ALBA-IBRO Diversity Podcast - Ep.4 - Navigating power dynamics: how to lead through troubled waters

What does it take to handle power dynamics in academic life — not just within the lab, but in the broader institutional structures that shape a scientific career?

In this resonant episode, Renaud and Jonathan explore the complexities of academic hierarchies and institutional politics with three guests: Alicja Puścian (University of Warsaw, Poland), Dori Grijseels (Max Planck Institute, Germany), and Angeline Dukes (University of Minnesota, USA). Each guest brings valuable insight into how power is experienced, challenged, and negotiated at different stages of the academic journey.

This episode examines how broader power structures — toxic environments, institutional cultures, visa precarity, discrimination, lack of accountability — can shape the everyday experiences of researchers. It looks at the power of allyship, and how early-career scientists can navigate these realities while maintaining integrity and building healthy lab environments.

The ALBA-IBRO Diversity Podcast 'From Postdoc to PI' is organized with the support of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), a founding partner of the ALBA Network.