Dr Ajantha Abey narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher.

In this blog, Ajantha shares how they went from being deeply uncomfortable speaking in front of others to actively enjoying giving talks about their research. Starting with childhood stage fright and a stutter, the story traces a gradual shift through unexpected leadership in university sport, repeated practice presenting research, and years of teaching neuroscience. Along the way, Ajantha explains how confidence grew not only from technical speaking skills but from developing expertise, finding supportive communities, and learning to communicate science clearly. The post offers encouragement for researchers who feel uneasy about public speaking, showing that improvement comes through practice, reflection, and experience over time.

Find the original text, and narration here on our website.

https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/blog-how-i-came-to-enjoy-public-speaking-as-an-introvert/

Dr Ajantha Abey is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Kavli Institute at University of Oxford. He is interested in the cellular mechanisms of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other diseases of the ageing brain. Previously, having previoulsy explored neuropathology in dogs with dementia and potential stem cell replacement therapies. He now uses induced pluripotent stem cell derived neurons to try and model selective neuronal vulnerability: the phenomenon where some cells die but others remain resilient to neurodegenerative diseases.

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This podcast is brought to you in association with Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia, who we thank for their ongoing support.

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