UCL Minds

Dec 08 2024 500 ep. 36 mins 1.2k

UCL Minds Podcast artwork

UCL (University College London) is consistently ranked among the world's top ten universities (QS World University Rankings 2010 - 2021). Our excellence extends across all academic disciplines, from one of the world's foremost centres for research and teaching in the biological sciences to world-renowned centres for architecture (UCL Bartlett), education (UCL IOE) and fine art (UCL Slade School). UCL is London's leading multidisciplinary university, with more than 13,000 staff and 43,000 students from 150 different countries. Founded in 1826 in the heart of London, UCL was the first university in England to welcome students of any religion and the first to welcome women on equal terms with men. UCL Minds brings together UCL’s knowledge, insights, and ideas through events, activities, and digital content open to everyone. Find out what’s on UCL Minds: www.ucl.ac.uk/minds

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Lunch Hour Lecture | From gene deserts to druggable pathways in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Dec 08 2024 52 mins

Genetic discovery in inflammatory bowel disease has been incredibly successful. This provides a unique opportunity to understand what goes wrong when people develop disease, which in turn could identify better treatment targets. Yet most of this potential remains unrealised, as moving from where genetic associations lie to an understanding of how they drive disease is a formidable

Politicising Memory: Evidence from Ukraine

Dec 04 2024 34 mins

We’re familiar with the idea that history shapes contemporary politics, but what about the reverse? How do today’s political dynamics influence the way we remember the past? In this episode, we explore a compelling study that examines this question in the context of Ukraine—a country caught between conflicting historical narratives from Russia and the West. Since Russia’s

Lies, politicians, and social media: Should we fact check politicians?

Dec 04 2024 30 mins

Social media plays a significant role in shaping political debates and, some argue, even influencing election outcomes. Politicians increasingly use platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to communicate directly with the public and run their campaigns. However, this unfiltered communication can sometimes spread misinformation or undermine democratic values. A prime example is incomin

Policing The Permacrisis

Dec 04 2024 34 mins

In recent years, policing in England and Wales has appeared to be trapped in a cycle of crisis. From high-profile scandals to criticisms of operational standards, concerns about the police’s role and conduct have intensified. Perhaps most shockingly, a serving police officer was convicted of the murder of Sarah Everard, a tragedy that underscored the urgent need for accountabilit

Unpaid Reparations And Expropriation

Dec 04 2024 28 mins

There have been longstanding calls for reparations to address the profound injustices of colonialism and compensate for the vast extraction of resources from colonized nations. However, with few recent exceptions, these demands for reparations have largely been ignored by the former colonial powers. So, what comes next? Over the past two decades, renewed interest in colonial repar

French Social Democracy In Turmoil

Dec 04 2024 36 mins

In a turbulent political summer, few surprises were greater than that caused by French president Emmanuel Macron’s decision in June to call early parliamentary elections. Macron’s party had just been trounced in the European Parliament elections; and victory for the far right seemed likely. In the end, thanks to some last minute deals, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally did not w

Mission-Driven Bureaucrats

Dec 03 2024 41 mins

Episode Summary This week we’re looking at how to improve public services. How can bureaucracies best be managed to deliver positive outcomes? Does compliance get in the way of building trust between citizens and governments? Episode Notes The state of public services is a pressing issue both in the UK and globally. News headlines are frequently dominated by stories of chronic f

Lunch Hour Lecture | From threat to opportunity: putting health at the centre of our response to climate change

Dec 01 2024 60 mins

This lunch hour lecture will cover the latest findings of the Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change, a UCL-led project bringing together over 300 researchers from around the globe.

Dissecting the 2024 US Election

Nov 28 2024 35 mins

This week we’re looking at the elections in the United States. Donald Trump has won; the Democrats have been comprehensively defeated. What explains the result? And what are the implications – for the US and the wider world? Episode Notes One week after the US elections, Donald Trump has claimed victory, securing the presidency, the Senate, and almost certainly – though not y

Gynaecological Cancers and HPV

Nov 28 2024 26 mins

Today's episode hosted by Olivia, features Miss Adeola Olaitan, who is a Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist, for a discussion on gynaecological cancers and Human papilloma virus (HPV). We discuss the five different types of gynaecological cancers, including: ovarian cancer, uterine or endometrial (womb) cancer, cervical cancer, vaginal and vulval cancer. Adeola also describes the