Our blogs cover a whole range of topics, to help early career dementia researchers (ECRs). Our contributors share information about their research, from social care to basic science, share advice from their own experiences, careers tips, what they learned from recent training events and conferences and much more. We have a small team of ECR staff bloggers who write each month, on a whole range of topics and every year we add more people who discuss their experiences of studying at particular places or on different topics. In addition to our staff bloggers, we welcome one-off contributions, and curate and link to content from other great sources, including our charity partners, the LSE Impact Blog, Nature Careers and where ever great support can be found.
To help find what you're looking for, you can browse through the articles, or use the filters on the right to find blogs by a particular person, or on a particular topic.
We are always on the lookout for new contributors, so if you would like to write for us, just head to the forum to drop us a line, or email dementiaresearcher@ucl.ac.uk
All of our blogs (since April 2020) come with narrations from the writer. You can listen while you read along on our website, or enjoy our blogs on the move via your podcast app. Look for Dementia Researcher Blogs, or visit one of these platforms, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify and Goodpods.
Blog – Self-Report: It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it
Rebecca Williams' discusses self-report scales in psychological research, talking complexity & cautioning against assumptions and advocating tailored approaches
Blog – How to Prepare a Keynote Talk
Master the art of captivating keynote talks with Dr Sam Moxon's expert tips – engage your audience, tell a compelling story, and leave a lasting impact.
Blog – Cracking the Viva: Preparing for PhD Success
Join Dr (pending minor corrections) Beth Eyre on her triumphant viva journey, as she shares indispensable tips to conquer your PhD defense with confidence.
Blog – Organ-On-Chip and Organoid Technologies
Dr Yvonne Couch's blog emphasises the importance of mentoring in academia for mental health and academic success, advocating for compulsory mentoring programmes
Blog – Learning about dementia care in India
Explore Dr. Clarissa Giebel's insightful global research odyssey in dementia care, revealing the power of direct engagement & collaborations in India.
Blog – I didn’t know who I was after my PhD
Dr Jodi Watt's blog explores their path as a "dabbler," talking about academic pressure and their ongoing efforts for self-discovery after PhD life.
Blog – Navigating Collaborative Science
Dr Gaia Brezzo explores collaborative science's evolution, lab dynamics, and positive citizenship in this insightful blog full of top tips.
Blog – Improving clinician-academic partnerships
Explore the transformative potential of clinician-academic partnerships in advancing dementia research with Dr Kamar Ameen-Ali's insightful blog.
Blog – Why You Should Teach Alongside Your Research
Discover the joy of teaching: as a PhD student, embrace the classroom to enrich your research, communication skills, and future prospects - Ajantha Abey
Blog – Population Studies: What we have learned and why we need them
Dr Connor Richardson discusses population-based studies to understanding cognitive function distribution, and effective strategies for older individuals
Blog – How to Build your Academic Network
Dr Sam Moxon highlights the importance of collaboration in dementia research and offers practical tips to nurture effective partnerships.
Blog – Science Communication, Reaching Out of the Bubble
Rebecca Williams - Break Barriers and Inspiring Change: A Science Communication Journey from a Small Town Dreamer to Oxford, and How You Can Make a Difference.
Blog – Getting yourself a Senior academic promotion
Dr Aida Suarez-Gonzalez provides valuable tips for achieving senior academic promotions. Get the recognition you deserve.
Blog – More than a paper, co-designing a board game
How do you ensure your research findings have impact? Dr Clarissa Giebel tried a new approach, making research findings into a board game.
Blog – Isolation in Academia
Dr Yvonne Couch's blog emphasises the importance of mentoring in academia for mental health and academic success, advocating for compulsory mentoring programmes
Blog – Conference Countdown: Mastering the Art of Preparation
In this blog by Hannah Hussain, llearn how to prepare for a conference and when you get there, how to maximise your experience
Blog – Pivoting your research area
Dr Kamar Ameen-Ali shares her experience of pivoting research areas during postdoc positions, emphasising the importance of leveraging existing skills.
Blog – 5 things I wish I had known about writing up my PhD thesis
Beth Eyre gives tips for PhD thesis writing, emphasising routine, realistic expectations, separating writing and editing, and completion over perfection.
Blog – Why Dementia Patients Deteriorate in Hospital
In this blog Dr Sam Moxon shares his grandfather's experience of rapid dementia decline in hospital, emphasising the need for improved dementia care & support
Blog – Sustainable Travel to International Conferences
With the AAIC around the corner, Adam Smith talks about the importance of 'Carbon offsetting’ for conference travel, why you should, and how you can.
Blog – My experience as an LGBTQIA+ postgraduate & PhD student
As Pride Month comes to a close, Dr Jodi Watt shares some key key takeaways based on personal experience as a queer postgraduate student in science.
Blog – A Beginner’s Guide to Preparing for a Big Conference
This guide from Ajantha Abey provides strategies for maximising the conference experience - planning, prioritisation, effective networking, note-taking + more
Blog – Digital Biomarkers, A New Era in MND Research and Care
Mark Crook-Rumsey talks about his and the UKDRI work in Digital biomarkers, and their potential to revolutionise Motor Neuron Disease (MND) research.
Blog – Fading stars: disorder in the galaxy of the brain
Dr Chris Henstridge explores the connection between synapse loss, cognitive decline, and overlapping symptoms in Frontotemporal Dementia & Motor Neuron Disease
Blog – Are Sportspeople More Prone to MND?
Is there a link between contact sports, repetitive head trauma & diseases like Motor Neurone Disease & Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy? Dr Sam Moxon explores
Blog – UK Motor Neuron Disease Research Institute
Dr Jane Haley, Director of Research from MND Scotland discusses the launch of the new UK MND Research Institute -accelerating the hunt for new treatments.
Blog – Searching for the ‘whole’ scientist, juggling academia
Dr Gaia Brezzo discusses the struggle of balancing multiple aspects of an academic career, and the importance of taking time for higher-level thinking.
Blog – Visiting other research labs, a personal reflection
Dr Anna Volkmer talks about visiting other labs as a valuable opportunity to enable collaboration, inspiration & personal growth, providing fresh perspectives.
Blog – Where LGBTQIA+ identities intersect with dementia
Dr Jodi Watt explores LGBTQIA+ identities & dementia research, highlighting the lack of inclusion & unique challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ people with dementia
Blog – Coding, Lessons from a Seamstress
Rebecca Williams talks to the parallels between sewing and coding, offering advice for beginners & encouraging you to embrace failure as part of the process.
Blog – How to Make a Female Professor
How do you get more female Professors? Feed the system with more female ECRs? Address the leaky pipeline? Or a big rethink? Dr Yvonne Couch explores
Blog – Navigating the aisles: Assessing dementia-friendliness of supermarkets
The blog discusses the assessment of a supermarket's dementia-friendliness, highlighting the challenges faced by people with dementia in navigating and shopping
Blog – How the ARC influenced my career in dementia research
Dr Clarissa Giebel explores how the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration helped her career, emphasising PPI, collaboration & opportunity to supervise ECRs
Blog – How does an idea turn into a clinical product?
Dr Sam Moxon explores the journey of turning an idea into a clinical product, emphasizing implementation, regulations, funding, and market research.
Blog – Conference Insights: Top 10 Takeaways in Dementia Research
Ajantha Abey shares insights from recent conferences: Therapeutic breakthroughs, biomarker revolution, digital innovation, spatial transcriptomics and more!
Blog – How to include people with dementia in research
New blog for Dementia Action Week providing practical strategies that researchers can adopt to support the inclusion of people living with dementia in research
Blog – Should you apply for a Lectureship?
Transitioning from a postdoc to Lectureship: Lessons learned and advice for aspiring academics on obtaining a permanent position. By Dr Kamar Ameen-Ali.
Blog – The many hats of a dementia researcher
Discover the Multifaceted World of Dementia Research in Beth Eyre's Blog. Uncover the Numerous Hats Worn by Researchers during Their PhD Journey.
Blog – Developing a Plan B
Unlock Your Potential: Plan B with Dr Yvonne Couch. Discover new career paths beyond academia. Embrace your skills, network, seize opportunities!
Blog – Weightlifting is only for your younger years, right? … Wrong!
Fight Sarcopenia: Lift Weights to Improve Your Health. Discover how resistance training benefits older adults' muscles, bones, heart, brain, and mood.
Blog – Back to Research
Learn about the Daphne Jackson Trsut Fellowships and hear how it has helped people return to research after an extended career break.
Blog – The Blot thickens; using Western Blotting in research
Unlock the secrets of Western Blotting! Dr Gaia Brezzo goes through the science, its use in small vessel disease, techniques & troubleshooting tips in this blog
Blog – Does my patient understand what my research study is about?
Are people with dementia and communication difficulties being omitted from research by the policy thats there to help them? Dr Anna Volkmer discusses consent.
Blog – Halving Social Care Reform Budget, what it means to dementia
Dr Clarissa Giebel discusses the potential impact of the governments new policy towards health and social care reform in the UK.
Blog – Non-pharmacological interventions
Dr Aida Suarez-Gonzalez provides tips for new researchers to the field of non-pharmacological interventions in dementia, to get you off to a good start
Blog – The Academic Exodus
Dementia Research and Academia in general has a leaky pipeline, but why? Is academia still a 'good job for life?' Dr Sam Moxon explores whats going wrong.
Blog – What is an ‘Early Career Researcher’?
With her recent appointment to the position of Lecturer Kam realised... that she lost her 'Early Career Researcher' Badge, so what defines you as an ECR?
Blog – Getting Involved in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Leadership
Dr Connor Richardson writes a personal and practical account of what working in EDI means, why he got involved and what they do.

