Naturally Speaking
Episodes
Episode 102 – A Field Course on Tropical Marine Biology
18 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Dr. Dave Bailey and undergraduate students Youssra Bennadji and Lauren Wilson speak with Naturally Speaking’s John Smout and Carolin...
Episode 101 – What shapes perception of risk in horse racing?
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Join Hollie French and Holly Niven in this episode as they sit down with Jessie McCarthy and Euan Bennet to discuss how different stakeholders perceiv...
EPISODE 100 – A Field course on the Conservation of African Ecosystems
01 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Dr. Oskar Brattstrom and undergraduate students Bridget Nielsen and Katie Mulholland speak with Naturally Speaking’s Anders Erla...
Episode 99 – Balancing Parenthood and a PhD (Part 2)
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Parenting can be a full-time job, and so can pursuing a PhD. For those wearing both hats, how do you manage them effectively? If you are navigating th...
Episode 98 – Horse Racing: Fatal injuries, risk factors and evidence-based interventions
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Holly Niven and Taya Forde speak with Euan Bennet, Lecturer in Research and Numerical Skills at the University of Glasgow and expert ...
Episode 97 – Balancing Parenthood and a PhD (Part 1)
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Balancing Parenthood and a PhD: when your research proposal isn’t the only thing keeping you up at night! What happens when two major life chall...
Episode 96 – Glasgow’s Seizure Clinic: supporting pets and their owners
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Taya Forde speaks with Jos Bongers – a veterinary clinician specializing in neurology. She tells us all about the University of...
Episode 95- On Evolution and Engagement
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Naturally Speaking, PhD students Mar Pineda and Nic Strowbridge interview our 2024 Darwin Day speaker, Professor Rebecca Kilner FRS...
Are we using the right statistics?
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are we using the right statistics? It is a contentious question in science. Statistics may seem like a hard, objective discipline, but there are in fa...
EPISODE 94 – Celebrating International Day of Women in STEM
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The International Day of Women and Girls in STEM is on February 11th and celebrates the fantastic work of women and girls in STEM. Our University is f...
Episode 93 – Racial Inequality in Academia
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Paddy McCleave is joined by three amazing guests, Raheema Chunara, Maarya Omar, and Abimbola Abodunrin, to discuss racial inequality ...
How To Survive A Conference: A 10 Year Update
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Conferences are a major part of life in academia: they allow us to share our work, build collaborations, and find out more about the interesting work ...
Episode 91 – Seawilding: Scottish Native Oyster Restoration
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us will be familiar with the concept of ‘rewilding’, but what about ‘seawilding’? In this episode of Naturally Speakin...
Episode 90 – Whiffs of Wisdom: Exploring Smell, Scientific Writing & Teaching
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mar Pineda and Nic Strowbridge are joined by Professor Matthew Cobb from the University of Manchester. Professor Cobb is a researcher...
Episode 89 – Community Outreach: Engaging the public in your science
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Science communication is a vitally important component of research. It encourages community engagement and sharing of new discoveries, making exciting...
Episode 87 – Disease Ecology on Amsterdam Island: up close and personal with the albatross
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Taya Forde and Paddy McCleave are joined by Thierry Boulinier, a director of research at CNRS Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Ev...
10 years of Naturally Speaking: Part 1 – A look back at some of our favourite podcasts
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week Naturally Speaking turns 10 years old! Our first podcast was published on May 15th, 2012. Since then, we have published a total of 86 podcas...
Episode 86 – Animal welfare… on the sheep farm
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As consumers, we hope that the animals that provide our meat, milk, eggs, etc. are well cared-for and are kept in good welfare conditions. But what do...
Episode 85 – Dog phone and the dawn of the Doggoverse
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered what animal internet would look like? In this episode, Naturally Speaking’s Mohammad Saiful Islam Sajib and Taya Forde in...
Episode 84 – Animal welfare… on the dairy farm
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Feature image courtesy of Eleanor Duncan, 2022 Don’t forget you can subscribe to automatically receive all our latest content, or just our ...
Episode 83 – Thar She Blows! How and why whales and other large animals wash up on the Scottish coastline, and how you can help
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered what it’s like inside a dead whale? In this podcast Masters student Sreedevi Gummuluri and Senior Research Fellow, Lucy Gilbert talk t...
Episode 82 – Curating entomology
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, recent Masters graduate Emma Plant interviews Jeanne Robinson, the Hunterian Museum’s curator of entomology. Tune in to hear ab...
Climate change research at IBAHCM
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Leading up to the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, which will be held in Glasgow between October 31 and November 12, 2021, the Naturally Speaking t...
Episode 80 – A bird in the hand
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In our latest interview, Joey Humble and Taya Forde chat with Paul Baker – a Lecturer in Biological and Biomedical Sciences from Glasgow Caledon...
Episode 79- Biodiversity on campus
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered who plants the wildflowers on campus? Or how many species you might spot on a walk around Glasgow? In this episode, Natur...
Episode 78 – Exmoor ponies join the University of Glasgow
29 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Efforts to return Scotland’s land to a more natural state could be spurred on by an unlikely helper: an independent, hardy and terribly cute bre...
Episode 77 – Researching plastic: from turtles, sea birds and mussels, to the economics of it all
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Plastic seems to be everywhere. In this podcast, Naturally Speaking’s Dr Keila Meginnis, Dr Lucy Gilbert, and Eleni Christoforou, joined by Inst...
Episode 76 – Economics and the environment: an exclusive interview with Professor Nick Hanley
09 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
  Economics is not something usually associated with an “Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine”. Professo...
Episode 75 – Killing them softly
01 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Killing them softly The welfare of farm animals is an issue very much in the public eye. While we often think about welfare in terms of animals’...
Episode 74- Falkland foxes
30 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Naturally Speaking, Mar Pineda catches up with fellow Masters of Research (MRes) student Bugge Vick to talk about some of his fi...
Episode 73 – A genomic approach to conservation
18 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Species at being lost at an alarming rate around the world. Luckily, there are large-scale efforts underway to document and utilize population genetic...
Episode 72 – An EPIC Undertaking
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We hope that the UK will never see another major livestock disease outbreak such as foot and mouth disease or avian influenza. But if we do, we will b...
Episode 71 – All things being equal
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Visiting speaker and workshop facilitator Dr Ana Payo Payo speaks about her research on migratory birds and her involvement in promoting equal opportu...
Episode 70 – International Women’s Day
01 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For International Women’s Day this year, the Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine celebrated with a special socia...
Episode 69 – SalmoSim: The creation of an artificial salmon gut
26 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The aquaculture industry is growing at a rapid rate, but our understanding of the factors that contribute to fish ‘performance’ – that is, how t...
Episode 68 – Predictive Power: How sequence data and computers can help to find viral reservoirs
11 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine being able to predict the reservoir species for a newly-found virus just from its genetic code. Using cutting edge machine learning techniques...
Podcast Series: The RRS Discovery – Episode 2
23 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 2: What lies beneath? Join us again aboard the Royal Research Ship Discovery, cruising towards the mid-Atlantic to an area known as the Charli...
Episode 66: The secret life of the Zoology Museum
18 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast celebrates the past, present and future of the Hunterian Zoology Museum located in the Graham Kerr Building at the University of Glasgow....
Episode 65: Making Connections – linking data on biodiversity
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine researcher Prof Rod Page was recently awarded the Ebbe Nielsen prize for his propo...
Episode 64: Battling the Bugs – the search for creative solutions to mosquito control
01 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Malaria – a disease transmitted between people by mosquitoes – remains a major cause of death globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa...
Podcast Series: The RRS Discovery – Episode 1
08 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 1: The Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone On the 6th June 2017, an international team of scientists led by Dr. Ewan Wakefield departed Southampton on...
Episode 62: Pint of Science
03 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We are highlighting this archived episode in celebration of Pint of Science, which will be held this coming week, May 20-22, 2019: https://pintofscien...
Episode 61: Linked Migrations
11 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 61: Linked Migrations “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” but nature has the magical ability to charm everyone. Scientists want to kno...
Episode 60: Extending Evolution, an Interview with Prof. Sonia Sultan.
05 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Every year on the 12th of February, Charles Darwin’s birthday, the scientific community recognises Darwin Day. This is a celebration of evolutionary...
Episode 59: Resilience in Academia
15 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 59: Resilience in Academia It’s unlikely that anyone has ever said that a career in academic research is easy. It is highly competitive,...
Episode 58: Lumped together – explaining species co-existence
19 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 58: Lumped together – explaining species co-existence The competitive exclusion principle states that in the long term, the number of sp...
Episode 57: Of mice and microbes
07 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 57: Of Mice and microbes Are parasites always harmful? How diverse are the microbial communities living within individual hosts? These are que...
Episode 56: Seasonal Cheer at IBAHCM
21 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 56: Seasonal Cheer at IBAHCM Every year in December, the Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine takes a look back o...
Episode 55: “Recent” IBAHCM Highlights
17 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 55: “Recent” IBAHCM Highlights Autumn seems to have run away with us… just too many exciting things happening! In this episo...
Episode 54: IBAHCM’s May and June Highlights
19 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Listen in as James Burgon, Laurie Baker, Stephen Larcombe, Taya Forde and Karen Hotopp talk about the publications, staff advancements and other excit...
Episode 53: IBAHCM’s April Highlights
24 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Join us in another celebration of the Institute as we look back at the highlights from the month of April (2017). Listen as Laurie Baker, Taya Forde, ...
Episode 52: Host to host: How conservation management can influence the risk of Lyme disease
09 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Naturally Speaking, Dr Caroline Millins and Dr Roman Biek from the Institute, along with Prof. Des Thompson from Scottish Natural H...
Episode 51: Nature’s Greatest Theatre: Ecology and Disease in Yellowstone
26 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Playing out one of nature's greatest theatres are grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, cougars, elk, and bison in the greater yellowstone ecosystem. A ...
Episode 49: How smart are fish?
22 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Fish may be more intelligent than you realise—from their ability to form complicated 3D mind maps, to learning to visually discriminate among over 4...
Episode 48: Sweden’s Avian Renaissance Man—Conversations with Professor Jan-Ake Nilsson
08 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There are many ways to study life strategies of small passerines. Professor Jan-Ake Nilsson of the University of Lund sat down with us to talk about h...
Episode 47: Years Reflections (and Happy Holidays)
22 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
As the year draws to a close, Naturally Speaking’s Laurie Baker, Taya Forde, Karen Hotopp and James Burgon reflect upon the highlights of another gr...
Episode 46: The Leaky Host Barrier
30 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Prof Ruth Zadoks tells us about her research into the factors that can allow disease-causing bacteria to make the jump between species.
Episode 45: Eye of the Tiger
16 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we speak to wildlife ecologist (and field veterinarian) Dr Martin Gilbert to learn about his PhD research on a deadly virus affecting ...
Episode 44: Her Majesty’s Caecilian Collector
02 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A voracious appetite for books and an unlikely encounter with a strange animal in a petshop led Dr Mark Wilkinson (from the Natural History Museum in ...
Episode 43: Living with anthrax in Africa
13 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What is life like in an anthrax-endemic area of Tanzania? Join our anthrax research team on a journey to Maasai communities of the Ngorongoro Conserva...
Episode 42: Against the Tide—A dialogue with Rita Colwell about shifting paradigms
06 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Naturally Speaking Shorts, Taya Forde and Karen Hotopp catch up with distinguished Professor Rita Colwell, of the University of Mar...
Episode 41: Conversations with an R Jedi
21 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
FEATURED: Our most visited post of 2016 – In this episode of Naturally Speaking Shorts Laurie Baker speaks to R-guru Hadley Wickham, Chief Scientist...
Episode 40: The sex life – or lack of it – of Trypanosomes.
19 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 40 The sex life – or lack of it – of Trypanosomes: Interview with Dr Willie Weir “Zero Sex is a Killer” “BugR...
Episode 39: Evolution unwrapped—Investigating diversity with Walter Salzburger
27 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Evolution plays a central role in the field of zoology, with new questions to be chased and an ever expanding field of research. In this Naturally Spe...
Episode 38: Sparking ideas—the creative minds building bioelectronics for biologists
24 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
“Technology provides the tools and biology the problems” – Stanley Fields   Episode 38: Sparking ideas-the creative...
Episode 37: What does Darwin mean to you?
12 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A special #DarwinDay podcast where we asked five of our Institute PhD students (each of whose work builds on evolutionary theory) ‘what does Darwin ...
Episode 36: What’s in it for the bird? Extra-pair mating and inbreeding in Song Sparrows
28 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Bird researcher, Prof. Jane Reid, never set out to become an academic, in fact, she tried her very best not to. Having developed an interest in birds ...
Episode 35: Masters of Science—Mastering Research
14 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the third and final episode in our special three-part series of podcasts: “MASTERS OF SCIENCE (and Research)”. Here, Naturally Speaking...
Episode 34: Masters of Science—Time to get ethical
16 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the second episode in a three-part series of podcasts we like to call “MASTERS OF SCIENCE (and Research)”. Here, Naturally Speaki...
Episode 33: Masters of Science—Quantifying life
03 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the first in a three-part series of podcasts we like to call “MASTERS OF SCIENCE (and Research)”. Here, Naturally Speaking’s James Bu...
LISTEN AGAIN (Episode 13): The Science of Jurassic Park
18 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
“Dinosaurs and man, two species separated by sixty-five million years of evolution have just been suddenly thrown back into the mix together. How ca...
Episode 32 – Nature’s Greatest Masterpiece
05 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have a complex relationship and checkered history with elephants. Once the revered subjects of myths and legends, elephants have increasingly...
Episode 31 – At the Helm of chronobiology
26 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
At the Helm of chronobiology Why do we wake up early on our days off? Or notice it is almost lunchtime after our stomachs emit a rumble of hunger? Lik...
Episode 30 – Earth, Wind, Water, Fire. . . and Competition?
12 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Earth, Wind, Water, Fire. . . and Competition? Understanding tree community dynamics across the savanna landscape. Have you ever wondered why trees gr...
Episode 29 – How to Survive Your Viva, Revisited
29 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode we revisit the topic that we examined in our first ever episode of Naturally Speaking—the dreaded PhD viva (also known ...
Episode 28 – At war with worms: an interview with nematode parasitologist Collette Britton
15 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Globally around one billion people are infected by parasitic nematodes, and their impact on livestock can be devastating. For millennia, parasites and...
Episode 27 – Adventures in Statistics: An Interview with Paul Johnson
01 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this Episode, statistician and population geneticist Paul Johnson (@PaulCDJo) of the University of Glasgow tells Shaun Killen (@shaunkillen) about ...
Episode 26 – Infected by the science bug: from fungal frogs to badger culls
18 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Infected by the science bug: from fungal frogs to badger culls Scientists tend to be nosy, curious, and can’t help themselves asking “why?” …...
Episode 25 – The Problem with P-Values
03 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
It is difficult to find a scientific paper that does not include p-values in some capacity. Most often, p-values are used to statistically interpret w...
Episode 24 – Ian Ramsey vs. canine Cushing’s disease
21 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In our College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences we have a brilliant and diverse group of veterinary researchers who split their time betw...
Episode 23 – Trash Talk: the effect of urbanisation and agriculture on animal diseases
29 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Human activities can dramatically alter the types, abundance, and distribution of resources—such as food—available to wildlife. A growing number o...
Episode 22 – Small, beautiful and wet: researching freshwater invertebrate communities
22 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
What happens to a river when it is polluted or invaded by non-native species? Can they be restored to their previous state or are the communities and ...
Episode 20 – Where the land runs forever: Fifty years studying the Serengeti ecosystem
09 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Known for its vastness and incredible wildebeest migration, the Serengeti ecosystem in East Africa continues to captivate both tourists and scientists...
Episode 19 – Ecology of Ageing and Immunity, Interview with Mark Haussmann and Simon Babayan
01 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this instalment of Naturally Speaking Shorts we present a double-interview as Shaun Killen chats with Prof Mark Haussmann (Bucknell University) an...
Episode 18 – On the Wings of a Giant, Interview with Richard Phillips (British Antarctic Survey)
25 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first in our series of Naturally Speaking Shorts where we interview visiting and IBAHCM researchers about their work and how they ended up...
Special – The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (Naturally Speaking with theGIST)
17 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first in our series of joint podcasts with theGIST, a student science magazine, blog, podcast and YouTube channel run by students from the...
Episode 17 – Social Media and Science Communication
11 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 17 – Social Media and Science Communication In the latest instalment in our Survivor’s Guide to Academia, we discuss how researche...
Episode 16 – Gender inequality in Science
20 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This latest episode of the Naturally Speaking podcast explores the increasingly prominent issue of gender inequality in science and engineering. With ...
Episode 15 – The Science of Jaws: from shark attacks to marine biology!
17 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we feature a Q&A discussion that followed a recent screening of the 1975 film Jaws held at the Glasgow film theatre as part of th...
Episode 14 – Linking science and policy
20 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
FEATURED: Our most visited post of 2014 – in this episode we chat to colleagues across the Institute about how they've successfully communicated sci...
Episode 13 – The Science of Jurassic Park
27 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
This episode marks the first in a series in which we discuss the science behind some of our favourite science fiction movies. Why start with Jurassic ...
Episode 12 – Research Roundup: Bacteria in Chicken Eggs, Antioxidants and Lifespan, and Maternal Effects on Growth in Salmon
27 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this Research Roundup episode we summarise three recent research papers published by Institute members. First we discuss Maureen Bain’s recent wo...
Episode 11 part 2: The Science of Zombies Studio Chat and Follow up!
24 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In the second part of this episode, James Grecian, James Buckley, and Shaun Killen are joined by institute PhD student Darryl McLennan to expand on so...
Episode 11 part 1: The Science of Zombies Live Show!
24 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this very special episode we chat about the science of zombie-ism! Could zombies actually exist? Do zombies sleep? We discuss all this and more! Th...
Episode 10 – Understanding Infectious Disease
01 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Hello and welcome to our 10th podcast! In this episode we talk with Jo Halliday and Sunny Townsend about their research into epidemiology, the study o...
Episode 9 – Spatial Ecology Spectacular
29 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
How do we understand and quantify the way animals move and interact with their environment? In the first podcastt of 2013 we talk with Grant Hopcraft ...
Episode 8 – How to get research funding
19 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
In the last podcast of 2012 we discuss how to source research funding and how to write successful grant proposals. Tune in for some top tips and advic...
Episode 7 – Fish Evolutionary Biology, Physiology, and Schooling Behaviour
21 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
After a bit of a hiatus during the summer we’re back with a somewhat fish-themed episode in which we talk with two new faculty members in the In...
Episode 6 – Research Round Table: Foraging Gannets, Stickleback Growth, and Self-Fertilization
29 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
In this Research Round Table episode we discuss three recent research papers from within the institute: a paper by James Grecian and colleagues examin...
Episode 5 – How to Survive a Conference
17 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
With several big conferences rapidly approaching, many students will find themselves at their first scientific conference this summer! In this editi...