🎅 Should Santa be Running a Research Lab? Festive Charity Debate

Dementia Researcher Vodcast

12/24/25

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62m

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This festive charity debate asks a question nobody saw coming but everyone had an opinion on. Would Santa Claus make a good principal investigator?

Recorded live in the Dementia Researcher Community, this Christmas special brings humour, sharp thinking, and real reflections on leadership, research culture, ethics, and academia.

The debate is hosted by Adam Smith and Dr Anna Volkmer.

Speaking for the motion is Rebecca Williams, PhD researcher exploring FTD and apathy.

Speaking against the motion is Dr Connor Richardson, Research Fellow working in data science, epidemiology, and machine learning in dementia research.

Through opening statements, rebuttals, and audience questions, the discussion ranges from logistics and mentorship to ethics, transparency, wellbeing, and what good leadership really looks like in research. While lighthearted on the surface, the debate reveals some very familiar academic tensions beneath the tinsel.

This episode was recorded as a charity event in support of Dementia UK and their Admiral Nurses, who provide vital support to people living with dementia and their families, especially during the Christmas period.

Thank you for listening, watching, and supporting dementia research and care.

A transcript of this show, links and show notes and profile on all our guests are available on our website at https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk.

If you prefer to watch rather than listen, you will find a video version of this podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on our website.

Leave us a tip:

https://dementia-researcher.captivate.fm/support

Follow us on social media:

Download and Register with our Community App:

https://www.onelink.to/dementiaresearcher

We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders: Alzheimer’s Association, Race Against Dementia, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

The views and opinions expressed by guests in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the producers, funders, or sponsors.

Subscribe to our sister show 'Dementia Researcher The Blogs':

https://podfollow.com/dementia-researcher-blogs

Previous Episode

Twelve Research Fails of Christmas 💥🧪

December 18, 2025

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61m

This festive special flips the script on polished papers and perfect protocols. Dr Fiona McLean is joined by Dr Ian Harrison, Dr Soraya Meftah, and Dr Kate Harris to share the research moments that did not go to plan but taught them far more than success ever could.

From ELISAs gone rogue and antibodies that refuse to behave, to admin systems that quietly derail months of planning, this episode is a reminder that real research is messy, unpredictable, and occasionally hilarious. The conversation moves easily between lab disasters, student supervision realities, near misses with fire, and the emotional rollercoaster of academic life.

It is light hearted, reassuring, and (hopefully) relatable. A permission slip to laugh, reflect, and remember that being wrong is often part of doing good science.

Merry Christmas from all of us!

Top takeaways

Most experiments do not fail, they redirect
Unexpected results often open better research questions
Rushing protocols almost always backfires
Admin failures can be as stressful as lab failures
Talking openly about what went wrong saves time and money
Students learn more from troubleshooting than from perfect results
Publishing negative findings can help an entire field
Being wrong is built into the scientific method
Giving yourself time and mental space matters
If no one was hurt, it is probably recoverable

A transcript of this show, links and show notes and profile on all our guests are available on our website at https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk.

If you prefer to watch rather than listen, you will find a video version of this podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on our website.

Leave us a tip:

https://dementia-researcher.captivate.fm/support

Follow us on social media:

Download and Register with our Community App:

https://www.onelink.to/dementiaresearcher

The views and opinions expressed by guests in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the producers, funders, or sponsors.

Subscribe to our sister show 'Dementia Researcher The Blogs':

https://podfollow.com/dementia-researcher-blogs

Next Episode

UKDRI Connectome Conference Highlights

January 10

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42m

This episode shares highlights from the UK Dementia Research Institute (UKDRI) Connectome Conference. Host Dr Anna Mallach is joined by Dr Dayne Beccano Kelly, Dr Beth Eyre, and Tom Adam to reflect on talks, posters, and discussions that stood out.

The conversation covers lived experience sessions, keynote talks, early career presentations, and how informal conversations and parallel sessions shaped ideas and potential collaborations. The episode offers a snapshot of the breadth of work presented across the institute and the importance of connecting people as well as science.

Find out more about the UKDRI:

https://www.ukdri.ac.uk/

Watch our YouTube Shorts Series, with conference attendees presenting their posters in under 3 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeUI1GHB4EvRFJl8tRC-wq5RxkDKF9twU

A transcript of this show, links and show notes and profile on all our guests are available on our website at https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk.

If you prefer to watch rather than listen, you will find a video version of this podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on our website.

Leave us a tip:

https://dementia-researcher.captivate.fm/support

Follow us on social media:

Download and Register with our Community App:

https://www.onelink.to/dementiaresearcher

The views and opinions expressed by guests in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the producers, funders, or sponsors.

Subscribe to our sister show 'Dementia Researcher The Blogs':

https://podfollow.com/dementia-researcher-blogs