Suze Kundu
Suze Kundu (pronouns she/her) is a nanochemist and a science communicator. Suze is Director of Researcher and Community Engagement at Digital Science and a Trustee of the Royal Institution. Prior to her move to DS in 2018, Suze was an academic for six years, teaching at Imperial College London and the University of Surrey, having completed her undergraduate degree and PhD in Chemistry at University College London.
Suze is a presenter on many shows on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic and Curiosity Stream, a science expert on TV and radio, and a science writer for Forbes. Suze is also a public speaker, having performed demo lectures and scientific stand-up comedy at events all over the world, on topics ranging from Cocktail Chemistry to the Science of Superheroes.
Suze collects degrees like Pokémon, the latest being a Masters from Imperial College London that focused on outreach initiatives and their impact on the retention of women engineering graduates within the profession.
Suze is a catmamma and in her spare time loves dance and Disney, moshing and musical theatre.
Articles by Suze Kundu
The 12 Days of DSmas
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Community Engagement
Global Challenges
Open Research
Research Evaluation
Research Futures
Research Integrity
Every Muppets fan knows that Christmas is all about being revisited by people you've previously encountered. So from 25th December to 5th January we'll be sharing our 12 Days of DSmas. Check back daily as we share a Speaker Series 2024 chat each and every day. Happy Holidays from the Digital Science Thought Leadership Team!
TL;DR Shorts: Dr Scott Heimlich on Community Engagement
In this week's TL;DR Shorts episode, we hear from Dr Scott Heimlich, President of the Amgen Foundation and Executive Director at Amgen, about the importance of engaging with and empowering all communities impacted by the outcomes of research that go beyond a company mission, such as through an organisation's charitable giving in response to a disaster, or through supporting community engagement by employees with a broad range of groups.
Technology and Truth – meet Dr Danny Hillis
For me, the countdown to Christmas means three things - excitement, new gadgets, and an almost daily dose of Disney in one form or another. So, since it's December, let's tick off a hattrick of all three of those boxes with this special extra-long conversation with Dr Danny Hillis - inventor, innovator, and the founder of Applied Invention. Want to avoid that annual appraisal or procrastinate around your 2025 planning? Grab a drink and a chocolate orange, and spend 50 minutes hearing from the legend that developed the knowledge graph that provides the foundations for Google Search.
Deep Minds: Reflections from the AI for Science Forum
Last week, Suze attended the AI for Science Forum, a gathering of incredible minds from across disciplines, each sharing perspectives on how AI is transforming research and impacting society. Organised by Google DeepMind and The Royal Society, the event brought together invited guests from across all segments of the research community to share their experiences and expertise, while also giving opportunities for attendees to meaningfully discuss how we can best wrangle this novel technology to increase the impact and reach of research with the resources currently at our disposal. Here's a reflection on the day's proceedings.
TL;DR Shorts: Professor Lord Martin Rees on Artificial Intelligence
Following yesterday’s engaging and inspiring AI For Science Forum hosted by Google DeepMind and The Royal Society, this week’s TL;DR Shorts episode features Professor Lord Martin Rees. A physicist, Astronomer Royal, former President of The Royal Society and author of many books that focus on the future, Martin shares his thoughts on the rise of AI in science and society.
TL;DR Shorts: Dr Danny Hillis on the Automated Future of Research
New eras of technology have always enabled novel waves of research. This week's TL;DR Tuesday contribution comes from the co-founder of Applied Invention Dr Danny Hillis, an innovator who has witnessed and indeed driven the evolution of many such waves of novel tech. Danny shares his thoughts on an automated research future.
Science and Social Justice – meet Professor Jenny Reardon
As the Aaron Sorkin global political drama that is 2024 reaches its season finale in the USA today, we are thrilled to share our chat about science, social justice, and the politicisation of research with Professor Jenny Reardon, Professor of Sociology at the University of California Santa Cruz, and the Founder of Science and Justice Research Center.
TL;DR Shorts: Venki Ramakrishnan on Open Research
Open research is for life, not just for Open Access week, which is why we are sticking with the theme and hearing from Nobel laureate and former president of the Royal Society Venki Ramakrishnan who talks about this very topic in this week's TL;DR Shorts episode.
TL;DR Shorts: Joy Owango on Open Research
The theme of this year's International Open Access Week, which kicked off yesterday, is 'Community over Commercialisation'. In today's TL;DR Shorts episode, Joy Owango talks about how open research is helping increase the visibility and representation of research being done in Africa.
TL;DR Shorts: Dave Weiss on Research Outside Academia
The WNBA Finals are in full swing and the start of the new MNBA season is imminent, so we're celebrating all things b-ball in today's #TLDRShorts episode from Dave Weiss, Senior Vice President of Player Matters at the NBA. Dave tells us about how he and his team use research and conduct novel research themselves to better inform the health and wellbeing of professional athletes across the world.
TL;DR Shorts: Angela Saini on Trust in Research
Today's episode of TL;DR Shorts features British science journalist, author, and broadcaster Angela Saini, who reflects on the role of science communication in the COVID-19 pandemic and how accessing research information should be done with sceptical caution, to avoid the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
Incentives for Innovation – meet Dr Gilbert De Gregorio
Dr Suze Kundu chats about innovation and its incentivisation and celebration through awards schemes with Dr Gilbert De Gregorio, Associate Director of the Frontiers Planet Prize that awards international champions 1M Swiss Francs for discoveries that will be of benefit to planetary health.
The TL;DR on… ERROR
We love a good deep dive into the awkward challenges and innovative solutions that are transforming the world of academia and industry. In this article and in the full video interview, we're discussing an interesting new initiative that's been making waves in the research community: ERROR.
Inspired by bug bounty programs in the tech industry, ERROR offers financial rewards to those who identify and report errors in academic research. ERROR has the potential to revolutionise how we approach, among other things, research integrity and open research by incentivising the thorough scrutiny of published research information and enhancing transparency.
Suze sat down with two other members of the TL;DR team, Leslie and Mark, to shed light on how ERROR can bolster trust and credibility in scientific findings, and explore how this initiative aligns with the principles of open research and how all these things can drive a culture of collaboration and accountability. They also discussed the impact that ERROR could have on the research community and beyond.
TL;DR Shorts: George Dyson on Communicating Research
For this week's TL;DR Shorts episode we are once again joined by George Dyson, an American historian of technology and science who is best known for his work in the history of computing and his exploration of the intersection between science, technology, and society. As an author and communicator of research, we asked him how he feels this field has changed over time.
Innovation and integrity across all research segments to safeguard the future of research
Maintaining integrity and security is paramount in the ever-evolving landscape of research. While science, technology and medicine publishers have made significant strides in this area, the importance of innovative solutions in this space extends beyond publishing. It is within this environment that Digital Science is now seeking technology-driven ideas to safeguard research integrity and support trust in science. This is the focus of our Catalyst Grant round for 2024.
TL;DR Shorts: Rodney Mullen on Why We Need Diverse Minds in Research
Following last night's sold out Speaker Series Live lecture, today's special "TL;DR Long" contributor is Rodney Mullen, an engineer, innovator and professional skateboarder, who shares his thoughts on why we need a range of people in research.
The Reality of Maths – Meet Dr Eugenia Cheng
Mathematician, concert pianist, and author Dr Eugenia Cheng is on a mission to change that perception of maths by showcasing the joy, creativity and wonder of maths, and how it underpins our everyday lives, from the food we eat to the entertainment we consume. I caught up with Eugenia ahead of her Speaker Series Live talk at the Ri in June 2024 to hear about the creativity, wonder and relatability of maths, and how we can all engage with it in ways that bring us joy.
TL;DR Shorts: Roger Magoulas on Generative AI
This week’s TL;DR Shorts features computer scientist turned data science expert and data strategy consultant Roger Magoulas who is sharing his thoughts on generative artificial intelligence, or generative AI, like OpenAI's chatGPT and how they can be employed to make our workflows more efficient and our outputs more impactful.
TL;DR Shorts: Dr Danielle Twum on Representation in Research
Happy TL;DR Tuesday if you celebrate - and if you don't, you'll want to after today's episode, because we're hearing from Dr Danielle Twum - cancer immunologist, If/Then contributor, and part-time superhero - about why representation in research matters.
The Research Eras Tour – the Scholarly Side of Taylor Swift
It’s no secret that Taylor Swift has inspired a lot of research - most recently, the rise of ‘Swiftonomics’ or the influence that Taylor Swift has had on the economy, has been a hot topic of discussion. What if she has influenced more than we realise? Welcome to Taylor Swift's Research Eras Tour!
Science and Skateboarding – Meet Rodney Mullen
We're thrilled to be hosting engineer, innovator and the godfather of street skating Rodney Mullen at the Royal Institution in September as part of our Speaker Series Live programme of events. So, to get us in the mood and give us a taster of what to expect, Suze and Huw popped by Rodney's place while they were out working in Los Angeles to bring you this month's Speaker Series episode - a conversation about culture, community and creativity in science and skateboarding.
TL;DR Shorts: Courtney Hohne on Engaged Innovation
Today's episode of TL;DR Shorts takes us back to the West Coast and Courtney Hohne who is talking about how we need more engaged innovation, whereby members of our broader society are involved in creating and implementing new ideas in the real world.
TL;DR Shorts: Dr Ernest Mwebaze on the impact of community initiatives
It's TL;DR Tuesday and this week's TL;DR Shorts episode features Dr Ernest Mwebaze, Executive Director of Sunbird AI, who talks about the impact that his community engagement initiatives have had on the research landscape in Uganda.
TL;DR Shorts: Mariette DiChristina on Trust and Civic Science
This TL;DR Tuesday we're talking about civic science - the democratisation of knowledge production through engaging with impacted communities to co-produce scientific solutions - as a tool for building trust in research with Boston University's Mariette DiChristina, Dean of the College of Communication.
TL;DR Shorts: Dr Astro Teller on Climate Change
In this week's TL;DR Shorts episode we hear Dr Astro Teller's thoughts on climate change. As the co-founder and Captain of Moonshots at X, the Moonshot Factory at Alphabet based in California, USA, it is perhaps no surprise that Astro approaches the challenge of climate change in an holistic manner, calling it a systems problem that can only be overcome with a suite of innovative solutions.
The History and Future of Research – Meet Dr Maria Avxentevskaya and Dr Ben Johnson
In this episode of our Speaker Series, Suze meets meet Dr Maria Avxentevskaya, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, and Dr Ben Johnson, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion. In this chat, Maria, Ben and Suze discuss the history and philosophy of science, exploring topics such as the role of scientific institutions, cycles of complexity in science, ethical considerations in scientific research, and the ever-changing, transformative landscape of research practices. They also tackle the impact of new technologies, such as AI, on the scientific community and society, and the importance of science communication and public engagement.
TL;DR Shorts: Esther Dyson on the Future of Research
This episode of TL;DR Shorts features Esther Dyson sharing her thoughts on the future of research. Esther makes a compelling and convincing case for researchers and innovators to intelligently examine existing knowledge to see what else could be implemented from research that may have been overlooked in favour of creating new knowledge.
TL;DR Shorts: Mariette DiChristina on Artificial Intelligence
It's time for another TL;DR Tuesday, and this time we're chatting with Boston University's Mariette DiChristina, Dean of the College of Communication about articifial intelligence. Mariette discusses the challenge and opportunities in AI for research.
TL;DR Shorts: Dr Ernest Mwebaze on open and collaborative research
This week's #TLDRTuesday features Dr Ernest Mwebaze. In this TL;DR Shorts episode, Ernest chats about the transformation of research to a more open, more collaborative endeavour than ever before, and the challenges and opportunities of that change.
The Power of Persistent Identifiers – meet Alice Meadows
In this episode of our Speaker Series, Suze meets Alice Meadows, community engagement professional and Co-Founder of the More Brains Cooperative. In this chat, Alice tells us about research infrastructure, persistent identifiers (PIDs), the marvellous nature of good metadata, and what she would like to see from the future of information and knowledge management in the research community.
TL;DR Shorts: George Dyson on Fostering Innovation
Today's TL;DR Shorts episode with George Dyson is all about how we can foster innovation and nurture it when lightning strikes. George believes that research group sizes reach a critical mass beyond which fast innovation is hampered by bureaucracy. George feels that more can be done to support research transformation by other actors in the research landscape, including governments and funders.
TL;DR Shorts: Chris DiBona on integrity and openness in research
Today's TL;DR Shorts episode is brought to you by Chris DiBona, a world-renowned leader in Open Source Research, and covers many of the themes we are currently discussing across the research community, including open research, trust and integrity, and revamping research culture to make it more fit-for-purpose.
Catalysing Change, Embracing Open Research – meet Dr Niamh O’Connor
In this month's Speaker Series episode, Dr Suze Kundu meets Dr Niamh O’Connor, Chief Publishing Officer at PLOS. Niamh and Suze chat about their journeys from chemistry to supporting the research community, and how we can accelerate research culture towards more open ways of working.
TL;DR Shorts: Dave Weiss on multidisciplinary research
The NBA Playoffs are imminent, but how does research inform the health and wellbeing of professional basketball players? In today's #TLDRShorts episode we hear from Dave Weiss, Senior Vice President of Player Matters at the NBA, who tells us about how he and his team keep on top of the latest in research and development to inform player strategies.
TL;DR Shorts: Courtney Hohne on the Translation of Research
Happy TL;DR Tuesday! Today we hear from Courtney Hohne, mother of moonshot factories, on how an organizational structure that nurtures ideas and fully scopes them out without rushing them to market can result in solutions that are ultimately more positively impactful for society.
FuturePub London – International Women’s Day 2024
#FuturePub was back in London ahead of International Women's Day! Our five amazing Lightning Talk speakers took us on a journey from historic inequity and how that persists in modern day research, some great examples of the impact of that inequity on society, and what we need to be mindful of as we build solutions for a global, inclusive future. Here's what we got up to earlier this week.
TL;DR Shorts: Roger Magoulas on Trust in Research
Today's TL;DR Tuesday comes in the form of a reflection from Roger Magoulas, data science expert and data strategy consultant. Roger says that it is through openness to learning about each other that we are able to build trust and accountability within the research community.
TL;DR Shorts: Mariette DiChristina on Science Communication and Public Engagement with Research
This TL;DR Tuesday takes us to Boston University and the office of Mariette DiChristina, Dean of the College of Communication there. Mariette discusses the culture around communications and engagement within the research community.
TL;DR Shorts: Dr Astro Teller on Responsible Transformative Technology
The latest TL;DR Tuesday titbit comes in the form of a TL;DR Shorts episode featuring Dr Astro Teller, the co-founder and Captain of Moonshots at X, and his thoughts on technology, its responsible creation and its impact on society.
Welcome to TL;DR Shorts
Ever wished you could get to the heart of complex research topics without spending hours wading through lengthy discussions? Our TL;DR Shorts series is your solution! Our playlist features popular figures, thought leaders, and experts who distil their knowledge into concise, engaging commentary. These videos are designed to be informative, accessible, and thought-provoking. We're kicking off the series with Dr Amy Brand on artificial intelligence.
FuturePub Berlin – Special Edition
#FuturePub headed to Berlin for our fourth and final event of the year, during Berlin Science Week and ahead of the inspiring Fallings Walls Science Summit 2023. We had a lovely venue -- the Hotel Palace Berlin -- located in the vibrant heart of the city between the Ku’damm and Zoological Garden, which helped set the tone for a thought-provoking evening.
FuturePub London – The AI Edition
#FuturePub returned to London for a special AI edition, and this one was on a whole new scale...180 people attended -- a new record -- and we had a much wider mix of attendees; government representatives, researchers, research administrators, healthcare professionals, publishers, finance & technology experts, and of course, start-up founders! Here's the lowdown on what went on...
Celebrating the women of TL;DR
Women have been historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), both in education and in the careers that follow, and one of the things that we strive to do at TL;DR is to amplify amazing contributors from across the breadth of the community we work with.
It’s fast approaching six months since the TL;DR site launched at the end of April, so we thought it was a great opportunity to look back and celebrate the amazing women who have been at the forefront of the conversation on TL;DR so far.
World Mental Health Day 2023
Suze, John and Danielle chat about the link between mental health and physical health, the challenges we must overcome to destigmatise mental health, the need for awareness days, and the initiatives that Digital Science have implemented to help both our internal and external communities.
Digital Science Speaker Series – meet Dr Chris Van Tulleken
The Digital Science Speaker Series is back, and this time we're sharing the opportunity with the broader research community and the sci-curious public. We're partnering with the Royal Institution (the Ri) to sponsor two of their public lectures in 2023. We're kicking off with Dr Chris Van Tulleken's talk on Ultra-Processed People on Tuesday 19th September, followed by Dame Athene Donald's talk entitled Not Just For The Boys on Thursday 16th November. Read on to find out more about our Speaker Series.
Fruit flies and maggot brains – the magic of Soapbox Science
Soapbox Science is a novel (and very popular!) public outreach platform for promoting women and non-binary scientists and the science they do.
Ahead of their upcoming London event, we caught up with Isla Watton, who is responsible for recruiting and training Soapbox Science Local Organising Teams and supporting the delivery of Soapbox Science events globally, and Hui Gong, a neuroscientist at The Francis Crick Institute and one of the London speakers for Soapbox Science 2023!
Here's what we covered in our hour-long chat!
FuturePub is back! Here’s what happened on May the 4th
Our write-up of the night! We take a look back at a successful FuturePub event, our first since the pandemic. FuturePub took place on May the Fourth (be with you) at The Royal Institution in London, the historic home of engaging people with research. Read on to learn about the event, discover who gave a lightning talk and how you can watch them on-demand, and check out our photo gallery.
Research Twitter – where everybody knows your name
Despite recent disruption, social media platforms and Twitter in particular remain a valuable space to build research communities and break down barriers to inclusion and cross-disciplinary research. Data from Altmetric shows us that, despite some high-profile defectors, the volume of research being shared on Twitter has not been impacted by recent events. If we are to find a new space for research engagement, what would we like to keep and what would we like to see more of?
Our new avenue for interesting things
Welcome to Digital Science TL;DR, our new avenue for interesting things!
We bring you short, sharp insights into what’s going on across the Digital Science group; both through our in-house experts and in conversation with amazing people from the community. And we’ll keep it brief!
