The Biosocial Researcher

In the 5th episode of the Biosocial Researcher, I speak to Evangeline Tabor, a 3rd year PhD student at UCL. Evie combines her background in Anthropology with her interest in biosocial science to investigate the health of members of the LGBTQ+ community, with a particular focus on mental health and biomarkers. We discuss issues with the way information on sexuality is recorded in large datasets and plausible links between otherness and biological stress. We also talk about academic activism and question the importance of researcher impartiality when you're investigating something you care about deeply. You can follow the Biosocial Researcher on Twitter @TheBioSocialPod, or me @emma_s_walker and Evangeline @evietabor Instragram @TheBiosocialResarcher For a deeper dive into Evie's work check out their most recent collaborative publication on Multiple Minority Mental Health: http://tinyurl.com/bdhck9bc

In this episode, I interview Ramota Adelakun, a 2nd year interdisciplinary research PhD student at UCL. Ramota combines her expertise in microbiology and health policy to research and evaluate interventions for safe water in Bangladesh. We discuss the complex history of arsenic contamination in the Bangladesh, new systems based approaches to health policy and the challenges of being "plan-orientated".

In this episode I talk to Olivia Grant, a 3rd year bioinformatics PhD student at the University of Essex about how air pollution can change the ways our genes are expressed. We discuss social factors that influence exposure to pollution, the difficulties of teasing apart associations between pollution and smoking, and the importance of getting out your comfort zone.

Charlotte Campbell is a 3rd year social epidemiology PhD student at UCL, she tells me about her work on health ageing. We discuss whether chronic inflammation could link social isolation and poorer health outcomes in older age, confidence and happiness during a PhD and finding an academic home in between disciplines.

In this first episode, I talk to (soon to be Dr.) Megan Arnot, a final year Biological Anthropology PhD student about why humans have menopause, the importance of biosocial research and managing life when you're doing a PhD.