Ally Hughes is Project Manager for the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance, also known as SULSA. SULSA fosters research collaborations between different organisations, different disciplines and even different countries.

Sarah and Ally talk about:

1. Her current role which keeps her connected to research with lots of variety and learning opportunities
2. Brokering research collaborations between Scotland and Germany and tackling diversity in STEM
3. How an industrial placement and being a student rep for SULSA opened her eyes to the job possibilities beyond academia
4. Mental health challenges, especially during her PhD, and the professional and personal support that pulled her through
5. Why greater cooperation and collaboration are key to tackling massive global challenges

Find out more

1. Read the show notes and transcript on the podcast website
2. Connect with Ally on LinkedIn
3. Find out about SULSA on their website, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram

About Research Adjacent

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2. Sign up to the podcast newsletter
3. Email Sarah a comment, question or suggestion
4. Leave Sarah a voice message

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Join host Sarah McLusky and fellow research-adjacent professionals on Thursday 12 March 2026 at 5.30pm. Find out more and register here https://researchadjacent.circle.so/c/open-events/manchester-research-adjacent-community-networking

Member of the Month: Duncan Yellowlees, DY Training

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