Viva La Success: Acing Your PhD Thesis Defence
Dementia Researcher Vodcast
01/19/25
•37m
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In this episode of the Dementia Researcher Podcast, Dr Leah Fullegar discusses the PhD viva experience with three recent graduates who share their insights into the preparation and execution of their defences.
Join us to learn from the experiences of Dr Hannah Hussain, Dr Aisling Flynn, and Shalom Henderson, who bring diverse perspectives from their respective fields. Each guest shares valuable insights into the preparation techniques that aided them, as well as reflections on their personal experiences of the viva.
For anyone approaching their PhD defence or interested in understanding more about this crucial academic challenge, this podcast provides a comprehensive overview and practical advice.
Highlights:
- Expert Advice: Hear firsthand from those who've recently navigated their vivas, providing invaluable insights and tips tailored to succeeding in this critical academic challenge.
- Preparation Strategies: Learn effective strategies and practical steps for preparing for your viva, helping to boost your confidence and readiness.
- Real Experiences: Gain perspective from a diverse panel of recent PhD graduates who share their personal experiences, challenges faced, and how they overcame them.
- Empowerment: The episode offers encouragement and motivation, showing that success is achievable and that you can handle your viva with assurance.
- Community Support: Discover resources and support available through the Dementia Researcher community, enhancing your preparation journey and connecting you with a network of peers and experts.
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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:
- https://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
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- https://www.twitter.com/demrescommunity
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher
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Download and Register with our Community App:
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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
The Minds in Motion Podcast from Dementia Researcher in association with the NIHR Applied Research Collaborations and Alzheimer’s Society, brings together NIHR Dem Comm Research Fellows, to talk about their research and careers.
Over the next few months, we will be releasing the second series, hearing from five of the Dem Comm Fellows each taking e a turn as co-host and guest. Alongside the researchers we have the incredible Trevor Salomon, Alzheimer’s Society Volunteer & Chair of the European Dementia Carers Working Group as our permanent co-host and anchor.
In show Trevor is joined by the guest from our previous show Dr Olivia Luijnenburg from King’s College London and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South London to interview Dr Elisabeth (Lis) Grey.
Lis works in the NIHR ARC West and University of Bristol. Lis is interested in how people with neurodegenerative disorders experience health and care services and is working on developing ways to improve services and support people to live well with these conditions. Lis has had a varied research career – from health services quality and delivery, through public health interventions and social care, and now more secondary and community care. The common threads to this work are health communication – be that between professionals, patient and professional, or to the public – and intervention development and evaluation. Lis mainly uses qualitative methods, particularly interviewing, and she is always excited to hear people’s thoughts and experiences through her work.
Dem Comm is a 2 year programme funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research and the Alzheimer's Society. It supports a new generation of dementia research leaders, bringing together researchers from different multidisciplinary backgrounds to encourage cross-cutting and community-orientated dementia research projects that can address key gaps in the evidence around dementia care and support, delivering transformative translational research.
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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:
- 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
ILBD Conference Highlights 2025 - Part Two
January 31, 2025
•53m
We're back with Part Two of our special highlights podcasts from the International Lewy Body Dementia Conference in Amsterdam!
This time, host Dr Sterre de Boer from Alzheimer’s Centre Amsterdam leads the discussion with our panellists Salomón Salazar-Londoño a Medical Student at Xavierian University, Colombia & ISTAART Ambassador, Dr Lauren Walker, Alzheimer’s Research UK Fellow at Newcastle University and Dr Felipe Botero Rodriguez a Psychiatrist & Researcher at Stavanger University Hospital, Norway.
In this episode, we explore some of the latest breakthroughs and pressing challenges in Lewy body dementia research, including:
- The state of DLB research in Latin America, highlighting gaps and opportunities
- Neuropathology & biomarker advances – What can pathology teach us about clinical symptoms?
- The "Body-First vs. Brain-First" debate – What comes first, and how does it impact diagnosis?
- The role of co-pathologies like Alzheimer’s disease and TDP-43 in DLB
- How international collaboration is shaping the future of dementia research
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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:
- 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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