STAMPEDE is a long-running trial in advanced prostate cancer, in which nearly 12,000 men have taken part. Thanks to its multi-arm multi-stage platform design, STAMPEDE has tested many different treatments and directly led to improvements in the standard of prostate cancer care several times. 

This Trial Talk podcast mini-series will explore the trial’s journey from its inception in the early 2000s to the end of patient recruitment in March 2023. 

Part 2 is about patient and public involvement (PPI) in the trial. David Matheson, a Reader at the University of Wolverhampton and STAMPEDE patient representative, shares his insight into the work this entails and why it is so important to champion the voices of patients. We also hear about PPI from the perspective of trial researchers, Max Parmar and Nick James.

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Further information is available on the STAMPEDE study page at www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk

For questions or feedback on the series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk

For more information and to access the transcript: bit.ly/3OQWhV8

As a listener, your opinion is very valuable to us. Please help us to improve the podcast in future by filling in this short survey: forms.office.com/e/PjfjQ5Mn6g

STAMPEDE (part 2): The role of the patient voice with David Matheson, Max Parmar & Nick James

Dr Mehiyar Kathem speaks with Dr Mohammed Jassim on rebuilding Mosul University’s Central Library after ISIS.

Date of episode recording: 2025-08-01
Duration: 24:08
Language of episode: English

Presenter:Mehiyar Kathem
Guests: Dr Mohammed Jassim
Producer: Mehiyar Kathem

Transcript link:  
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/nahrein/media/podcasts/transcript-conversation-dr-mohammed-jassim



MOSUL LIBRARY; REBUILDING KNOWLEDGE - A conversation with Dr Mohammad Jassim

Episode title: Ageing Playfully: Transforming perspectives on growing older

In this episode of Public Health Disrupted, host Rochelle Burgess is flying solo, and dives into the transformative power of play in the context of ageing. 

Joined by Rachel Colles, a professional performer and ‘Elderflower’ with Hearts and Minds, and Dr Carrie Ryan, a lecturer in Creative Health at UCL, the discussion explores how playfulness can disrupt conventional narratives surrounding ageing. Rochelle, Rachel, and Carrie challenge the societal tendency to associate play solely with childhood, revealing how embracing play in later life can foster joy, creativity, and meaningful connections. They share insights from their experiences, including engaging with people living with dementia and the profound impact of playful interactions (and bingo!) in care settings. 

The conversation highlights the importance of validating emotions, and how play serves as a vital public health intervention, encouraging a shift in perspective on ageing. This episode also touches on the significance of fostering genuine connections, ultimately advocating for a more playful approach to public health. 

Featured in this episode: 

Host: Rochelle Burgess – Community Health Psychologist and Professor at the UCL Institute for Global Health 

Guests: Rachel Colles– Professional Performer and Elderflower, Hearts and Minds 
Dr Carrie Ryan – Lecturer in Creative Health, UCL Department of Arts and Sciences Resources and mentions: ‘Extravagant Acts for Mature People' by Phoebe Davies (as mentioned at the end of this episode by Dr Carrie Ryan!) 

Date of episode recording: 2025-07-23
Duration: 00:42:57
Language of episode: English
Producer: Produced by UCL Health of the Public and edited by Annabelle Buckland, Decibelle Creative

Link to transcript:  https://www.ucl.ac.uk/health-of-public/news-and-events/public-health-disrupted/season-5-ep-5-ageing-playfully-notes-and-transcript

Season 5 - Ageing Playfully: Transforming perspectives on growing older

In this episode of The Bartlett Review, Professor Dame Henrietta Moore, Founder and Director of the Institute for Global Prosperity, and Arthur Kay, Advisor to Innovo Group and founder of several technology and urban design companies, discuss their new book, Roadkill: Unveiling the True Cost of Our Toxic Relationship with Cars. They explore the social, financial, ethical, and environmental impacts of cars, challenge common myths, and share practical ideas for rethinking the way we use them to improve our cities and freedoms. While cars are often sold as symbols of freedom, Henrietta and Arthur show how they restrict choice, limit city life, and impose hidden costs on health, communities, and the planet. They share real-world examples, challenge myths about electric and autonomous vehicles, and offer practical ideas for rethinking how we use cars.
Order your copy: https://getroadkill.com/

The Bartlett Review. Roadkill, unveiling the true cost of our toxic relationship with cars

Cities in Flux - Rethinking Temporary Urbanism and Adaptability
Can mega-cities use adaptability and temporary urbanism to ignite innovation, support communities, and become more resilient?

While adaptability sparks fresh and innovative approaches to urban design and planning, can city planners adopt tools like - temporary urbanism and meanwhile use - to create longer-term benefits for more liveable and resilient cities?

In this episode Professor Lauren Andres is joined by Andy Wiley Schwartz and Emily Berwyn to explore why adaptability is crucial for mega-cities like London and New York, how it can be put into action in city transformation and how it has helped them navigate major crises—from the decline of UK high streets to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transcript here
https://bartlett-review.ucl.ac.uk/podcast-cities-in-flux-rethinking-temporary-urbanism-and-urban-adaptability/index.html

The Bartlett Review. Cities in Flux - Rethinking Temporary Urbanism and Adaptability

This bonus episode consists in a recording of an authorial roundtable held at University College London on the 16th June 2025. Entitled ‘Literature in the Age of the Self’, it brought together three highly acclaimed contemporary writers whose work evinces a marked preoccupation with the experience and the representation of the self. In this conversation chaired by Scarlett and Alice, Rachel Cusk, Brian Dillon, and Vidyan Ravinthiran discuss the self in connection with notions of style, character, and time. They also reflect on the relations between creative and academic writing, between literature and other arts, and on the status of the self in the age of AI and social media.

Literature in the Age of the Self

In the fourth episode of our Mental Health & Wellbeing mini-series, host Jade Hunter is joined by UCL's Pro-Vice Provosts for Mental Health & Wellbeing, Professors Essi Viding and Argyris Stringaris to discuss the findings of a significant new survey conducted in partnership with YouGov. This survey, which gathered responses from 1,545 young adults aged 16 to 25, sheds light on the pressing mental health challenges faced by young people across Britain. This episode delves into the survey's key insights, exploring the perceptions of mental health support and the urgent need for effective early intervention and prevention strategies. Essi and Argyris discuss the implications of the findings, including the high percentage of young individuals seeking help and the dissatisfaction with current support systems.

Date of episode recording: 2025-08-19
Duration: 00:14:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Jade Hunter
Guests: Essi Viding; Argyris Stringaris
Producer: Annabelle Buckland

Youth Voices on Mental Health: Insights from UCL's YouGov Survey

In the first episode of our Inequalities mini-series, host Ethne James Souch is joined by Prof Jessica Ringrose, Dr Marc Tibber, and Sophie Wilson to delve into the complex intersection of social media, mental health, and regulation. The conversation spans topics from online safety and digital literacy to phone bans in schools and the lived experiences of neurodivergent communities. It explores how we can better support young people in navigating digital spaces without reinforcing inequalities. Drawing from research, policy, and lived experience, this episode offers a rich and nuanced discussion on what it means to build an inclusive and just digital future. With insights from two UCL Grand Challenges-funded projects, Ethne and guests consider the risks and possibilities of online life, the evolving landscape of regulation, and the power of co-production in developing ethical and effective interventions.

Date of episode recording: 2025-07-31
Duration: 00:33:15
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Ethne James Souch
Guests: Prof Jessica Ringrose; Dr Marc Tibber; Sophie Wilson
Producer: Annabelle Buckland

Shared Screens, Split Realities: Rethinking Online Safety Together

In this episode, we explore a subject that’s deeply important to us as educators: the role of climate in the classroom. How are schools and universities placing climate change at the heart of learning—not just in science lessons, but across the whole school experience?

We look beyond the curriculum to discover how educators are fostering sustainable living and embedding green practices into everyday school life. From encouraging active travel and connecting students with the natural world, to making conscious, eco-friendly choices part of the school culture, we’ll share inspiring examples of how teaching can shape a greener future.

We’re thrilled to welcome three inspiring champions of climate education:
🌱 Jenny Wilson – A passionate advocate from the Green Schools Revolution, Jenny is actively involved in the Teach the Teacher initiative. She collaborates with schools in underserved communities, empowering students to create their own Climate Action Plans and become agents of change.

🌍 Will Wale – A student at LSE and the outgoing Youth Focal Point for Sustainability and Climate Change at the Department for Education, Will brings a wealth of experience. He’s worked closely with young people, educators, civil servants, and ministers to advance climate and sustainability education across the UK.

🏫 Professor Nicola Walshe – Pro-Director of Education at UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, Nicola is also the co-founder and Executive Director of the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education. Her work focuses on transforming how climate education is delivered in schools nationwide.

Date of episode recording: 4th August 2025
Duration: 00:42:16
Language of episode: English 
Presenter: Professor Mark Maslin and Dr Simon Chin-Yee 

Guests:  
Jenny Wilson, Green Schools Revolution https://www.greenschoolsrevolution.uk/
Will Wale, LSE student and Youth Focal Point for Sustainability and Climate Change at the DOE
Nicola Walsh, Professor and Pro Director of Education UCL IOE and CoFounder and Executive Director of UCL’s Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/ucl-centre-climate-change-and-sustainability-education
 
Producers: 
Adam Batstone
Caitlin Mullin

Season 5, Episode 9 - Climate in the Classroom: the green revolution in schools and universities


In this episode, we talk about the importance of sociology to Annie Ernaux’s Nobel-Prize-winning literary project, specifically focusing on the influence of Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of ‘habitus’. Our special guest, Clare Carlisle, Professor of Philosophy at King’s College London, introduces the concept, explaining what Bourdieu hoped to achieve by coining a new term to designate the idea of a collective disposition or class sensibility. Together, focusing on the opening of The Years (2008), Ernaux’s magnum opus, we consider the ways in which the book’s treatment of self, class, and nation can be read as ‘applied Bourdieu’. 

Our philosophical starting-point is a chapter by Karl Maton entitled ‘Habitus’ and published in Pierre Bourdieu: Key Concepts, ed. Michael Grenfell, 2012. 

Our literary focus is on pages x-51 of Annie Ernaux’s The Years in Alison L. Strayer’s translation (Fitzcarraldo, 2018).

Hosts: 

Scarlett Baron, Associate Professor of English at University College London.
Alice Harberd, PhD student in the Philosophy Department at University College London.

Guest: 
Clare Carlisle, Professor of Philosophy at King’s College London.

Keywords: 

#AnnieErnaux #TheYears #LesAnnées #NobelPrize #Literature #Autofiction #contemporaryculture #sociology #PierreBourdieu #aesthetics #philosophy #philosophyofmind #theself #interdisciplinarity #contemporarywriting #RachelCusk #Outlinetrilogy #class #habitus #subjectivity #sharedsubjectivity


Season 2, Episode 1  - The Sociological Self, with special guest Prof. Clare Carlisle

The Trial Talk podcast explores how our work at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL is improving health in the UK and worldwide. In this series, we hear from world-leading experts about the studies we carry out. We delve into trials on cancer, infections and neurodegenerative diseases, explore how public and patient involvement shapes our work, and discover new ways to run smarter studies.

STAMPEDE (part 2): The role of the patient voice with David Matheson, Max Parmar & Nick James

MRC CTU at UCL - Trial Talk podcast