All the events here are relevant to people working in dementia research. If you would like to add your own you can submit an event
Salon – Should I stay or should I go… does research need me?
August 13 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
This weeks Salon webinar brings us Dr Amy Lloyd from the University of Dundee and Dr Martha Pollard from the University of Edinburgh to reflect on the moments when researchers question their future in academia and ask, “Should I stay or should I go?” Together, they explore doubt, purpose, and what it means to find your place in dementia research.
Every researcher, at some point, asks the quiet question: should I stay or should I go? This often comes at key moments such as the end of a PhD, when funding is uncertain, or when finding a job feels almost impossible. When the pressure builds and the path ahead is unclear, it is natural to question whether research is still the right fit. In dementia research, where the need is great but the journey can be tough, that question can weigh heavily. Today, we will explore what keeps us going, what pulls us away, and how to decide if research still needs you and if you still need it.
Speakers
Dr Martha Pollard is a counsellor and mindfulness teacher, and has returned to academia to undertake a second doctorate this time with a focus on freedom and dementia caring experiences. For her thesis, she aims to find the crossover spaces between personal reflections and experiences, philosophical frameworks, and policy implications from both liberation theology and human rights perspectives. The underlying foundation of her intersecting interests is supporting compassionate action in dementia and health and social care.
Dr Amy Lloyd is a Race Against Dementia – ARUK Fellow at the University of Dundee. She studies how microglia, the brain’s immune cells, respond to Alzheimer’s disease, using proteomics to track early changes in their behaviour. Her fascination with neurodegeneration began while working as a care assistant during her undergraduate degree. Now building her own lab, she balances research with netball, baking, and looking after her rescue greyhound, Percy.
