Dementia Researcher Blogs

Marian Montanha - What I Wish I Knew Before Working in Clinical Trials

Marian Montanha, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website.
In her first blog for Dementia Researcher Marian reflects on her initial nine months working in clinical trials, contrasting her previous patient-centred roles with the highly structured and data-driven nature of research. She discusses the surprising realities she encountered, including the intensity of paperwork, the necessity of standardisation, and the prolonged timeline for gratification and impact. Marian candidly shares her feelings of missing direct therapeutic interactions yet appreciates the external validation and the significant potential to make long-term impacts on patient care and treatments.Find the original text, and narration here on our website.https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-what-i-wish-i-knew-before-working-in-clinical-trials/--
 
Marian Montanha is a Clinical Studies Office in the NHS – Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network in Scotland. With a background in Psychology and a keen interest in Neuropsychology, Marian plays a vital role in clinical research, coordinating and managing clinical trials, ensuring smooth operations, and maintaining accurate records, while also promoting research and collaborating with clinical teams. Passionate about patient care, she is driven to help people maintain dignity, independence, and quality of life. Marian's top tip for ECRs? “You don’t know what you don’t know”. Find Marian on LinkedIn
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Enjoy listening? We're always looking for new bloggers, drop us a line. http://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk
This podcast is brought to you in association with Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia, who we thank for their ongoing support.
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Dr Sam Moxon - Will Dementia Research Funding Weather the Financial Storm?

Dr Sam Moxon, narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher.
Sam examines the impact of the UK's shifting financial priorities on dementia research funding. While government-backed funds like Innovate UK, MRC, EPSRC, and UKRI face potential budget tightening, charities such as Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society & Race Against Dementia continue to play a crucial role. The blog highlights uncertainties ahead, suggesting increased competition for available grants, but reassures that the overall support for dementia research remains strong despite financial pressures.
Find the original text, and narration here on our website.
https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-will-dementia-research-funding-weather-the-financial-storm/
#Grantfunding #Research #ResearchFunding
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Dr Sam Moxon is a biomaterials Research Fellow at University of Birmingham. His expertise falls on the interface between biology and engineering. His PhD focussed on regenerative medicine and he now works on trying to develop 3D bioprinting techniques with human stem cells, so that we better understand and treat degenerative diseases. Outside of the lab he hikes through the Lake District and is an expert on all things Disney.
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Enjoy listening and reading our blogs? We're always on the look out for new contributors, drop us a line and share your own research and careers advice dementiaresearcher@ucl.ac.uk
This podcast is brought to you in association with the NIHR, Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia, who we thank for their ongoing support.
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Rebecca Williams - Stand-Up Scientists: Lessons from Comedy

Rebecca Williams, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website.
Rebecca explores how stand-up comedy techniques can enhance science communication. From crafting engaging openings to honing audience interaction, she shares insights on making research talks more compelling. By embracing humour, observation, and performance skills, scientists can captivate their listeners—whether in a lecture theatre or at a conference.Find the original text, and narration here on our website.https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-stand-up-scientists-lessons-from-comedy/--
Rebecca Williams is PhD student at the University of Cambridge. Though originally from ‘up North’ in a small town called Leigh, she did her undergraduate and masters at the University of Oxford before defecting to Cambridge for her doctorate researching Frontotemporal dementia and Apathy. She now spends her days collecting data from wonderful volunteers, and coding. Outside work, she plays board games, and is very crafty. @beccasue99
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Enjoy listening? We're always looking for new bloggers, drop us a line. http://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk
This podcast is brought to you in association with Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia, who we thank for their ongoing support.
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Emily Spencer - Balancing fieldwork and family

Emily Spencer, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website.
Emily discusses the unexpected complexities of balancing PhD fieldwork and family responsibilities. Reflecting on her experiences post-maternity leave, she highlights significant challenges such as scheduling crucial meetings around childcare constraints and the constant need for adaptability. Emily stresses the importance of careful planning, communication with her partner, and seeking support from friends and colleagues to ensure her research progresses while maintaining family life.
Find the original text, and narration here on our website.
https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-balancing-fieldwork-and-family/
#DementiaResearch #AcademicMother #Academia #MaternityLeave #Research #Productivity
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Emily Spencer is a PhD Student at University College London looking at improving how GPs communicate with people with dementia and their family carers about their future care. Emily previous had a 5 year career break to pursue a career as a musician, and has previously undertaken research on improving the care people with dementia receive from their GP practice, as well as end-of-life and palliative care provision in the community. Emily is also a new mum and will be writing about her experiences navigating motherhood and a research career.
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Enjoy listening? We're always looking for new bloggers, drop us a line. http://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk
This podcast is brought to you in association with Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia, who we thank for their ongoing support.
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Dr Kamar Ameen-Ali - How to use controls in your scientific studies

Dr Kamar Ameen-Ali narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher.
Kamar highlights the importance of using controls in scientific research to ensure reliable, unbiased results. Kam explores different study designs, from clinical trials and case-control studies to neuropathology and animal research, demonstrating how controls help isolate variables and maintain validity. Drawing from their own experience, they discuss strategies such as matched designs, randomised controlled trials, and immunohistochemistry controls, showing how each approach enhances experimental rigour across different research fields.
Find the original text, and narration here on our website.
https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-how-to-use-controls-in-your-scientific-studies/
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Dr Kamar Ameen-Ali is a Lecturer in Biomedical Science at Teesside University & Affiliate Researcher at Glasgow University. In addition to teaching, Kamar is exploring how neuroinflammation following traumatic brain injury contributes to the progression of neurodegenerative diseases that lead to dementia. Having first pursued a career as an NHS Psychologist, Kamar went back to University in Durham to look at rodent behavioural tasks to completed her PhD, and then worked as a regional Programme Manager for NC3Rs.
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Enjoy listening? We're always looking for new bloggers, drop us a line. http://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk
This podcast is brought to you in association with Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia, who we thank for their ongoing support.
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Rahul Sidhu - My PhD: Neurovascular effects of heart disease in Alzheimer's

Rahul Sidhu, narrating a new blog he wrote for the Dementia Researcher website.
Rahul's blog explores his research and the connection between heart disease and Alzheimer's disease, focusing on how vascular dysfunction may accelerate cognitive decline. He explains the importance of neurovascular coupling, the role of tau protein tangles, and how conditions like atherosclerosis impact brain health. Using preclinical models, his research investigates whether impaired blood flow worsens Alzheimer’s progression, highlighting the potential for new treatments that improve vascular health as a way to slow or prevent dementia.
Find the original text, and narration here on our website.
https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-my-phd-neurovascular-effects-of-heart-disease-in-alzheimers/
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​Rahul Sidhu is a PhD student at The University of Sheffield, focusing on the effects of heart disease on dementia in preclinical models of Alzheimer's disease. His research aims to uncover how cardiovascular health influences neurodegenerative conditions, potentially leading to novel therapeutic strategies.​ Find Rahul on LinkedIn
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Enjoy listening? We're always looking for new bloggers, drop us a line. http://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk
This podcast is brought to you in association with Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia, who we thank for their ongoing support.
--
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Dr Jodi Watt - So you need some data – now what?

Dr Jodi Watt, narrating a new blog they wrote for the Dementia Researcher website.
Jodi explores the challenges and essentials of working with research data, offering practical steps to find, evaluate, store, and analyse it effectively. Drawing from personal experience, they highlight common pitfalls, the importance of thorough searching, compliance considerations, and the need to truly understand data before diving into analysis. With a structured approach, researchers can turn overwhelming datasets into valuable insights, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and meaningful outcomes.
Find the original text, and narration here on our website.
https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-so-you-need-some-data-now-what/
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Dr Jodi Watt is a Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Glasgow. Jodi's academic interests are in both healthy ageing and neurodegenerative diseases of older age, and they are currently working on drug repurposing for dementia. Previously they worked on understanding structural, metabolic and physiological brain changes with age, as measured using magnetic resonance imaging. As a queer and neurodiverse person, Jodi is also incredibly interested in improving diversity and inclusion practices both within and outside of the academic context.
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Enjoy listening? We're always looking for new bloggers, drop us a line. http://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk
This podcast is brought to you in association with Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia, who we thank for their ongoing support.
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Dr Becky Carlyle - How on earth do I hire my team?!

Dr Becky Carlyle, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website.
Becky shares practical insights on hiring your first lab team, from crafting inclusive job descriptions to structuring interviews and making thoughtful selections. Drawing from her own experiences, she offers advice on shortlisting candidates, forming interview panels, and assessing scientific curiosity and critical thinking. With a focus on balancing essential criteria with inclusivity, this blog provides valuable guidance for early-career researchers navigating the hiring process for the first time - useful if you're building a team... or applying for a job.Find the original text, and narration here on our website.https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-how-on-earth-do-i-hire-my-team/--
 
Dr Becky Carlyle is an Alzheimer's Research UK Senior Research Fellow at University of Oxford, and has previously worked in the USA. Becky writes about her experiences of starting up a research lab and progressing into a more senior research role. Becky's research uses mass-spectrometry to quantify thousands of proteins in the brains and biofluids of people with dementia. Her lab is working on various projects, including work to compare brain tissue from people with dementia from Alzheimer’s Disease, to tissue from people who have similar levels of Alzheimer’s Disease pathology but no memory problems. Becky is also a mum, she runs, drinks herbal tea's and reads lots of books. Find Becky on LinkedIn
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Enjoy listening? We're always looking for new bloggers, drop us a line. http://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk
This podcast is brought to you in association with Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia, who we thank for their ongoing support.
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Dr Emma Law - My First Clinical Trial: Lessons Learned

Dr Emma Law, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website.
Emma shares her experiences from her first clinical trial, reflecting on the challenges, surprises, and key lessons learned. From navigating the complexities of trial coordination to overcoming logistical hurdles like sample transportation and time management, she highlights the importance of preparation, organisation, and adaptability. This insightful blog offers valuable takeaways for those new to clinical research, providing practical advice to help future trials run smoothly.
 
Find the original text, and narration here on our website.
https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-my-first-clinical-trial-lessons-learned/
#DementiaResearch #ClinicalTrials #CognitiveAssessment #Research 
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Dr Emma Law is Strategic Manager for the The Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network in Scotland. Emma has 13 years experience as a Clinical Trails Network Manager and over 35 years experience as a Nurse, many of which were spent in the delivery of Clinical Research Trials. Emma completed her PhD and is passionate about giving people living with dementia and their carers access to participate in research. 
 
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Enjoy listening? We're always looking for new bloggers, drop us a line. http://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk
This podcast is brought to you in association with Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia, who we thank for their ongoing support.
--
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