Probably Platelets

Welcome to season 3 of Probably Platelets, the first ever podcast hosted by the UK Platelet Society. Your hosts, Alex, research from the University of Birmingham and Xenia, post-doctoral researcher from University of Birmingham, have a chat with platelets researchers to find more about their career journey, laugh about some of their mistakes, and never know, we'll probably talk about platelets.

In this episode we are joined by Emily Horner and Xenia Sawkulycz to discuss the Platelet Society Skills transfer grants. These are awards (up to £2000) to fund exchange, training and/or transfer or skills and technologies from one group to another for the development of platelet scientists. This includes visiting another lab (UK or oversees) or attending a training workshop.

Emily and Xenia discuss their experiences, what they learnt, the application process, and advice for anyone thinking of applying.

You can find more details on the Platelet society website:https://plateletsociety.co.uk/funding#tab-tb_kg2r093-3.

This episode was recorded in May 2026. We want to give a massive thanks to Emily and Xenia for providing us with their time.

Don’t forget to rate, review, and share this episode if you enjoyed it. Your support helps us bring more inspiring stories to the forefront!

Welcome to season 3 of Probably Platelets, the first ever podcast hosted by the UK Platelet Society. Your hosts, Alex, research from the University of Birmingham and Xenia, post-doctoral researcher from University of Birmingham, have a chat with platelets researchers to find more about their career journey, laugh about some of their mistakes, and never know, we'll probably talk about platelets.

In this episode we are joined by Emily Horner and Xenia Sawkulycz to discuss the Platelet Society Skills transfer award. These are awards (up to £2000) to fund exchange, training and/or transfer or skills and technologies from one group to another for the development of platelet scientists. This includes visiting another lab (UK or oversees) or attending a training workshop.

Emily and Xenia discuss their experiences, what they learnt,the application process, and advice for anyone thinking of applying.

You can find more details on the Platelet society website:https://plateletsociety.co.uk/funding#tab-tb_kg2r093-3.

This episode was recorded in May 2026. We want to give a massive thanks to Emily and Xenia for providing us with their time.

Don’t forget to rate, review, and share this episode if you enjoyed it. Your support helps us bring more inspiring stories to the forefront!

Welcome to season 3 of Probably Platelets, the first-everpodcast hosted by the UK Platelet Society. Your hosts, Alex, research from the University of Birmingham and Xenia, post doctoral researcher from University of Birmingham, have a chat with platelets researchers to find more about theircareer journey, laugh about some of their mistakes, and never know, we'll probably talk about platelets.

In this episode we're thrilled to have Alex Liversidge. Alexis a senior lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at Leeds Beckett University. In addition, Alex has 20 years post graduate experience as a Biomedical Scientist within the public sector and NHS and Blood Bank. Her expertise lies in Haematology and Blood Transfusion. In this episode we discuss the process of Blood and platelet transfusions, difficulties and advancements in the field, and the process of becoming an accredited Biomedical Scientist.

This episode was recorded in February 2026. We want to givea massive thanks to Alex for providing us her time during this episode.

Don’t forget to rate, review, and share this episode if youenjoyed it. Your support helps us bring more inspiring stories to the forefront!

Welcome to season 3 of Probably Platelets, the first-ever podcast hosted by the UK Platelet Society. Your hosts, Alex, research fellow from the University of Birmingham and Xenia, post-doctoral researcher from the University of Birmingham, have a chat with platelets researchers to find out more about their career journey, laugh about some of their mistakes, and you never know, we'll probably talk about platelets.

In this episode we're thrilled to have Dr Amanda Unsworth from the University of Leeds. Amanda has been a dedicated platelet researcher for over 15 years, and is also serving as the current president of the platelet society. In this episode Amanda discusses her research journey as well as her time as president of the platelet society. We discuss the importance of the society, and we encourage as many people as possible to provide their thoughts and input to further shape the direction of the society.

This episode was recorded in August 2025. We want to give a massive thanks to Amanda with providing us her time during this episode.

Don’t forget to rate, review, and share this episode if you enjoyed it. Your support helps us bring more inspiring stories to the forefront!

Stay tuned for the next episode, wherever you get your podcasts.

Got questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Welcome to season 3 of Probably Platelets, the first-ever podcast hosted by the UK Platelet Society. Your hosts, Alex, post-doctoral researcher from the University of Birmingham and Xenia, post-doctoral researcher from the University of Birmingham, have a chat with platelets researchers to find out more about their career journey, laugh about some of their mistakes, and you never know, we'll probably talk about platelets.

We’re excited to welcome Grace Lloyd to this episode. Grace will be sharing her personal journey of living with ITP, a rare autoimmune condition affecting blood platelets. She’s also taking on the Richmond Half Marathon to raise funds for The Platelet Society, helping to support research and awareness for people living with platelet disorders. We can’t wait to hear her inspiring story and what’s driving her to make such a difference.This episode was recorded in July 2025 and we are so grateful to Grace for her time and generosity in sharing her story with us.

Don’t forget to rate, review, and share this episode if you enjoyed it. Your support helps us bring more inspiring stories to the forefront!

Stay tuned for the next episode, wherever you get your podcasts.

Got questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Welcome to season 2 of Probably Platelets, the first-ever podcast hosted by the UK Platelet Society. Your hosts, Beth, a post-doctoral researcher from the University of Leeds, and Alex, a post-doctoral researcher from the University of Birmingham, have a chat with platelet researchers to find out more about their career journey, laugh about some of their mistakes, and you never know,  we'll probably talk about platelets.

This episode marks the end of Beth's time as host of the podcast. We discuss her experience setting up the 'Probably platelets' podcast, what she's learnt from the podcast, her experiences working in academia, and her transition to a new role. This episode was recorded in July 2025.
We would like to thank Beth for all her amazing work over the years on the podcast and in the platelet society. We wish her the best of luck in her new role.

Don’t forget to rate, review, and share this episode if you enjoyed it. Your support helps us bring more inspiring stories to the forefront!

Stay tuned for the next episode, wherever you get your podcasts.

Got questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Welcome to season 2 of Probably Platelets, the first-ever podcast hosted by the UK Platelet Society. Your hosts, Beth, a post-doctoral researcher from the University of Leeds, and Alex, a post-doctoral researcher from the University of Birmingham, have a chat with platelet researchers to find out more about their career journey, laugh about some of their mistakes, and you never know,  we'll probably talk about platelets.

In this episode, we’re joined by Joe Italiano, associate professor of Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital and Medical school. Joe shares his Scientific journey, starting from when he was a young boy, all the way to being a world leading researcher in Platelets and megakaryocytes.

We chat about his outlook on mentorship, positive research culture, and the excitement of discovering new science. We also discuss how changes to how Universities are funded, and the grant system in general, can affect research. Make sure you watch until the end where Joe taps into his creative musical side and busts out a megakaryocyte rap.

This episode was recorded in March 2025, and we are so grateful to Joe for his time and generosity in sharing his story with us. It was a real privilege to hear about his career and thoughtful reflections and outlook on research, leadership, and life beyond the lab.

Don’t forget to rate, review, and share this episode if you enjoyed it. Your support helps us bring more inspiring stories to the forefront!

Stay tuned for the next episode, wherever you get your podcasts.

Got questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Welcome to season 2 of Probably Platelets, the first-ever podcast hosted by the UK Platelet Society. Your hosts, Beth, a post-doctoral researcher from the University of Leeds, and Alex, a post-doctoral researcher from the University of Birmingham, have a chat with platelet researchers to find out more about their career journey, laugh about some of their mistakes, and you never know,  we'll probably talk about platelets.

In this episode, we’re joined by Professor Alison Goodall, Emeritus Professor of Thrombosis and Haemostasis in the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Leicester. Alison shares her incredible journey through academia, from her early work on some of the first monoclonal antibodies to leading her own research group, spinning out a company, and taking on multiple leadership roles throughout her career.

We chat about her experience moving between institutions, the transition to emeritus professor status, and her approach to part-time retirement. Alison also reflects on the broader challenges and opportunities in academic life, and shares the surprising career she once dreamed of before science: becoming a film director!

This episode was recorded in November 2024, and we are so grateful to Alison for her time and generosity in sharing her story with us. It was a real privilege to hear about her multifaceted career and thoughtful reflections on research, leadership, and life beyond the lab.

Don’t forget to rate, review, and share this episode if you enjoyed it. Your support helps us bring more inspiring stories to the forefront!

Stay tuned for the next episode, wherever you get your podcasts.

Got questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Welcome to season 2 of  ‘Probably Platelets’, the first-ever podcast hosted by the UK Platelet Society. Your hosts Beth, a post-doctoral researcher from the University of Leeds and Alex, a post-doctoral researcher from the University of Birmingham, have a chat with platelet researchers to find out more about their career journey, laugh about some of their mistakes, and you never know we'll probably talk about platelets.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Abdullah Khan, known as “Abs,” a previous Sir Henry Wellcome Fellow and current senior research fellow at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Sciences, University of Oxford. Abs shares his unique journey through academia, the challenges of navigating a high-pressure environment, and his insights on the future of scientific research.

From discussing the “pressure cooker” environment that is academia, reflecting on work-life balance, and the academic culture in the US, to sharing anecdotes about his time at the University of Birmingham with co-host Alex, Abs shares valuable insights about his career so far and the future of academia. 

This episode was recorded on 2nd May 2024 whereby we discussed Abs’ next steps in academia, navigating the grey space in between fellowships and applying for his second fellowship, the Wellcome Career Development Award. Abs kindly shared that this fellowship application was rejected, so he’s resubmitting and applying for other grants in the meantime. We wish Abs all the best of luck for the next stage in his career!

It was an absolute pleasure chatting with Abs about his career journey. We both enjoyed delving into some complex issues within the academic system. Don’t forget to rate, review, and share this episode if you enjoyed it. Your support helps us bring more inspiring stories to the forefront!

Stay tuned for the next episode, wherever you get your podcasts.

Got questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]

Beth & Alex

Platelet Society

Website | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Welcome to season 2 of  ‘probably platelets’, the first-ever podcast hosted by the UK platelet society. Your hosts Beth, a post-doctoral researcher from the University of Leeds and Alex, a post-doctoral researcher from the University of Birmingham, have a chat with platelet researchers to find out more about their career journey, laugh about some of their mistakes, and you never know we'll probably talk about platelets.

In today's episode, we delve into the career journey of our guest, Dr Jo Mitchell, a post-doctoral researcher from the University of Birmingham, a seasoned post-doctoral researcher, as they offer a candid glimpse into the world of academia as a post-doc. From the highs of exciting research to the challenges of navigating short-term contracts and maternity leave, Jo shares invaluable insights and strategies for maintaining productivity and balance in the turbulent realm of post-doc life. 

It was an absolute pleasure chatting with Jo about her career journey and experience in academia! We both enjoyed delving into an interesting discussion about how academia could be improved for post-doctoral researchers and ECRs. Let us know what you think! We hope you enjoyed this episode, and if you did, be sure to rate this podcast, it would really help us out. 

It was an absolute pleasure chatting with Alice about her career journey, she offered some great advice and left us both feeling positive! We hope you enjoy this episode and if you did, be sure to rate this podcast, it will really help us out.

Stay tuned for the next episode, wherever you get your podcasts.

Beth & Alex

Platelet Society

Website | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube