In this true crime episode of the Research Reimagined podcast, we’re joined by Serena Simmons, Chartered Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, to help us answer these questions and more as she unpacks the psychology of serial killers. Serena brings with her lots of experience as a specialist in serial violent crime: as well as being the lead researcher for recent Amazon Prime series Cops Who Kill, she also worked in practice at Rampton Maximum Security Hospital prior to teaching.

Please note: This episode contains topics of a sensitive nature, which may be triggering for some listeners. We advise listener discretion.

Often referred to as “fashion’s biggest night out,” or the “fashion Oscars”, the Met Gala is a star-studded fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City.

Welcoming celebrities, creatives and industry giants, invitations are highly sought after for this annual celebration of fashion, which is held on the first Monday in May every year. Attendees are encouraged to pay homage to a different theme, leaving the media and the world to scrutinise who has followed the annual fashion assignment, and who has not.

In this episode, we’re joined by two academics from the Nottingham School of Art and Design – Vanessa Brown and Naomi Braithwaite – who offer a unique perspective on the event, its history, and its relation to fashion and the wider world.

What amazing things can happen when you bring local people, community organisations and researchers together in a revolutionary new project? Co(l)laboratory, an exciting new eight-year initiative from the Universities of Nottingham, aims to find out.

Helen is joined by Rebekah Smith McGloin - Director of the Doctoral School and Research Operations at NTU - and Matthew Young - Co(l)laboratory Doctoral Programme Manager – as they give more information about some exciting new projects that will be helping to change lives in the city.

The conversation around transgender athletes in sport has divided opinion both in and out of the sporting sphere. It’s a complex topic that has led to many international and domestic sports organisations updating their regulations on the inclusion of transgender athletes.

However, the current media narrative appears to be missing one side of the debate: are the policies and decisions that exclude trans and gender-diverse athletes legal? And how are these decisions impacting trans and gender-diverse athletes psychologically?

In this episode of the Research Reimagined podcast, we’re joined by NTU Senior Lecturers Dr Seema Patel and Dr Beth Jones. Seema discusses the legal barriers that are in place for increasing inclusivity for trans athletes, whilst Beth explains the psychological barriers transgender and gender diverse people might face when participating in sport.

In this International Women’s Day special episode of the Re:search Re:imagined podcast, we hear from NTU Associate Professor, Natasha Hodgson and Lecturer, Daisy Richards from the School of Arts and Humanities, who join us to discuss gender, diversity and representation through time. By taking examples from both the past and the present, Natasha and Daisy explain how the representation of women in the media and on screen continues to affect women today, and what can be done to amplify their experiences.

Please note: This episode may include triggers for some listeners including descriptions of sexual violence, abuse, and other triggering topics. Please consider this when listening.

Effective marketing can go a long way towards the success of a political campaign. By saying the right things and positioning arguments in a certain way, politicians can create a brand image that can influence public perceptions and ultimately win votes. 

What are some of the tricks that politicians use when speaking to their voters, and what should we look out for?

The guests in this episode are Dr Colin Alexander, Senior Lecturer in Political Communications and Dr Chris Pich, Senior Lecturer in the Nottingham Business School.

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Happy New Year... or is it? 🤔

Many of us find January the most difficult month of the year, and there’s a reasonable explanation as to why we might be feeling so low. January brings with it short days, icy temperatures, a long wait for payday, and - sometimes - unachievable New Year’s Resolutions.

In this episode of the Re:search Re:imagined podcast, we talk to Dr Daria Kuss, a Chartered Psychologist from the School of Social Sciences, about what we can do to tackle the January Blues and get 2023 off to the best possible start.

If you want to find out more about Daria's research, you can follow her on Twitter: @Dr_Kuss.

We typically think of addiction as involving drink or drugs, but what about the internet, video games, work, sex, or even exercise – can we be addicted to activities such as these? In this episode of the Research Reimagined podcast, we speak to distinguished NTU professor, Dr Mark Griffiths, who is an expert in behavioural addiction. Mark gives the lowdown on how someone might become addicted to a feeling or behavior, as opposed to a substance, and what the common behavioural addictions are. He also answers the question as to whether we overuse the word ‘addiction’.

If you want to find out more about Mark's research, you can follow him on Twitter @drmarkgriffiths.

To find out more about Natalie's research, you can follow her on Twitter: @NatalieBraber.

To find out more about Amanda's research, you can follow her on Twitter: @BriggsGoode.

This Black History Month (October 2022) and World Mental Health Day (10 October 2022) edition of the Re:search Re:imagined podcast, Dr Dung Jidong, a researcher in the Department of Psychology at NTU discusses the racial bias and discrimination facing black people in the UK when it comes to receiving mental health support, and how this affects African and Caribbean mothers in particular. Dung discusses why these prejudices exist, and how his research is helping to support new mothers through postnatal depression and anxiety.

This podcast may contain content that some listeners may find distressing. Listener caution advised.

To find more about Dung’s research, you can follow him on Twitter, @dungjidong.

To learn more about the 2nd International African and Caribbean Mental Health Conference, please visit the website.