Turning Points

 Duncan Astle is the Gnodde Goldman Sachs Professor of Neuroinformatics at the University of Cambridge, and leads a research group focussing on how the brain develops through childhood and adolescence. In recent years Duncan has pioneered some really exciting methods for modelling how brain networks develop over time. In this episode, Duncan tells us about his last minute decision to study psychology, his experiences being a first generation student at university, what it means to 'get' academia, the importance of creativity in science, how he thinks about managing people in his lab who know more than him, what being a Professor of Neuroinformatics really means, and much more…

Dr Camilla Nord leads the Mental Health Neuroscience Lab at the University of Cambridge. Her research investigates the brain mechanisms causing poor mental, and Camilla has particularly championed the importance of understanding how the brain interacts with other systems in the body, like the gut, immune system and metabolism. Recently, she published her first popular science book, 'The Balanced Brain: the science of mental health'.  In this episode, Camilla talks to us about her experiences of competition in academia, how she developed her own research ideas, the importance of mentorship in her career, the experience of writing a book while still at an early stage, and much more...

 Michael Coleman is the van Geest Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge. He leads a research group investigating the mechanisms underlying axon degeneration, and how these contribute to diseases like ALS, traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer's disease. Michael has also recently launched a blog, 'Science Without Anguish', which is a guide to doing great research and enjoying academia. In this episode, Michael tells us about his experiences of being scooped, grant decisions that have gone against him, the tipping point where working harder becomes self-defeating, and much more… Check out Michael's blog, Science Without Anguish, at https://www.sciencewithoutanguish.com/

Dr Amy Orben is a Programme Leader at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge. Here, she leads the Digital Mental Health group and her research focuses on the intersection of digital technologies and mental health. In this episode, Amy tells us about social media, shaping your career, research quality, investing in skills, public engagement, thinking big, deciding whether or not to stay in academia, and much more...

Dr Lucy Foulkes is a Research Fellow in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, where she conducts research looking at teenage mental health, and particularly the possible negative consequences of increased public mental health awareness. She's also recently published her second popular science book, titled "Coming of age: How adolescence shapes us".  In this episode, Lucy talks to us about feeling lost as an early career researcher, the challenge of failing to win an early career fellowship and feeling like she'd missed the boat as a result. She tells us about her decision to leave academia and write her first popular science book 'What mental illness really is', before making the unusual step of returning to research once again. We cover the importance of good science communication, the role of luck and serendipity in her career, and much more…

Dr Kate Baker is a neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge. She leads a research programme  looking at rare genetic disorders that affect brain development, and is also a medical doctor, specialising in clinical genetics.   Being both a medic and a scientist can be a challenge. Why is it important that we have clinician scientists who combine both roles? How do you know whether research is for you, and how do you navigate these two different worlds?    In this episode, Kate tells us about the excitement of being taught medicine by world-leading researchers, the importance of seizing early opportunities to get involved in research, the generosity of her early mentors, the pain of fellowship rejection, the value of being told she needed to work out her scientific identity, and much more...