31. Everything You Need To Know About Scientific Research: Why This Matters (And Why Now?)

On episode 31 of A Chat with Uma, I launch my ‘Everything You Need To Know About Scientific Research’ series by sharing an overview of what I aim to cover in the coming episodes within this series, and the personal and professional lenses that bring me to this conversation. I talk through the current crises facing scientific research, how they are affecting research (including me) at this very moment, and why this is relevant to EVERYONE. I discuss my professional and personal background, and how my unique vantage point—spanning biomedical research, lived experience mental health advocacy, and science communication—positions me to see the urgent gaps and challenges facing biomedical research, including major funding cuts and widespread misinformation, and the steps we can take to bridge these gaps.

This episode shares my motivations, the prerequisites I hope you will integrate before diving into future episodes, and the importance of good faith, mutual respect, and respectful dialogue in navigating these current crises. I overview upcoming topics, invite you to contribute your questions to this series, and share my hopes of us ALL working together toward the shared mission of advancing human health.

Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):

(00:00:00) —  Introduction & purpose of the series

(00:12:28) Essential caveats & prerequisites to this episode & series

(00:22:25) – My background & intersecting expertises relevant to this conversation: science, lived experience, advocacy, and science communication

(00:49:24) – Naming the current crises in research & its devastating impacts

(00:58:11) – Why I believe these crises are happening AND how I think we can help fix them; The direct impacts on me and my own research

(01:11:43) — Why I need YOUR help to co-create this series: How you can contribute to this & support science!

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