Let's get Physiological – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Is a culture of harassment and intimidation growing in research institutions across the UK? And if so, why? That’s the big question we’re asking in this episode as we consider what makes bullying in academia so prevalent and discuss what institutions can do to get on top of the issue.   

Join Eleanor Newton as she speaks to Jelke Boesten, professor in Gender and Development at King's College London and co-author of the paper ‘Bullying and Harassment in Research and Innovation Environments’. And Nicki Eyre, Managing Director of anti-bullying consultancy Conduct Change.

Find out more about becoming a member of The Physiological Society here. 

The Physiological Society is Europe’s largest community of physiologists and we have been supporting our members to change the world with physiology for 150 years.

In some ways a career in academia comes with the expectation that you’ll move around to wherever the research takes you. But the prospect of moving to another town, or even another country, can be daunting, even for the most adventurous amongst us. This week we hear the experience of one professor who moved his family from the UK to Ireland in the middle of a global pandemic. Plus, we get insight from a relocation specialist who says the prospect of moving doesn’t have to be a daunting one. 

Join Eleanor Newton as she speaks to Professor Christopher Torrens, associate Professor in Physiology and Physiology Education at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. And Natalie Trice, award winning coach, public speaker and the author of ‘How to Relocate: The Ultimate Guide to Starting Over Successfully’. 

Find out more about becoming a member of The Physiological Society here. 

The Physiological Society is Europe’s largest community of physiologists and we have been supporting our members to change the world with physiology for 150 years.

In this brand new series of Let’s Get Physiological, a podcast by The Physiological Society, we explore the stories of the real people working in physiology, science and academia.

We delve into some of the biggest questions the community faces including how to deal with grant disappointment, what it takes to set up your own lab and how to juggle parenthood with life as an academic.  

On the line up are some of the country's leading physiologists, professors and researchers as they share their real world experience and expertise with us. We also get fascinating insight from guests such as Reggie Nelson, author of the book  “Opening Doors” who shares his unbelievable story of searching for a mentor by knocking on the doors of wealthy West Londoners. And Bruce Daisley, an expert in workplace culture and the voice behind the ‘Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat’ Podcast. 

Join your host, Eleanor Newton for bi-weekly episodes, available wherever you listen to your podcasts. 

You can find out more about becoming a member of The Physiological Society here.

In the final episode of the series, Emily and Amy explore areas of physiology relevant to life in lockdown. They speak to Ben Maylor and Greg Biddle (University of Leicester, UK) about how sedentary behaviour can affect your health, and Susan Lanham-New (University of Surrey, UK) about how life in lockdown could lead to a Vitamin D deficiency.  

They also discuss: Which currency is the worst when it comes to spreading bacteria? Will we all come out of lockdown with Rapunzel length hair? And do animals get bored?

Amy and Emily speak to Martina Quaggiotto (University of Glasgow, UK) about the science behind an interactive e-learning presentation that she has developed called ‘How smart are fish’, and Lucy Hawkes (University of Exeter, UK) about the amazing physiology of birds.

They also discuss: Do bears really hibernate? Can animals talk? And how an experiment involving frogs wearing trousers helped scientists learn about reproduction.

You can access the e-learning presentation 'How smart are fish?' here.

Emily and Amy speak to Doris Bamiou (UCL Ear Institute, UK) about the vestibular system and how it provides our brain with information about where our body is in space, and Raymond Reynolds (University of Birmingham, UK) about what can happen when things go wrong with our vestibular system. 

They also discuss: Dizziness in discus and hammer throwers, why some people feel nauseous when watching 3D films, and do blind people have better hearing than sighted people? 

In this special episode, Amy and Emily speak to Caroline Jolley (King's College London, UK and King's College Hospital, UK), Dean Willis (University College London, UK) and Georgina Ellison-Hughes (King’s College London, UK) about the novel coronavirus. They discuss the role of physiologists in the COVID-19 crisis and explore some possible avenues for developing treatments for the disease, including drug repurposing and mesenchymal stem cell transplants. 

Emily and Amy speak to Jennifer Ngo-Anh (European Space Agency), Colleen Deane (University of Exeter, UK) and Jim Pawelczyk (Penn State University, US) about the physiological challenges of space travel (and possibly living on Mars!).

They also discuss: How long can a human stuck on Mars survive off potatoes? The ultimate cure for snoring, and the strange link between autonomous cars, locusts and star wars.  

Amy and Emily speak to Lydia Simpson (Bangor University, UK) about her research into populations living at high altitude, and James Clark (King's College London, UK) about what happens to our bodies during diving. 

They also discuss: How physiologically accurate is the shark film 47 Meters Down? Can being at high altitude lead to weight loss? And the weird and wonderful world of projectile penguin poo. 

Emily and Amy speak to Alistair Black (Leeds Beckett University, UK) about his research into carbohydrate metabolism during exercise, and Barbara Cannon (Stockholm University, Sweden) about brown adipose tissue. 

They also discuss: Could Violet Beauregarde really have turned into a blueberry in Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory? Does eating breakfast kick-start your metabolism? And how can our body tell if a crisp is stale?