This is Lancaster. Global research tales from the North of England.

Dr Heather Shaw returns to conclude the Reimagining Research Culture series and discuss our latest event on the use of AI in research. The conversation reflects on the balance between maintaining critical human judgement when using AI, autonomous decision making by AI in research processes and the balance between reproducibility and research integrity with AI use in research. 

In this episode, Post-Doctoral Researcher Dr Seth Robinson  discusses the challenges of instilling a change in attitudes to sustainability in research culture. The conversation tackles the dilemma for early career researchers and international travel, the trade-offs between environmental sustainability and research quality and the implications AI is having on environmental efforts

Dr Samuel Finnerty, a social psychologist at Lancaster University researches the intersection of science, activism, and higher education — looking at how scientists and universities respond to the climate crisis. In this episode he discusses the role of the university, the individual, and where we go from here, bridging the gap between aspirations and reality. 

Dr Sophie Nightingale is this week’s guest discussing the work of her UKRI Future Leaders fellowship on protecting ordinary people from deepfakes. The discussion reflects on the benefits and challenges of this emerging technology, possibilities for future regulation and the push for responsible and ethical development in this area. 

Lancaster University’s Public engagement manager, Jess Shaw, joins us in this week’s episode to discuss the challenges around undertaking research with communities. Tackling dilemmas of equity, ownership and terminology of both citizen science and community-based research. 

As part of our research culture project funded by Wellcome, this series hosted by Dr Dan Craddock unpacks conundrums on a variety of topics relating to ethical tensions in research. Every week a new guest reflects on a different conundrum, discussed informally over a cuppa, from AI in research to climate action, sustainability and citizen science.Psychology Lecturer Dr Heather Shaw joins us in this week's episode to discuss the development of the ‘cuppa conundrum’ series and ethical challenges relating to the use of social media data in research. The topics covered include whether social media is a public or private space? Do researchers require consent when using social media data in research? And what considerations are required when using social media data from vulnerable groups in research? 

In this episode, Professor Caron Gentry discusses her own academic journey, which began with research into the history of women and terrorism – against the back drop of unfolding events following 9/11 - and took her across the Atlantic from America to the UK, where she is now leading a school of 'people of purpose'.

ITV journalist and ‘multi-hyphenate’ Warren Nettleford is the Chatham House podcaster and production company entrepreneur who found himself and lifelong friendships at Lancaster University …with a little help from a Nick Drake poster.

Kate Foster is Deputy Head of International Affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses. Based in London, she lobbies the UK government to tackle the barriers to international trade affecting UK SMEs. She is also a board member of SMEunited, the European association for crafts and SMEs.