PhD Lounge

Luis Maia de Freitas
  • 5.0 (1)
  • EDUCATION

Late-night podcast where I speak with PhDs about their research subjects, their decision on studying it and its importance throughout academic life. A podcast of entertainment and education, whose aim is to approach students and graduates who want to go through their future careers inside or outside of academia with a PhD and for those who are on a moment of uncertainty in continuing their studies further, as if we are having a drink and talk about PhD culture at a lounge on a late-night summer. Website: https://www.phdlounge.co.uk Business email: luisphdlounge@gmail.com

  1. 22H AGO

    Solo Session: The Rule of Three in PhD

    A doctorate can feel like juggling knives in a windstorm—until you simplify your approach. We break down a practical rule of three that keeps your research clear, effective, and memorable: strategy, management, and communication. Rather than drowning in to‑dos, you’ll learn how to design a flexible plan, turn that plan into steady weekly progress, and share your work so real people understand why it matters.We start with strategy as the anchor for your PhD. You’ll hear how to focus your question, align aims with your supervisor’s interests, and set milestones that adapt to new data and unexpected detours. Then we move to management, where we prioritise high‑impact tasks, schedule deep work when energy is highest, and build simple systems—weekly sprints, daily next steps, and realistic buffers around supervision meetings—that reduce stress and create momentum. Finally, we explore communication beyond conferences: using plain language, relatable examples, and honest stories about setbacks to connect with undergraduates, colleagues outside your field, and the wider public.Across the conversation, we highlight small habits with outsized returns: treating research as a pipeline, tracking lead indicators you control, and pressure‑testing ideas by explaining them over coffee. You’ll leave with a lean toolkit for navigating uncertainty, focusing on what matters, and turning complex ideas into messages that stick. If you’re a current PhD, a prospective applicant, or a supervisor looking to guide your students, this is a clear, human framework you can use right away.Enjoyed the episode? Follow the show, leave a quick review, and share it with a friend who needs a simpler way to steer their PhD. Support the show Website: https://www.phdlounge.co.ukDonation tab - https://www.phdlounge.co.uk/donateBuzzsprout subscription - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1808542/supportInstagram: @phdlmfLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismaia94/Linktree: https://linktr.ee/phdloungepodcast

    4 min
  2. Late-Night Talk: Ewelina Kurtys, PhD: FinalSpark and Biocomputing

    12/17/2025

    Late-Night Talk: Ewelina Kurtys, PhD: FinalSpark and Biocomputing

    Students and Graduates! Ewelina Kurtys is a PhD in neuroscience, business developer and technology advisor at FinalSpark. With more than 20 peer-reviewed papers, Ewelina's work at FinalSpark is about market-planning, strategy and investment in working computers through human living neurons.  Personal website: ewelinakurtys.comEwelina's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ewelinakurtys/ FinalSpark: https://finalspark.com/ Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure! Sportify 💣 CHRISTMAS SALE STARTS NOW 15% OFF WITH CODE XMAS15 | 🚚 FREE DELIVERY OVER £40. Affiliate Link below: https://www.sportifycards.com/?ref=phdlounge

    35 min
  3. Late-Night Talk: Nikita Bedov. Rethinking Food Chains: What Happens When Predator Eats Predator?

    11/12/2025

    Late-Night Talk: Nikita Bedov. Rethinking Food Chains: What Happens When Predator Eats Predator?

    Students and Graduates! Nikita is a PhD candidate in Biology at Swansea University who submitted his PhD on the behaviour and ecology of predator interactions, and working at two field sites in sub-Saharan Africa to quantify the famous fight between mongooses and snakes. He also has his YouTube channel, Diary of the Adventurer and the podcast Baffling Biology. Nikita explores how mongooses and snakes flip the food chain, why threat discrimination is context-driven, and what long-term field data reveal about venom resistance and group defence. Along the way, Nikita shares his thoughts on funding, field logistics, science communication, and making space for creative projects during a PhD.• mutual predation between mongooses and snakes in Africa• threat discrimination shaped by movement, learning and context• venom resistance in mongooses and pup vulnerability• group mobbing against pythons versus solo risk• field sites, habituation and camera-trap ecosystems• self-funding, teaching work and practical trade-offs• Diary of the Adventurer and Baffling Biology platforms• science without hype and avoiding dramatization• choosing supervisors, writing early and skill-building Follow his YouTube channel Diary of the Adventurer: http://www.youtube.com/@diaryoftheadventurer Nikita's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikita-bedov-2a2019174/ Nikita's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikitaecras/ Baffling Biology: https://bafflingbiologypodcast.weebly.com/ Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!

    1h 54m
  4. Solo Session: What does it mean to be a PhD in the 21st Century?

    10/22/2025

    Solo Session: What does it mean to be a PhD in the 21st Century?

    In this solo session, I share a candid reflection on passing the viva, then map the four pillars of a modern PhD: funding, mental health, career strategy, and networking. Practical stories, honest stats, and a nudge to build options beyond the thesis Viva highlights and next steps. Funding sources, tradeoffs, and timing. Mental health risks, supports, and pacing. Academic vs industry routes and optionality. Entrepreneurial mindset for uncertain markets. Networking as social capital, not transactions. Online presence for visibility and community. Choosing the PhD with eyes open. Thank you all for tuning in, it's been a pleasure! Hazell, C. M., Chapman, L., Valeix, S. F., Roberts, P., Niven, J. E., & Berry, C. (2020). Understanding the mental health of doctoral researchers: a mixed methods systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-synthesis. Systematic Reviews, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-020-01443-1 Horwitz, I. M. (2025). The Entrepreneurial Scholar: A New Mindset for Success in Academia and Beyond. Princeton University Press. Last, A. (2025). The ‘creative thesis’ in the academic ‘anxiety machine.’ Area. https://doi.org/10.1111/area.70007 Pham, T. (2025). What really contributes to employability of PhD graduates in uncertain labour markets? Globalisation Societies and Education, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2023.2192908 Satinsky, E. N., Kimura, T., Kiang, M. V., Abebe, R., Cunningham, S., Lee, H., Lin, X., Liu, C. H., Rudan, I., Sen, S., Tomlinson, M., Yaver, M., & Tsai, A. C. (2021). Systematic review and meta-analysis of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among Ph.D. students. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93687-7 Support the show Website: https://www.phdlounge.co.ukDonation tab - https://www.phdlounge.co.uk/donateBuzzsprout subscription - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1808542/supportInstagram: @phdlmfLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismaia94/Linktree: https://linktr.ee/phdloungepodcast SportifySportify personalises FIFA style sporting cards with a 10% when using the code PHDLOUNGE10Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

    27 min
  5. Late-Night Talk: Daria Levina, PhD. Two PhDs and Beyond: Making Education Accessible for Everyone, securing competitive funding against all odds, and more...

    09/03/2025

    Late-Night Talk: Daria Levina, PhD. Two PhDs and Beyond: Making Education Accessible for Everyone, securing competitive funding against all odds, and more...

    Daria Levina, PhD, shares her journey from winning law competitions in Russia to completing two PhDs, securing a Harvard Law degree through crowdfunding, and building a business helping others access competitive education funding. • From law Olympiads to academia: How winning national competitions opened doors to university without entrance exams • Crowdfunding $92,000 for Harvard by building relationships and sharing her mission for accessible education • Insights from serving on PhD admissions committees: What makes applications stand out • The importance of connecting research to real-world problems rather than just citing literature • Productivity techniques: Using the "agile method" to break down PhD projects into manageable chunks • Digital note-taking with Zettelkasten methodology using Obsidian to create interconnected research notes • Building support networks as essential for navigating the solitary PhD journey • Challenging the pressure for academics to maintain online presence and personal branding • Transitioning academic expertise into a consultancy helping others secure competitive funding • Pursuing stand-up comedy as a creative outlet alongside academic work Follow Daria's work at harvardstateofmind.com or connect with her on LinkedIn and YouTube. Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure! Innovative Language Spanish101.com Learn Spanish with Innovative Language and you'll get 25% OFF by typing SPECIAL25OFF Sportify Sportify personalises FIFA style sporting cards with a 10% when using the code PHDLOUNGE10 Support the show Website: https://www.phdlounge.co.uk Donation tab - https://www.phdlounge.co.uk/donate Buzzsprout subscription - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1808542/support Instagram: @phdlmf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismaia94/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/phdloungepodcast

    1h 28m
  6. Late-Night Talk: Elena Hoffer, PhD. Life Beyond Academia: Transitioning From PhD to Industry, and more

    08/20/2025

    Late-Night Talk: Elena Hoffer, PhD. Life Beyond Academia: Transitioning From PhD to Industry, and more

    The transition from academia to industry remains one of the most challenging journeys for PhDs, yet it's a path that half of all doctoral graduates will take. Elena Hoffer, PhD and founder of https://www.alma.me/ shares her journey from academia to entrepreneurship and explains how she helps PhDs and PostDocs transitioning to industry careers after reaching over 100,000 LinkedIn followers. • PhDs often struggle to translate their academic skills into language industry employers understand • Networking is about relationship building over time, not transactional requests to strangers • True value of a PhD lies in who you become during the process, not just the thesis produced • Industry employers value PhDs for their problem-solving abilities, resilience, and "get things done" mentality • Most successful job searches focus on 1-2 targeted positions rather than applying broadly • Taking courses in areas like project management signals clear career direction to potential employers • Time management and prioritization are essential for balancing entrepreneurship with content creation • The PhD degree remains valuable but could evolve to better prepare graduates for diverse career paths Visit https://www.alma.me/ to learn more about helping PhDs transition to industry, and follow Elena on LinkedIn or listen to her podcast "Post PhD Directions" for more insights on leveraging your doctoral experience in the professional world. PostPhDDirections podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2trW8zOrwLgh9HKWNqHLpp?si=41cec8b3020d4c3a

    1h 57m
  7. Late-Night Talk: Ilana Horwitz, PhD. The Entrepreneurial Scholar. How to Think Like an Entrepreneur in your PhD and more

    03/11/2025

    Late-Night Talk: Ilana Horwitz, PhD. The Entrepreneurial Scholar. How to Think Like an Entrepreneur in your PhD and more

    Students and Graduates! Ilana Horwitz, PhD, is an assistant lecturer of Jewish Studies and Sociology at Tulane University, New Orleans. Ilana presents her released book The Entrepreneurial Scholar. A New Mindset for Success in Academia and Beyond, along other future projects. Buy Ilana's The Entrepreneurial Scholar on Princeton Univ Press and get 20% OFF by typing IMH20: https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691240893/the-entrepreneurial-scholar Ilana's website: https://www.ilanahorwitz.com/ Ilana's LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilana-horwitz-447b092/ Thank you all for tuning in, it's been a pleasure!

    1h 36m
  8. Late-Night Talk: Bella Winton, Alec Dawson, Ella Harford: Barbarian Rule Galicia, Christian Greek Hagiography, Female Sexual Deviancy and Adultery in the Georgian Era, PhD Marathon and more

    02/12/2025

    Late-Night Talk: Bella Winton, Alec Dawson, Ella Harford: Barbarian Rule Galicia, Christian Greek Hagiography, Female Sexual Deviancy and Adultery in the Georgian Era, PhD Marathon and more

    Link to the call for paper conference at Swansea University: https://listserv.liv.ac.uk/cgi-bin/wa?A2=CLASSICISTS;d26a3f17.2501 Submit your abstracts to either one of these emails: a.e.a.dawson@swansea.ac.uk & i.a.g.winton@swansea.ac.uk Students and Graduates! The first late-night talk with three PhDs of 2025 is here! Alec Dawson is a PhD Candidate at Swansea University, whose thesis is on Late Antique Rule in Hispania and the Role of the Regnum Suevorum. Since then, Alec has presented papers at international conferences in Spain and the UK, including the renowned Celtic Conference in Classics. Alongside university teaching responsibilities, Alec also has published book reviews for the journal Plekos and jointly chair a departmental seminar series. Bella Winton, a funded PhD candidate at Swansea University, specialises in Greek Hagiography from Christian Late Antiquity, focusing on their value as sophisticated literary narratives. Ella Harford is a PhD student at Swansea University. Her thesis focuses on representations of sex and adultery amongst women in 18th century print culture . Check out their social media platforms to network with them. Alec: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alec-dawson-104b56287/ Bella: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabella-winton-487859174/ Ella: @emharford Thank you all for tuning in, it's been a pleasure!

    1h 49m
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About

Late-night podcast where I speak with PhDs about their research subjects, their decision on studying it and its importance throughout academic life. A podcast of entertainment and education, whose aim is to approach students and graduates who want to go through their future careers inside or outside of academia with a PhD and for those who are on a moment of uncertainty in continuing their studies further, as if we are having a drink and talk about PhD culture at a lounge on a late-night summer. Website: https://www.phdlounge.co.uk Business email: luisphdlounge@gmail.com

Information

  • Creator
    Luis Maia de Freitas
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Luis Maia de Freitas
  • Show Website
    PhD Lounge