Twelve Research Fails of Christmas 💥🧪
Dementia Researcher Vodcast
12/18/25
•61m
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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
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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:
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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':
Previous Episode
Beyond the Pill: Methodology in Dementia Clinical Trials
December 5, 2025
•46m
In this episode of the Dementia Researcher podcast we look at how dementia clinical trials reach far beyond medicines. Host Dr Annalise Rahman Filipiak speaks with Dr Elizabeth Rhodus, Dr Inga Antonsdottir, and Dr Elisa França Resende about entering the field, working with behavioural and community based interventions, and learning the skills needed to deliver rigorous, reproducible studies that still respect the individual needs of participants.
The guests discuss their routes into trials, what surprised them, what they wish they had known earlier, and how mentorship and collaboration shaped their progress. They touch on trial design, regulatory processes, cultural considerations, and the value of early career networks that support researchers across different countries.
Topics covered
- What early career researchers find challenging about trial methods
- Working in homes and communities
- Designing sensory and environmental interventions
- Literacy based trials in Brazil and issues of inclusion
- Mentorship, networks and training programmes
- Trial rigour, manuals, assessments and reproducibility
- Regulatory hurdles and timeframes
- Practical advice for researchers wanting to deliver a trial as part of their research
--
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:
- https://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
- https://www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/
- https://www.twitter.com/demrescommunity
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher
- https://bsky.app/profile/dementiaresearcher.bsky.social
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':
Next Episode
🎅 Should Santa be Running a Research Lab? Festive Charity Debate
December 24, 2025
•62m
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:
- https://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
- https://www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/
- https://www.twitter.com/demrescommunity
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher
- https://bsky.app/profile/dementiaresearcher.bsky.social
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':
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