Researcher Revealed

A departure from my usual guests Elliot Justin is the first medical doctor I have hosted. He reveals the inspiration for FirmTech in this technology spotlight. As such our conversation centres on issues related to male sexual health, including erectile dysfunction. We discuss how he built a team of researchers around the device and how clinical research has demonstrated the device's ability to improve male sexual performance. We also explore how objective data on male sexual health has revealed implications for other aspects of male health.Bio: Dr. Elliot Justin, MD, FACEP, is a serial healthcare entrepreneur, board-certified Emergency Medicine specialist, and the founder and CEO of FirmTech—a pioneering company at the forefront of data-driven sexual medicine research. FirmTech’s flagship products — the Tech Ring and Performance Ring — combine sexual wellness and smart technology to help men monitor their erectile and cardiovascular health. The Tech Ring’s embedded sensors measure nighttime and sexual performance data, empowering men to track how lifestyle factors, medications, and fitness levels correlate with their erectile function and cardiovascular health. The ultimate goal: to prevent, manage, and even reverse erectile dysfunction and heart decline using personal, actionable health data. Under Dr. Justin’s leadership, it's become a groundbreaking research tool used in studies with several leading sexual medical institutions. One study, which was presented at the International Society for Sexual Medicine and European Society of Sexual Medicine, revealed that fading erections in aging men are primarily caused by venous leak rather than poor blood inflow—challenging decades of conventional wisdom. Additional studies confirmed the TechRing’s safety in overnight use across 2,700 monitoring sessions and demonstrated that FirmTech’s Maximum Performance Ring often outperformed leading ED medications like tadalafil in sustaining erections.Find Elliot online:https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-justin-md/FirmTech’s Research:https://myfirmtech.com/blogs/news/research-using-the-firmtech-techring-and-maxprhttps://academic.oup.com/jsm/article/22/Supplement_2/qdaf077.067/8127400https://journals.lww.com/tau/fulltext/2025/01000/wearable_penile_devices__the_techring.16.aspxhttps://academic.oup.com/jsm/article-abstract/22/1/43/7900250 Resources:FirmTech https://myfirmtech.com/ Find Dr Rosalynn AustinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rosalynn-austin-147b3980/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosalynnaustin/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosalynnAustinExperience the adventures Dr Rosalynn Austin takes while travelling on @tea-riffictravelsThe podcast content is the personal opinions and experiences of the researchers (Dr Rosalynn Austin and Dr Elliot Justin, MD, FACEP) and not that of any of their affiliated institutions.

Following on the theme of highlight how undergraduate research experiences can build opportunities in a career; today’s guest is Abigal Miller. From an interest around research on topics related to sexual health, Abigal has built a consultancy which uses her understanding of research to help build a marketing consultancy which using data and research to help research back devices have greater impact.Top 3 Takeaways1)     There are more career options in research 2)     Research is everywhere3)     Is marketing the key to wider dissemination? Bio: Abigail Miller is the Founder and director of Wellness Marketing Reports: a boutique marketing growth consultancy that uses data and industry research to drive growth and revenue for sexual wellness brands. She holds a background in Psychology, Interdisciplinary Research, and Human Sexual Behaviour from Emory University, where she conducted America's largest study on parental decision-making in infant male circumcision. Abigail has given a TEDx Talk on cognitive dissonance in Western cultures regarding sexual and romantic desire and conducted a 63-interview study on marketing growth strategies in the women's health and intimate wellness sectors. Through her research and business, she proudly advocates for overcoming stigma and educating the public regarding sexual wellness—with humour, data, and relatability.Find Abigail online:https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigail-miller-marketing/https://wellnessmarketingreports.com/ Abigail’s Research:Turning Stigma into Strategy: Marketing Lessons from 63 Entrepreneurs in Sexual Wellness and Women’s Health (download through the form on  HYPERLINK "https://wellnessmarketingreports.com/"https://wellnessmarketingreports.com/)The mystery of the missing foreskin: Investigation and interventions regarding infant male circumcision in the United States. HYPERLINK "https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/7p88ch910"https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/7p88ch910Abigail is reading: Hot smart Rich by Maggie Sellers Reum https://open.spotify.com/episode/58jmzFQp38hkOFgqf0303X?si=uf-nV21pR-GT7jUwHQA1Jw&nd=1&dlsi=76732f8bd4ca4ba7 Resources:Sex and Psychology Podcast with Dr. Justin Lehmiller https://open.spotify.com/show/6DCIGjOUaenoKdY71N7NqI?si=ArxRJQ60TyG3D_ivaWXjpQ&nd=1&dlsi=74220e3c1bcc4d3eWhite paper: The impact of digital suppression and censorship of women’s Health https://www.censhership.co.uk/white-paperRobert Hull (another research consultancy career): https://youtu.be/BK8nrAtAIqc?si=izDmzNr112tMM_16FirmTech  https://myfirmtech.com/ Find Dr Rosalynn AustinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rosalynn-austin-147b3980/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosalynnaustin/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosalynnAustin Experience the adventures Dr Rosalynn Austin takes while travelling on @tea-riffictravelsThe podcast content is the personal opinions and experiences of the researchers (Dr Rosalynn Austin and Amelia Sulch) and not that of any of their affiliated institutions.Chapters00:00:00 Titles00:00:10 Episode Introduction00:01:10 Introducing Abigail Miller00:02:34 Researcher Revealed Rapid 1100:10:45 Abigails journey into research00:14:50 Interdisciplinary research department00:17:20 Abigail’s undergraduate research – America’s largest study in this area00:24:35 Bringing research skills into founding a marketing agency00:48:23 Why everyone needs research skills 00:58:46 Top 3 take aways01:07:38 In video links

Amelia hasn’t even finished her undergraduate physiotherapy degree yet and she is already presenting her research! Inspired by a lecture from a clinical researcher Amelia took direct action and successfully landed a research internship with Dr James Gavin. Listen to find out how that experience led to her wanting to do more than embed research into her career, she aims to become a physio research leader!Top 3 Takeaways1)     Enthusiasm and passion will take you far!2)     Inspiring clinicians to be researchers is about more than just putting it in education3)     Research is more detailed that you might think.Bio: Amelia Sulch is an Undergraduate Physiotherapy Student in her final year at the University of Southampton. She has a long-standing interest in rehabilitation and particularly management of Long-Term Conditions (LTCs). I have developed a strong interest in research which was enhanced by a 10 week-internship (with a research study) exploring how community-based interventions can encourage people with LTCs to stay active long-term. This mixed methods research gave her experience in conducting a scoping review and she will be conducting the semi-structured interviews as my final year dissertation project.She particularly valued the opportunity to attend showcases and conferences to learn about the research! She is currently interested in health inequities, healthcare interventions and service improvement, particularly in the community, and qualitative research as a vehicle to identify and address the diverse needs of marginalised populations within healthcare.Her ambition is to study a master’s in public health and then complete a PhD with the aim of being a researcher and a lecturer in the future. I am looking for opportunities to get involved with research, collaborate with others. I also enjoy hearing hear about research work being conducted, please contact me if you have any opportunities available for early researcher involvement.Find Amelia online:www.linkedin.com/in/amelia-sulch-475480242Amelia’s Research:Coming soon…See the LinkedIn post about her poster presentation: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/amelia-sulch-475480242_this-summer-i-had-the-fantastic-opportunity-activity-7376939681588084736-236j?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABFA9IcBEyY2FSUNQHrFfA-w4L5YcSeb-24Amelia is reading: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Resources:Dr James Gavin’s research https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5xsmdg/doctor-james-gavin#researchThe “MoTH” study (related to her project) https://www.southampton.ac.uk/research/projects/research-project-maintenance-of-physical-activity-behaviour-moth-programmeLong Term Conditions Research Grouphttps://www.southampton.ac.uk/research/institutes-centres/long-term-conditionsCreative methods book: Creative Research Methods by Helen Kara (@HelenKaraWriter on YouTube)Find Dr Rosalynn AustinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rosalynn-austin-147b3980/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosalynnaustin/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosalynnAustinExperience the adventures Dr Rosalynn Austin takes while travelling on @tea-riffictravelsThe podcast content is the personal opinions and experiences of the researchers (Dr Rosalynn Austin and Amelia Sulch) and not that of any of their affiliated institutions. Chapters00:00:00 Titles00:00:10 Episode Introduction00:01:02 Introducing Amelia Sulch00:02:10 Researcher Revealed Rapid 1100:11:11 What drew Amelia into research00:21:07 Research internship project description00:31:30 Balancing university work with internship work00:40:15 Supportive research groups 00:45:09 Amelia’s future hopes and dreams00:50:55 How Amelia thinks her research skills will impact on her future clinical career01:08:54 Top 3 take aways01:13:43 In video links

Ben Bowers, assistant professor from the University of Cambridge, has built a cross disciplinary research team who are conducting research focused on palliative (end of life) care. For me the most inspiring part of our conversation –yes, the mixture of expertise that he works with, but more so, how he is now supplementing his rigorous methods with creative methods. He includes his team members in both types of methods! Listen to hear how he has done this and check out the first publication listed below to see an example of how he makes this work!Top 3 Takeaways1)     Be a troublemaker2)     Borrow expertise3)     Access existing resourcesBio: Ben is an internationally recognised clinical academic community nurse. He is an Assistant Professor of Primary Care at the University of Cambridge and an Honorary Nurse Consultant in Palliative Care. Ben leads a programme of interdisciplinary research focused on improving care for patients dying at home, incorporating the voices and experiences of patients, families and clinical care teams. In 2023, he was recognised as one of the 75 nurses and midwives whose work has had a particularly significant impact on the NHS since its creation. He is a Fellow of the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing and received the RCGP and Society for Academic Primary Care Outstanding Early Career Researcher Award 2024 for his exceptional contributions to primary care research.Find Ben online:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ben-bowers-9157aa45/Research webpage (accessible resource of research Ben is leading) https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/8yokfmRZ27FDiBen’s Research:·        Madden B, Bowers B. Perspective: Sorted: an experimental interpretive poetry piece on injectable medications care at the end of life. Journal of Research in Nursing. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17449871251357097·        Bowers B, Pollock K, Etkind S, et al. ‘We’ve Taken on a More Advanced Clinical Role’: A Multimethod Study of Community Nurses’ Extended Roles in Palliative Care. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jan.70019·        Bowers B, Pollock K, Barclay S. Simultaneously reassuring and unsettling: a longitudinal qualitative study of community anticipatory medication prescribing for older patients. https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/51/12/afac293/6881500·        Bowers B, Gwyn S, et.al. Learning from end-of-life injectable medication patient safety incidents in the community: a mixed-methods analysis. https://bjgp.org/content/early/2025/09/28/BJGP.2025.0106Ben is reading: This Mortal Coil: A history of death by Andrew DoigResources:Bella reads her poem https://youtu.be/fHoAaiPG6C8?si=UYMP-YN_tU_WEHz4Stephanie Kirkland’s episode https://youtu.be/vnbD0U3Jn5E?si=P1XTtl7lBfqyNe7FLINK: NIHR funding options https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding-opportunitiesTea advent calendar’s I tried in Dec:1)     Tencha Tea Advent Calendar2)     Alpi Nature Tea Advent CalendarFind Dr Rosalynn AustinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rosalynn-austin-147b3980/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosalynnaustin/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosalynnAustinExperience the adventures Dr Rosalynn Austin takes while travelling on @tea-riffictravelsThe podcast content is the personal opinions and experiences of the researchers (Dr Rosalynn Austin and Dr Ben Bowers) and not that of any of their affiliated institutions.

You are not as alone as you think you are! On this episode of Researcher Revealed I speak with Dr Nicola Straiton, whose success (wining over 13.5 million AUD in grant funding) is inspirational! She revealed that like here in the UK there is still a long way to go before Nurse Researchers are supported through their career pathway. She shares the challenges and the successes that she has faced.Top 3 Takeaways1)     The upside down way of becoming a nurse researcher, there is no one way to be a researcher2)     The post doc era is challenging period, urgent improved support is needed3)     Build a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) around nurse research to change the brandBio: Dr Nicola Straiton is a nurse and Senior Research Fellow in Implementation Science at the Nursing Research Institute, a collaboration between St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, and Australian Catholic University. Her research focuses on cardiovascular disease, frailty, implementation science, and digital health. In the two years since completing her PhD, Dr Straiton has secured over $34.5 million in competitive research funding across 13 grants, including five as Chief Investigator. She has published 30 papers—60% in the top 10% of their field—with over 320 citations and an h-index of 8. She has delivered 19 invited national and international presentations and received five awards recognising research excellence and leadership. Dr Straiton is committed to advancing evidence translation into clinical practice and building research capacity among clinician researchers.Find Nicola online:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-nicola-straiton-9086a7111X: NicStraitonWebsite: https://www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/institutes-academies-and-centres/nursing-research-institute Nicola’s Research:·        Straiton N, et al. A Descriptive Qualitative Study of Patient and Carer Perspectives on the Acceptability of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jan.70180·        Straiton N, et al. The validity and reliability of consumer-grade activity trackers in older, community-dwelling adults: A systematic review. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378512218301828·        Weight C, Straiton N, et al. Reported use of implementation science theories, models, and frameworks in 151 implementation trials: secondary analysis of a systematic review targeting nursing practice, https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibaf043·        Johnson M, Straiton N, et al. Pre-implementation context and implementation approach for a nursing and midwifery clinician researcher career pathway: A qualitative study. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jan.16307Nicola is reading: The Power by Naomi AldermanResources:1)     Clinical Academic Roadmap (AUS) https://www.thesphere.com.au/resources/nursing-and-midwifery-early-to-mid-career-researcher-emcr-advocacy-roadmap/.2)     Miro data visualisation platform good for mind maps https://www.miro.comFind Dr Rosalynn AustinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rosalynn-austin-147b3980/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosalynnaustin/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosalynnAustinExperience the adventures Dr Rosalynn Austin takes while travelling on @tea-riffictravelsThe podcast content is the personal opinions and experiences of the researchers (Dr Rosalynn Austin and Dr Nicola Straiton) and not that of any of their affiliated institutions.

Another first for Researcher Revealed, this week’s episode I host a Women’s Health Research Midwife! Susara Blunden tells a tale of two halves: from gorgeous handbags working in Hedge funds in London to wearing scrubs and working on developing her career as a researcher. Her passion is inspiring, and I was loved hearing thie similarities and differences there were between a midwife’s and nurse’s career pathway as a researcher.Top 3 Takeaways1) Pathways into a research career are diverse2) More support is needed for those in research delivery to advance their research career aspirations3) Is research embedded in your clinical practice?Bio: Susara Blunden is a Women's Health Research Midwife in the NHS and a master’s in research student at Bournemouth University on the NIHR funded INSIGHT programme. She currently investigating the secondary care endometriosis diagnostic pathways in the NHS and other high-income countries. After graduating with a BSc in Midwifery from Bournemouth University in 2014, she worked clinically for a few years before moving into NHS research delivery. She has extensive experience in research, from setting up research in clinical environments, recruiting participants, to collecting data for a wide range of studies and trials. She was key in delivering projects which explored topics such as obstetric anaesthesia, hypertensive disorders; pregnancy and non-pregnancy related, smoking cessation, preterm birth prevention, stillbirth and miscarriage reduction. She was a Principal Investigator on several of these projects. She is a member of the NIHR Reproductive Health and Childbirth National Research Champions Group helping to maintain and build research capacity regionally and nationally. Find Susara online:https://www.linkedin.com/in/susara-blunden-6a0a74138/Susara’s Research:Coming soon!Susara is reading: Whale Bone Theatre by Joanna QuinnResources:1)     The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot 2)     Dorothy Hodgkin: A Life, Patterns, Proteins and Peace: A Life in Science by Georgina Ferry3)     NIHR Principal Investigator training programs:-  Associate PI Scheme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at5PM61X0Yw-  PIPP: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/career-development/clinical-research-courses-and-support/principal-investigator-pipeline-programme4)     Being a PI as a nurse on medication trials (CTIMPS) https://youtu.be/JRZT_p3fHfkFind Dr Rosalynn AustinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rosalynn-austin-147b3980/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosalynnaustin/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosalynnAustinExperience the adventures Dr Rosalynn Austin takes while travelling on @tea-riffictravelsThe podcast content is the personal opinions and experiences of the researchers (Dr Rosalynn Austin and Susara Blunden) and not that of any of their affiliated institutions. 

Doing research is a specialist skill, especially in a clinical space. Robert Hull started his journey in research looking at microorganisms but saw an opportunity to use his research skills to enable others. He created Cadra Insights and now helps researchers on their journey from idea to testing that idea through research. From toxic waste to embedding impact into your research project, enabling the translation from research into reality.Top 3 Takeaways1)     Being a researcher can be about helping other researchers2)     The research cycle is bigger than you might think3)     To have success in research ask the right people the right questions Bio: Robert Hull is the founder of Cadra Insights, where he helps researchers, innovators and companies develop their health technologies into impactful solutions for healthcare systems. Originally a microbiologist researching slime (biofilms), Robert has spent over a decade working in MedTech, BioTech and Pharma across industry, academia and the NHS.Robert understands what it takes to get new technologies adopted: the right evidence, at the right time, presented in the right way. Whether you're a startup or a seasoned pharma team, Robert’s experience and network help bridge the gap between a good idea and real-world impact. His work focuses on guiding innovators through the complexities of funding, evaluation, health economics and adoption by the NHS, making sure good ideas don’t just stay in the lab.Find Robert online:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-hull-47993256/Cadra Insights LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cadra-insights/Read more about Cadra Insights:Cadra Insights Web Page: https://www.cadrainsights.co.uk/Robert is reading: Hogfather by Terry PratchettAmelia Fang (series) by Laura Ellen AndersonFind Dr Rosalynn AustinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rosalynn-austin-147b3980/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosalynnaustin/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosalynnAustinExperience the adventures Dr Rosalynn Austin takes while travelling on @tea-riffictravelsThe podcast content is the personal opinions and experiences of the researchers (Dr Rosalynn Austin and Robert Hull, PhD) and not that of any of their affiliated institutions. Time Stamps00:00:00 Titles00:00:10 Episode Introduction00:00:55 Introducing Robert Hull00:03:54 My computer restarts00:04:01 We are back00:04:30 Researcher Revealed Rapid 1100:13:52 Robert’s journey into research 00:18:18 From PhD to consultancy: how to improve the translation of research00:22:49 The research cycle according to Robert00:29:39 What is Carda Insights?00:32:31 How Carda ensures Robert remains research active00:45:35 How to find out who the right people are to ask them the right questions00:59:24 Top 3 take aways01:04:50 Video Links

To kick off Season 3, we start with the first Welsh clinical scientist (echocardiographer) in cardiology to get a PhD, Dr Emma Rees PhD, FBSE. She is now expanding her expertise diving into the use of big data in research. We discuss her journey into research, how being visible expanded her research opportunities, and her thoughts on imposter syndrome. Listen for great tips on being a research leader from someone who knows what it is like to be the first!Top 3 Takeaways1)     Take a team approach to make research better2)     Expand your expertise through your research3)     Be visible so you are they person approached for research opportunitiesBio: Emma is an experienced clinical academic who specialises in ultrasound heart scans. She is the scientific director of a novel out-of-hospital heart scan clinic which has the triple aim of providing a clinical service to NHS patients, supporting research on point-of-care scans for early diagnosis of heart failure, and enriching the university education of healthcare professionals. Emma is part of the leadership team of the Wales National Cardiovascular Research Network. She currently holds a personal research award from Health and Care Research Wales and an Application Development Award from the National Institute for Health and Care Research. Emma is an Associate Professor of Healthcare Science and co-lead Healthy Ageing and Chronic Conditions Research Institute at Swansea Bay University.Find Emma online:www.linkedin.com/in/emma-rees-b38566368Read Emma’s Research:1) Https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehae666.3516 2) Https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehae666.3515 3) https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehae666.35144) Https://doi.org/10.1530/ERP-19-0011 Read more of her research here --> https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5373-1005Emma is reading: Orbital by Samantha HarveyFind Dr Rosalynn AustinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rosalynn-austin-147b3980/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosalynnaustin/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosalynnAustinExperience the adventures Dr Rosalynn Austin takes while travelling on @tea-riffictravelsThe podcast content is the personal opinions and experiences of the researchers (Dr Rosalynn Austin and Dr Emma Rees) and not that of any of their affiliated institutions.