The Cancer Researcher Podcast from the EACR has just celebrated its first birthday! We created this podcast as a platform where leading scientists can freely share their expertise, providing a valuable and free resource for cancer researchers everywhere. Since March 2023 we’ve produced 10 episodes so far, reaching researchers in 83 countries.
Amidst the 400+ hours spent planning, recording, and editing, we uncovered invaluable insights and lessons that shaped our journey. Here’s what we learned along the way.
1. The power of collaboration
Every scientist knows the value of collaboration! In creating this podcast, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with top scientists and key experts from across the cancer research field. Together, we’ve experienced firsthand the transformative impact of teamwork and the resilience found in harnessing diverse skills and perspectives. As one listener expressed, “I like that many different scientists are invited to speak and share their own experiences. Episode 5 on how to build networks was my favourite one and I could already apply some tips on the EACR conference “Goodbye Flat Biology” in Berlin in October 2023 to connect with other young scientists.”
2. Our conferences are great… and they can also be loud
Two of our earliest episodes were recorded at EACR conferences – ‘What a great opportunity to get the world’s leading cancer researchers in a room together to record a podcast episode’, we thought. But we soon discovered that the audio quality of these episodes is not as good as episodes recorded on a video call, so we’ve stuck to remote recordings ever since. So if you’ve listened to episode 2 (‘How does the student become the master?’) or 3 (‘There’s Always More Than Just One Way’) and didn’t love the live conference audio – why not read the transcripts, and then try listening to our other insightful episodes?
3. Listening leads to growth
At the heart of our journey was a commitment to listening – to our members, to our guests, and to each other. Through surveys, feedback forms, and member interactions, we gained valuable insights that shaped the content and direction of The Cancer Researcher Podcast. Thanks to your feedback, we’ve added the podcast to additional platforms, like Deezer and YouTube (click here to see all the platforms it’s now available).
We’ve also built episodes around your topic suggestions! Following member requests we created episode 9 on the glass ceiling for women in cancer research and episode 10 on how to break it. In response to your feedback we’re also working on episodes on the latest cancer research – look out for these new scientific episodes, coming very soon!
Do you want to suggest a topic to be covered on the podcast? Tell us about it here!
4. Flexibility is key
We’ve received a lot of love for the “modern and accessible” nature of the podcast format, with one EACR member telling us “with this mobile era and with the amount of time, the best thing to learn something is by listening!”
And many of you love the transcript versions we publish of each episode – “very useful for a quick/focused read.”
5. Impact extends beyond numbers
We’ve reached many thousands of researchers in 83 countries, but we’ve learned that impact extends far beyond numbers. The real value of The Cancer Researcher podcast lies in the connections forged, the knowledge shared, and the ripple effect of learning. It’s the researcher who finds inspiration in an episode, the colleague who recommends the podcast to others, and the ripple effect that ignites collaboration. These moments of impact are what truly fuel our passion and drive us forward.
As we plan our future episodes, we’re excited to continue learning, growing, and making a difference to cancer researchers – one episode at a time. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.
You can listen, read the transcripts and subscribe here so you’ll never miss an episode.
