Faces Behind Papers

Rana Begum Kalkan
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Hi everyone, I'm Rana. In this podcast, I'm asking academics in psychology about their journey in academia, work-life, and some other questions not directly related to their research... The aim is to go beyond their research and put a face (in this case, a voice) and a story to the names you see on scientific papers. Hope you'll enjoy it!

Episodes

  1. Dominique Maciejewski: All things research, parenting, and academia

    11/12/2025

    Dominique Maciejewski: All things research, parenting, and academia

    Hi everyone, In this episode, my guest was Dr. Dominique Maciewski. We recorded this episode a while ago and I only recently had the chance to publish it. After re-listening, I wished I had done it before - it really left me with a big smile. It was such a sincere conversation about life in academia with an inspiring, authentic, and kind researcher. We talked about what first drew her to developmental psychology, balancing parenthood and academia, her research on emotion regulation and psychological measurement, her favourite (all female!) researchers, and much more. I hope the episode leaves you with a big smile as well! If you'd like to skip to specific parts: 00:45 --> What first drew you to developmental psychology? 05:14 --> Was there a moment when you knew for sure that you wanted to stay in academia? 06:40 --> Perks of being a researcher who lived in many different cities and academic cultures. 09:07 --> Balancing personal and academic life 10:41 --> Balancing parenthood and academia 17:21 --> Current research interests: emotion regulation in adolescents, measurement, 25:55 --> If you had all the funding and resources in the world what would you try to explore? 27:48 --> The impact of parenthood on research perspective to developmental psychology 29:56 --> If you could give advice to your PhD self, what would it be? What skills do you think are the most helpful at different stages of an academic career? 33:53 --> Do you think there are skills that makes one stand out when one is applying for professorships? 35:42 -- Her favourite researchers 38:55 --> If you had a free day with no responsibilities, how would you spend it? 41:08 --> How do you hope people will remember you?

    43 min
  2. Selçuk Şirin: Challenging Structural Barriers

    06/24/2025

    Selçuk Şirin: Challenging Structural Barriers

    Hi everyone, In this episode my guest is Prof. Selcuk Sirin. He is a professor of applied psychology in NYU. He has also made a big impact outside of academia, serving on the U.S. National Academy of Sciences' Board for Children, Youth, and Families. On top of these, he’s committed to making science accessible to the public, especially in Turkey. He has authored several prominent books on education and societal issues in Turkey. If you're interested in specific parts, you can skip to those parts here: 01:15 → Did you have an ideal about your older self during childhood? 04:26 → Choosing a university and field of study 05:51 → After graduation: Working in the banking sector 08:00 → Fighting against the odds? Not giving too much power to structural barriers 10:18 → How do diverse educational and field experiences shape your academic perspective? 12:20 → Academic journey: Staying in the same field or shifting directions? 16:26 → Getting funding for research 23:27 → If you had unlimited funding, what would you try to answer/explore? 26:56 → Who is your favorite researcher or role model inside or outside academia? 27:59 → Who is Selçuk Şirin beyond his professional life? 28:58 → Balancing science outreach, research, and teaching — What does your typical day/week look like? 30:54 → Getting inspired to write fiction and non-fiction — How do you find your words? 33:11 → How do you hope people will remember you?

    35 min
  3. Awais Aftab: From Pakistan to the US, Embracing Pluralism in Psychiatry

    05/06/2025

    Awais Aftab: From Pakistan to the US, Embracing Pluralism in Psychiatry

    In this episode, my guest was Prof. Awais Aftab, a psychiatrist in Ohio and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University. His research interests include philosophy of psychiatry, psychiatric classification, history of psychiatry. We talked about his journey from Pakistan to the US as a psychiatrist, how his interest in philosophy of psychiatry developed, his efforts to improve psychiatry training, and much more! Beyond his clinical and academic work, he recently published a book "Conversations in Critical Psychiatry" and runs a very active blog Psychiatry at the Margins . Truly inspiring! Be sure to check them out if you're interested in the vast and complex landscape of psychopathology.

    39 min
  4. Katie Hoemann: From Linguistics and Cultural Anthropology to Psychology

    03/24/2025

    Katie Hoemann: From Linguistics and Cultural Anthropology to Psychology

    You can now follow Faces Behind Papers on Instagram and Bluesky! Feel free to spread it to students or early career researchers who might be interested in psychological research! In this episode my guest is Prof. Katie Hoemann. She is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Kansas. Her research focuses on relationship between language, the perception and experience of emotion. With a diverse educational background in the social sciences and a return to academia after a break, it is inspiring to hear the story of a researcher who took the road less traveled. 01:02 - How was your journey from cultural anthropology and linguistics to psychology? 03:44 - Emotions as we study them vs. as we experience them. 06:39 - Was finding your focus of research smooth or messy sometimes? 08:31 - Was there a specific moment when you realized you were on the right path? 09:55 - Would you say that your diverse educational background make your academic work more meaningful? 14:12 - Transition from non-academic work (project management) to academia. 16:34 - which research questions are you trying to answer/explore right now? 19:34 - if you had all the funding and resources in the world, what would you try to answer or explore? 22:38 - What do you think makes a good psychology study? 26:19 - Academia in the US vs. Europe 30:57 - Who is your favourite researcher? Someone you look up to? 35: 39 - Who is Katie Hoemann besides her academic work? 38:01 - How do you hope people will remember you?

    40 min
  5. Christopher Hopwood

    02/03/2025

    Christopher Hopwood

    From the people who shaped Prof. Hopwood’s journey to his thoughts on therapeutic orientations, this interview was one of those where I didn’t even notice how time flew by. I might be a bit biased, since I’ve been reading Prof. Hopwood’s work since the start of my PhD, but I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! In case you're interested in specific parts, you can skip to them directly here: 00:52 - What sparked his interest in psychology? 05:37 - A foot in both camps: research and clinical work 07:07 - Therapy orientations: it's a waste of time to compare them, says Prof. Hopwood 10: 08 - What drives research? Curiosity, easing mental suffering, or something else? 11:36 - Four people who shaped Prof. Hopwood’s academic journey 13:38 - Writing papers with your partner: what’s that like? 15:16 - From existential questions after getting a tenure to his research on human-animal relationships and sustainability 17:46 - Future directions in his research 20:16 - Tables are turned: a bit about my (Rana's) PhD research 23:51 - Prof. Hopwood and I ask each other: If we had all the funding and resources in the world, what would we explore? 27:44 - What makes a great psychology study?: "There comes a time in one's career when one has to have kind of integrity about their own work" 31:51 - Comparing academia: US vs. Europe 36:25 - Going back to your PhD years with the current experiences you have right now, is there anything that you wish you had done differently? 38:18 - Who is Christopher Hopwood outside of academia? - Family, family, arts, sport, and the pleasure of work 40:25 - How do we hope to be remembered?

    43 min
  6. Benjamin Scott

    08/19/2024

    Benjamin Scott

    Hi everyone, after a break, we are back with the new episode of Faces Behind Papers. In this episode, my guest was Prof. Benjamin Scott. He is an assistant professor of neuroscience at Boston University. It was refreshing and inspiring the chat with a researcher who is genuinely passionate about exploring the neural basis of cognition and complex behavior. I hope you enjoy our conversation! If you're interested specific parts of the podcast, you can skip to those parts here: 00:48 Choosing academia  02:20 Challenges along the way  04:34 What drew you to neuroscience 06:56 Investigating the neural basis of decision making  07:51 What excites you the most about your research field?  11:35 If you had all the funding and resources in the world, what would you try to explore?  12:28 How do you think academia changed over the years?  14:55 Anyone you look up to within academia?  18:07 Typical day at work  19:31 Recommended paper: Transcriptomic diversity of cell types across the adult human brain | Science 21:00 Advice to students interested in research

    23 min

  7. 04/24/2024

    Sara Bartels

    Hi everyone, in this episode my guest is Dr. Sara Bartels. She is a post-doctoral researcher at Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Her work focuses on the development, evaluation, and implementation of a digital behavioral health treatment for individuals with chronic pain. She is also currently a part of the HOMEDEM consortium which aims to support people with dementia and their caregivers using digital interventions. It was enjoyable to interview a researcher who appreciates all aspects of her job from designing and evaluating interventions to mentoring students.  If you're interested in specific parts, you can directly skip to them: 01:00 – How long have you been in academia? 01:55 – Before choosing research what were the other options you were considering? What drew you to research? 05:14 – Journey in research field: Digital interventions for individuals with chronic pain and dementia 06:20 – Digital interventions using Acceptance Commitment Therapy 09:26 – What research questions are you currently trying to answer?  HOMEDEM Consortium: supporting people with dementia and their caregivers using blended care 18:00 – Is there anyone that you look up to in academia? 20:07 – How is postdoc life different from PhD life? 23:10 – Typical day of a postdoc 24:30 – What do you most enjoy and find it challenging about your job? 25:40 – Learning from students 27:46 – A paper for people interested in complex interventions: A new framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions: update of Medical Research Council guidance 30:40 – Advice for PhD students: Being proactive

    35 min
  8. Venus Mahmoodi

    03/24/2024

    Venus Mahmoodi

    In this episode, my guest is Assoc. Prof. Venus Mahmoodi. She is an associate professor at Columbia University Medical Center (CUIMC), Clinical Researcher at the Early N3 Lab at CUIMC, and also directs the Muslim Perinatal Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University. From her multiple positions as a researcher and a clinical psychologist, and from how she talks about her research with a great sense of humor in the interview, you can tell that she is genuinely passionate about her work and looking for ways to be helpful to people through her research and clinical work. I can assure you that the interview is worth the 50 minutes! If you’re interested in specific parts, you can skip to them directly here: 01:10 Choosing academia  05:00 First interest in research  07:15 Clinical Practice and going into research 11:50 Interest in Muslim mental health and challenges in early career  19:50 Current research questions  33:50 Balancing multiple roles 37:55 Joys and challenges in research and clinical work  42:40 Article suggestions for those interested in perinatal mental health  See here! Biological and Psychosocial Predictors of Postpartum Depression: Systematic Review and Call for Integration: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5659274/    Heterogeneity of postpartum depression: a latent class analysis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4800818/.  45:05 Advice for graduate students

    49 min
  9. Tom Beckers

    02/26/2024

    Tom Beckers

    In this episode, my guest is Prof. Tom Beckers. He is a professor of psychology at KU Leuven. His work focuses on the role of learning and memory in psychopathology, especially anxiety, addiction, and ADHD. As you will hear in the interview, he often emphasizes reflecting on one’s values when doing science and making those values a priority. He is passionate about his work and a really good communicator of it. I hope you’ll enjoy this episode as much as I did!   If you’re interested in specific parts, you can skip to them directly here: 01:00 Years in academia 01:20 Did you choose academia or did academia choose you? Neither. 06:10 Journey in his research field 8:30 Current research questions 13:00 New directions: Pavlovian compensation 17:30 Inspirations when doing research and finding new research questions 19:30 The biggest changes in academia: the good and the bad 25:30 Advice for young scientists 27:00 People in academia that he looks up to 28:00 Importance of “no egos” in science 32:50 Typical week of an academic 36:40 Four Loko Effect

    41 min
  10. Selin Kesebir

    02/12/2024

    Selin Kesebir

    In this episode, my guest is Prof. Selin Kesebir. She is an associate professor of organizational behavior at London Business School. She has been very interested in science, reading, and writing since her childhood, and still, as you will hear in the interview, she likes to talk with statistics and scientific findings. I hope you’ll enjoy our conversation! If you are interested in specific parts, you can skip to them directly here:  00:36 Years in academia  01:10 Choosing academia  03:38 Transitioning to psychology from another degree  04:50 Family influence on career choice  07:16 Journey in the field of interest  10:20 Business school  13:42 Current research on narcissism  20:13 Changes in academia  24:28 Favorite researchers 33:00 Advice to Bachelor and Masters students interested in academia  37:20 Advice to PhD students  If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to let me know via this email: ranabegumkalkan@gmail.com.

    41 min
  11. Peter Kuppens

    12/22/2023

    Peter Kuppens

    In this very first episode, I hosted my supervisor Prof. Peter Kuppens.  He is an affective scientist at the Catholic University of Leuven. His work focuses on theories of emotions and affect dynamics.   I asked him some questions about his academic journey, his opinions about academia, his work schedule, and so on…  Beyond his impressive research record, as you will hear in the interview, he comes off as a laid-back person with a positive and flexible attitude toward his work (I’m not the person to judge but that’s the impression I had).  He also suggested a paper to anyone interested in his research field. You can find it here: (PDF) Core affect and the psychological construction of emotion | James Russell - Academia.edu If you are interested in specific questions, you can skip to them directly here:  01:06 How long have you been in academia ?  01:47 Before choosing academia what were the other options you were considering? Was it your dream job?  06:10 How has been your journey so far, in terms of your field of interest? Did you more or less stay in the same broad topic? Did you have a radical shift?  10:55 What research question are you currently trying to answer/explore? Why is this problem important? 13:27 If you had all the funding and resources in the world, what would you try to answer/explore? 17:35 How do you think academia has changed over the years? Are there any areas that you think should be improved: for example, quality of articles, grant proposals or the funding process, psychology education.  21:11 Who is your favorite researcher? Is there anyone in academia that you look up to? 24:34 What is your typical day and week like? Overall how much time do you spend on research, teaching, and administrative things?  27:50 What do you enjoy most about your job and what do you least like about it? 34:23 Any advice to bachelor and master’s students who want to stay in academia? Any advice to PhD students?

    39 min
  12. Welcome to Faces Behind Papers!

    TRAILER

    Welcome to Faces Behind Papers!

    Hi everyone, I'm Rana. In this podcast, I'm asking academics in psychology about their journey in academia, work-life, and some other questions not directly related to their research... The aim is to go beyond their research and put a face (in this case, a voice) and a story to the names you see on scientific papers. Hope you'll enjoy it!

    2 min

Trailer

About

Hi everyone, I'm Rana. In this podcast, I'm asking academics in psychology about their journey in academia, work-life, and some other questions not directly related to their research... The aim is to go beyond their research and put a face (in this case, a voice) and a story to the names you see on scientific papers. Hope you'll enjoy it!

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  • Creator
    Rana Begum Kalkan
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Rana Begum Kalkan
  • Show Website
    Faces Behind Papers