This festive special flips the script on polished papers and perfect protocols. Dr Fiona McLean is joined by Dr Ian Harrison, Dr Soraya Meftah, and Dr Kate Harris to share the research moments that did not go to plan but taught them far more than success ever could.

From ELISAs gone rogue and antibodies that refuse to behave, to admin systems that quietly derail months of planning, this episode is a reminder that real research is messy, unpredictable, and occasionally hilarious. The conversation moves easily between lab disasters, student supervision realities, near misses with fire, and the emotional rollercoaster of academic life.

It is light hearted, reassuring, and (hopefully) relatable. A permission slip to laugh, reflect, and remember that being wrong is often part of doing good science.

Merry Christmas from all of us!

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Top takeaways

- Most experiments do not fail, they redirect

- Unexpected results often open better research questions

- Rushing protocols almost always backfires

- Admin failures can be as stressful as lab failures

- Talking openly about what went wrong saves time and money

- Students learn more from troubleshooting than from perfect results

- Publishing negative findings can help an entire field

- Being wrong is built into the scientific method

- Giving yourself time and mental space matters

- If no one was hurt, it is probably recoverable

A transcript of this show, links and show notes and profile on all our guests are available on our website at https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Research Fails

02:07 Learning from Mistakes in Research

04:53 Unexpected Outcomes and Their Value

05:53 The Importance of Data in Research

08:38 Navigating Challenges in Experiments

11:33 The Role of Collaboration in Research

14:40 Discovering New Avenues from Failures

15:40 The Importance of Literature in Research

16:41 Experiences of Discovery and Optimization in Research

17:51 Near-Death Experiences in the Lab

19:34 Lessons from Lab Mishaps

20:57 Administrative Chaos in Research

26:52 The Culture of Silence Around Research Failures

33:16 Navigating Criticism and Feedback in Academia

36:51 Navigating Experimental Challenges

38:43 The Temptation of Over-Experimenting

40:03 Learning from ELISA Mishaps