similar honesty. Registering interest in research does not guarantee a trial place, and eligibility can be blocked by medication, age range, illness history, diagnosis stage, or dementia type. The show makes space for patient and public expertise groups as a meaningful route rather than a consolation prize. Career reflection also runs through the feed. Long academic lives are measured in students trained, grants won and missed, papers written, confidence built, and work that changes after decades in the field. Even travel writing becomes relevant when ageing, usefulness, family structure, and community participation come into view. The result is not a glossy science explainer. It is closer to a working notebook read aloud: careful, specific, sometimes repetitive, and often revealing. For listeners in medicine, neuroscience, care, academia, or research support, that closeness is the value. Dementia research appears here as a broad human enterprise, not just a set of findings.
Made for: For dementia researchers, clinical research staff, medical educators, students, carers interested in research, and academics who want the field described through everyday practice as well as headline findings.
What sets it apart: The show’s strength is its narrated-blog format: reflective, specific essays that let trial logistics, lab troubleshooting, career strain, and lived experience sit beside dementia science without turning them into polished institutional messaging.
Dementia Researcher blogs are written and then narrated by the authors. Through this podcast channel, we share the narrations, so you can listen back where ever you get your podcasts, as well as on our website - careers, research and your science. Brought to you by www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk - everything you need, all in one place.
This is the show that turns glial cells into hotel staff without checking your brain at reception.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A clear reminder that public speaking gets easier through practice, not personality.
Jonathan Abay, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, turns fear of speaking, stage fright, and a later stutter into a plain case for practice.
A student-led look at MND that connects synapse loss, glia, and the human side of lab research.
This student-led conversation stays close to MND and the small machinery around it: synapses, glial cells, and the point where support cells start working against neurons.
AI as research infrastructure, not just a diagnostic tool.
The piece moves AI away from the familiar dementia-diagnosis frame and into the daily work of research: literature searches, conference networking, matching students and postdocs to labs, and making collaboration less dependent on chance.

Peter Attia evaluates longevity science, from CETP inhibitors to protein debates, through evidence.


Morning medical evidence, compressed for practice.

Medical research, translated through patient experience.


Midlife hormones, explained with momentum.
Dr.
Rahul Sidhu shares his experience and key scientific highlights from the Alzheimer's Research UK conference, emphasizing the growing momentum and collaborative diversity in dementia research.
Jacqui Kerr, Network Manager of the Neuro-Progressive and Dementia Network in Scotland, explains how clinical trial site initiation visits work.
Dr Clíona Farrell shares her experiences three months into a new postdoc position, detailing the universal challenges of starting fresh research projects.
Becky Carlyle’s Dementia Researcher blog focuses on the “motherhood penalty” and career progression, framed through a recent period of overwhelm and a new job she says is “extremely excited” and also among the toughest years of her working life.
A dementia researcher shares her personal experiences of balancing new parenthood with pursuing a PhD in academia, discussing the challenges and advocating for the possibility of managing both roles.
This episode discusses strategies for managing patient expectations in dementia research recruitment, emphasizing clear communication about suitability and alternative participation options.
A dementia researcher reflects on her 34-year academic career, discussing her journey from childhood aspirations to leading Alzheimer's research, mentoring students, and finding meaning in their successes.
A dementia researcher reflects on cultural attitudes toward ageing in Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand, where older adults remain actively involved in family and community life.
A researcher discusses the ethical implications and practical uses of Chat GPT in academic writing and science communication.
This episode discusses a study on how diet and lifestyle changes can impact mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer's disease.
A researcher shares personal experiences with imposter syndrome and strategies to manage it in scientific careers.
Ajantha Abey, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, reads her Dementia Researcher Blog post about overcoming severe stage fright — including a stutter on words like 'neurodegenerative' — to reach a point where she actively volunteers for public speaking opportunities.
This episode explains the differences between academic and commercial clinical trials in dementia research, including common features and recruitment challenges.
A researcher reflects on the challenges of becoming a primary PhD supervisor and the importance of mentorship in early career research.
A researcher reflects on returning to a postdoc position after a travel-filled career break, discussing the challenges of re-entering academia.
An introvert researcher shares personal strategies for coping with conference anxiety and imposter syndrome.
An academic researcher shares her experience of overwhelm and the challenges of balancing multiple responsibilities in a dementia research career.
The episode discusses the importance of storytelling in academic research, using examples from a podcast interview to advise researchers on engaging audiences.
A narrated blog discussing the importance of safety in dementia drug trials, referencing historical disasters and current safeguards.
A PhD student shares his personal journey into dementia research and science.
This episode discusses the challenges of diagnosing Lewy Body Dementia compared to Alzheimer's, highlighting the complexity of the brain and the uniqueness of each patient's symptoms.
A researcher shares a personal story about a caregiver struggling to respond to a parent's dementia-related hallucinations, highlighting the need for guidance.
Ajantha Abey, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, reads her Dementia Researcher Blog post arguing that Lewy body disease deserves far more scientific attention than the roughly 1,000 PubMed articles it currently attracts compared to over 20,000 for Alzheimer's disease.
A narrated blog post describing the clinical presentation and symptoms of dementia with Lewy bodies, distinguishing it from other dementias.
A researcher shares her journey and advice on why and how to start writing blogs for academic and career growth.
A researcher reflects on a travel award experience in Brisbane and discusses the challenges and considerations of moving institutions in academia.
A researcher-turned-entrepreneur discusses the business side of dementia research and the impact of a failed Alzheimer's drug trial.
A researcher shares a personal story about having their grant application stolen, discussing intellectual property and copyright issues in academia.
A personal reflection on UCAS deadline day and how career paths rarely follow a straight line.
A dementia researcher discusses the role of competition in science, exploring its impact on healthcare innovation and academic systems like tenure.
This episode shares practical insights and lessons learned from organizing a conference, focusing on post-setup tasks like IT management and speaker coordination.
Becky Carlisle shares tips on writing fellowship applications and preparing for interviews in dementia research.
This episode discusses the inequalities in dementia diagnosis, care, and research related to factors like age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, while highlighting efforts to address these disparities.
A dementia researcher reflects on her career and the state of Alzheimer's disease research on World Alzheimer's Day, discussing progress, challenges, and personal motivations.
Athena Bratopoulou opens on the 21st of June and explains why MND recognition matters.
Ajanta Abay, a PhD student at the University of Oxford, reads the third blog in a series on AI for dementia research.
Jonathan Abay, a PhD student at the University of Oxford, examines AI for dementia diagnosis, care, and research in Dementia Researcher Blogs.