For this compilation episode, we’ve delved into our archives to explore how the role of universities in their communities is evolving and the many factors driving that change.

Find our full show notes here.

You will hear clips from the following Research 2030 episodes (listed in order of appearance):

• Societal Impact, SDG Research & Universities featuring Professor Aluísio Segurado, Head of Research at the University of São Paulo in Brazil
• Perspectives on rankings from a young university featuring César Wazen, Director of Scholarships and Partnerships at Qatar University
• Global North-South Collaboration: A perspective from South Africa featuring Dr. Jennifer Thomson, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Cape Town
• Collaboration between industry and academia featuring GlaxoSmithKline’s Director of Academic Liaison, Malcolm Skingle
• Why two heads are better than one - the power of university-industry collaborations featuring Tony Boccanfuso, President and CEO of the University Industry Demonstration Partnership (UIDP)
• Collaboration and data as drivers of progress featuring Elsevier’s Senior Vice President of Research Networks, Prof. Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz
• Blending societal impact and research strategy - Two experts explain what needs to change and why featuring Director of AESIS Anika S. Duut van Goor and senior institutional capacity builder Toñi Caro
• Research strategy: A conversation with Lesley Thompson & Holly Falk-Krzesinski featuring two of Elsevier’s Senior Vice Presidents whose roles see them work closely with university leaders
• The value of creating a healthy research culture featuring neuroscientist, psychiatrist, book author and mindfulness expert, Dr. Judson Brewer
• Bye, bye, blue sky? Part 1: A conversation with Lee Cronin featuring the Regius Professor of Chemistry at University of Glasgow
• Bye, bye, blue sky? Part 2: A conversation with Andrew Hamilton featuring the President of New York University (NYU)

In this episode, Director of AESIS Anika S. Duut van Goor and senior institutional capacity builder Toñi Caro, discuss the nuts and bolts of societal impact. They consider: 

• What it will take to build a true societal impact culture  
• Who can play a key role 
• The importance of patience and perseverance 
• The power of ambassadors of change 

"[For societal impact] you need the incentives, you need the policies, you need the skills, you need the people who are excited to move forward, you need the infrastructures… it is an all-encompassing way of working."
- Anika S. Duut van Goor 

In this episode, Elsevier’s Holly J. Falk-Krzesinski, PhD, and Lesley Thompson, PhD, talk all things research strategy. During a wide-ranging discussion, they look at what’s changing for universities and the myriad factors driving those changes, including: 

• Shifts in funding 
• The growth of open science 
• An increased focus on societal impact, including the UN SDGs 
• The rise of international collaboration (and associated tensions around intellectual property) 

“A growing number of universities at all levels in the US are instituting research development units to help bring life to their research strategies and complement the work that the researchers and faculty members are doing….And the value add to the institution isn't just the immediate research dollars or support for the involved investigators, but it is really capacity building for the institution, and those capacity building opportunities then drive some of the changes to the institution's research strategy.”
- Dr. Holly J. Falk-Krzesinski, PhD 

See full show notes

We delved into the archives for this compilation episode. With society facing challenges on an unprecedented scale, debates are rife around the question, “How should universities and their researchers prioritize research outcomes with societal impact.”

In our two Bye Bye Blue Sky episodes and our interview on Societal Impact, SDG Research & Universities, societal impact was a popular topic of discussion.

This episode draws together the insights of those three guest experts. You’ll hear from:

• Professor Lee Cronin, Regius Chair of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow in the UK, heads up the Cronin Group, whose research interests include finding alien life
• Dr. Andrew Hamilton, President of New York University in the US, whose research focuses on improving the treatment of conditions like cancer
• And Professor Aluísio Segurado, who successfully juggles his twin roles as Professor of Infectious Diseases and Head of Research at Brazil’s University of São Paulo.

In this episode, Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz, Elsevier’s Senior Vice President of Research Networks, talks collaborations.  

As a former researcher, university leader, funder, and now an enabler of collaborations, Carlos has a unique perspective on these partnerships. During the course of this interview, he discusses the range of partnership models available and reflects on some of their pros and cons

• The important role of the “triple helix” structure 
• Why international collaboration is on the rise 
• How data can help universities and industry identify partners and track the impact 
• The dangers of misusing data 
• Why long-term thinking is crucial when it comes to collaborations  

Collaboration between industry and academia – it’s a topic that divides many scientists. For every researcher eager to embark on a new partnership with a corporate, there’s another hesitant to commit. But with public funding tight, and the issues that face society growing in complexity and urgency, the importance of these collaborations is increasing.

This episode features GlaxoSmithKline’s Director of Academic Liaison, Malcolm Skingle, who has more than 20 years’ experience working on these collaborations. With the help of old friend and Elsevier Vice President of Academic Relations, Lesley Thompson, he explores:

• The benefits these partnerships bring – to both industry and universities/researchers.
• Some of the “myths” surrounding collaborations, from industry being anti-open science to suppressing researcher publications.
• The key questions universities should ask before signing on the dotted line.

Featured in this episode (Link to full show notes here)

Professor Malcolm Skingle
Director of Academic Liaison at GlaxoSmithKline and guest speaker

Malcolm has a BSc in Pharmacology/Biochemistry and a PhD in Neuropharmacology. He has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over 40 years and gained a wide breadth of experience in the management of research activities. He coordinates Academic Liaison at GSK, managing staff in the US and UK. He sits on many external bodies, including the REF2021 Main Panel A and the BBSRC Council, and chairs several groups. Malcolm was awarded a CBE in 2009 in recognition of his contribution to the pharmaceutical industry. He has also been awarded an Honorary Professorship from the University of Birmingham and an honorary DSc from the University of Hertfordshire. Malcolm was elected a Fellow of the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London in 2011 and an honorary fellow of the British Pharmacological Society in 2020

Lesley Thompson, PhD
Vice President Academic Relations at Elsevier and guest host

Lesley joined Elsevier in 2016 as Director Academic & Government Strategic Alliance in the UK. Previously, she worked for 26 years at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the largest of the UK’s seven research councils. At Elsevier, Lesley plays a leading role in advancing Elsevier’s initiatives to help universities, funding bodies and governments achieve their strategic objectives. She is a member of the Royal Society Diversity group, and, in January 2016, was awarded an MBE for services to research. Lesley has a PhD in Biology from the University of Essex and is married with children.

Giacomo Mancini, PhD
Business Development Manager at Elsevier and lead host of the Research 2030 podcast

Giacomo is a Business Development Manager at Elsevier and lead host of Elsevier’s Research 2030 podcast series. He received his PhD in Developmental and Evolutionary Biology from New York University and has a vast amount of research experience, having held positions as a Scientist and Research Associate at Johnson & Johnson and Mount Sinai Innovative Partners. While he’s passionate about analytics and bibliometrics, you may also find him reading the sports section of fivethirtyeight.com or tracking MLB player statistics on baseballreference.com. Go Mets!

“Increased collaborations can save considerable time and money, and most often, breakthrough research comes through collaborative research rather than by adhering to tried and true methods” (Bensal, et al., 2019)

 In this episode, we explore collaboration with between the Global South and the Global North with our hosts, Ylann Schemm and Ian Evans from Elsevier, as they talk to our guest, Dr. Jennifer Thomson, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Cape Town, and President of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD).

Episode Voices

Jennifer Thomson
Emeritus Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Cape Town 
President of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD)

 Prof. Jennifer Thomson is currently Emeritus Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Previously, she was Associate Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand and Director of the Laboratory for Molecular and Cell Biology for the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, before becoming Head of the Department of Microbiology at UCT. Thomson has won numerous prestigious awards and fellowships, including the L’Oreal/UNESCO prize for Women in Science for Africa in 2004 and an Honorary Doctorate from the Sorbonne University. Her research field is the development of genetically modified maize resistant to the African endemic maize streak virus and tolerant to drought and she has published three books on Genetically Modified Organisms: Genes for Africa, Seeds for the Future, and Food for Africa. She is a member of the board of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), based in Nairobi and vice-chair of ISAAA (International Service for the Acquisition of AgriBiotech Applications). Prof. Jennifer Thomson also serves on the National Advisory Council on Innovation of the South African Minister of Science and Technology.

Guest Hosts:
Ylann Schemm

As Director of the Elsevier Foundation, Ylann Schemm drives technology-enabled partnerships to advance diversity in science, build research capacity and support global health around the world. She has been an integral part of the Foundation’s growth since joining as a Program Officer in 2008. In addition, Ylann currently serves as Elsevier’s Director of External Partnerships, building on 15 years in corporate relations and responsibility roles and focusing on key technology, gender and sustainability collaborations.

 Ian Evans

Ian Evans is Content Director for Global Communications at Elsevier. Previously, he was Editor-in-Chief of Elsevier’s Global Communications Newsroom. Based in Oxford, he joined Elsevier six years ago from a small trade publisher specializing in popular science and literary fiction.

Prior to this he worked for several years on a leading trade magazine for the electrical retail industry, reporting on new technologies and market trends in consumer electronics. He holds a degree in English literature from the University of Wales, Cardiff, and spends his spare time reading, writing, and playing drums.

In this episode, host Claudio Colaiacomo welcomes renowned neuroscientist, psychiatrist, book author and mindfulness expert, Dr. Judson Brewer to the show. Together they discuss the crucial role mental wellbeing programs and support play in cultivating a positive research culture.

See full show notes and guest biographies

Featured Guest
Dr. Judson Brewer, Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and associate professor in psychiatry at the School of Medicine at Brown University 

 Dr. Judson Brewer is the director of research and innovation at the Mindfulness Center and associate professor in psychiatry at the School of Medicine at Brown University, as well as the executive medical director of behavioral health at Sharecare. His new book is called Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind

Guest Host and Interviewer:
 Claudio Colaiacomo, Vice President for Academic Relations at Elsevier

 As well as being Vice President for Academic Relations at Elsevier, Claudio Colaiacomo is also a Mindfulness trainer and coach.

Claudio Colaiacomo holds a degree and a masters in physics, an MBA and a Masters in contemplative neurosciences from the University of Pisa. He is a Mindfulness trainer and coach interested in fostering mental wellbeing in complex organizations and academia. In his earlier career, he has worked as a researcher in the US and Austria after moving to Elsevier where he covered several managerial roles. Today he is Vice President for Academic Relations: a role where he meets with the management of research institutions in Southern Europe and the media with the aim of exploring synergies and new ways to serve the scientific community. He’s an expert on the publishing industry and his interests include physics, history and philosophy. He is an experienced speaker and published author himself. Claudio is 49 and lives in Rome with his family.