The Realist Lens - For Researchers Who Keep It Real
Episodes
Episode 23 - Lessons from Realist Evaluation in Global Health with Brynne Gilmore
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What makes realist evaluation so valuable in global health, and what does it take to apply it meaningfully?In this rich and reflective conversation, A...
Episode 22 — Realist Evaluation in a Time of Transformation with Robert Sandler
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Realist Lens, Alejandro is joined by Dr Robert Sandler, medical doctor and recent PhD graduate from the University of Sheffield...
Episode 21 — Keeping It Real Part-Time with Michele Wood
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Realist Lens, Alejandro is joined by Michele Wood, art psychotherapist in palliative care and part-time PhD researcher at Lanca...
Episode 20 —Realist Thematic Analysis with Gareth Wiltshire
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Realist Lens, Alejandro is joined by Dr Gareth Wiltshire, sociologist and critical realist scholar at Loughborough University, ...
Episode 19 - A Unicorn or an Oxymoron? The Realist Trial with Sebastian Lemire
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Realist Lens, Alejandro is joined by Sebastian Lemire, evaluator and methodological pluralist, to explore one of the most conte...
Episode 18 — Across Cultures and Contexts: Kerryn O’Rourke on Realist Interviewing, Equity & Methodological Coherence
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Realist Lens, Alejandro is joined by Dr Kerryn O’Rourke, public health researcher, realist evaluator, and Co-Lead of the Real...
Episode 17 — From Clinic to Complexity: Pragati Hebbar on Realist Thinking, Policy & Practice
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Alejandro is joined by Dr Pragati Hebbar, dentist, public health researcher, realist evaluator, and Assistant Director at the Institu...
Episode 16 — The Realist PhD Journey with Sara Dada
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Alejandro is joined by Dr. Sara Dada, global health researcher, newly appointed Ad Astra Fellow at University College Dublin, and the...
Episode 15 — The RAMESES standards with Joanne Greenhalgh
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Alejandro sits down with Professor Joanne Greenhalgh, one of the core members behind the RAMESES standards — the evolving benchmark...
Episode 14 – Which Configuration Should I Use? Insights with Esther de Weger & Natascha van Vooren
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alejandro sits down with Dr Esther de Weger and Dr Natascha van Vooren to unpack the evolving world of realist configurations, from the classic CMO (C...
Episode 13 – CMO Configurations: A Conversation with Andrew Harding
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alejandro sits down with Andrew Harding, Lecturer in Health Inequalities at Lancaster University, to unpack one of realist research’s most defining ...
Episode 12 - Thinking Like a Realist: A Conversation with Ray Pawson
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alejandro sits down with Ray Pawson, Emeritus Professor at the University of Leeds and one of the founding thinkers behind realist evaluation and real...
Episode 11 - Linking Context, Mechanisms, and Outcomes with Suzanne Jackson
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alejandro sits down with Suzanne Jackson, Associate Professor Emerita at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Suzanne has be...
Episode 10 - Building Programme Theory in Mental Health Education with Zoe McCormack
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alejandro sits down with Zoe McCormack, a PhD researcher at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, whose very first PhD paper, a realist review , h...
Episode 9 – Analytical Strategies in Realist Evaluation: Insights with Steffen Bohni
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you choose the right analytical strategy for a realistevaluation — and why does it matter so much?In this thoughtful and practical conversati...
Episode 8 – Generalisation in Realist Evaluation and Synthesis with Dimitri Renmans
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it really mean to generalise in realist research? How do we move from rich, contextual description to insights that are genuinely transferab...
Episode 7 - The Realist Interview with Ana Manzano
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is a realist interview, really? How do we design interviews and focus groups that go beyond collecting stories to actually testing and refining t...
Episode 6 - Making Realist Research Accessible with Kev Harris
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How can realist approaches become more accessible andimpactful for the communities they aim to serve? What does it mean to truly collaborate with prac...
Episode 5 - From Pharmacist to Realist: Learning to Embrace Complexity with Kristin Xenos
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this inspiring episode, Alejandro is joined by Kristin Xenos, a practising pharmacist, realist PhD researcher and cohost of the clinical pharmacy p...
Episode 4 – Realist Research in Action: Navigating the Healthcare Workforce with Ruth Abrams
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it really take to explore workforce issues in healthcare using a realist lens? How can research stay grounded when you're working with o...
Episode 3 - Retroduction and Realist Thinking with Justin Jagosh
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, Justin Jagosh—Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Realist Evaluation and Synthesis—joins the podcast to unpack ret...
Episode 2 – Ontology, Epistemology, and the Realist Lens with Ferdinand Mukumbang
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the "realist lens"? Why does philosophy matter when you’re trying to keep research real and practical? Join Alejandro and Assistan...
Episode 1 - What is realist research? Geoff Wong
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kick off The Realist Lens with Associate Professor Geoff Wong from Oxford as we dive into the foundations of realist research—what it is, why it mat...
Introduction Episode - Alejandro Argüelles Bullón
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this premiere episode, host Alejandro Argüelles Bullón shares the story behind The Realist Lens: why it was created, who it’s for, and what you...