Sitting is the new smoking: a researcher’s guide to a less sedentary lifestyle

Nikki Bonett, a researcher in BioSciences asks “how much of your day do you spend sitting down?” As a researcher, much of your time—whether spent reading journal articles, writing papers, or analysing data—is likely done sitting. Is it really a problem? Why does time spent sitting matter? Since the since the advent of the computer, …

Black PhD Collective: the first nationwide network for Black PhD students of any discipline

Meléa Sinclair is a BBSRC-funded PhD researcher in the School of Life Sciences. She shares her experiences of stepping into the unknown. If you had told me at 20 that I’d be doing a PhD, I wouldn’t have believed you, mostly because I didn’t actually know what a PhD was. That is the reality for …

Navigating start-up waters: my journey with Persomic

MBA student Pavan Katari shares his experiences of a placement with a health-tech start-up. Working with Persomic has been a rewarding blend of learning, hands-on experience, and professional growth. As an IT professional with experience in software development, business analysis and strategy, I was eager to apply my skills beyond the classroom during my MBA …

Embracing alternative academia

Dr Tania Cleaves is a Research Development Manager in the Faculty of Arts and continues to conduct research independently in her spare time. Her main message: you don’t have to choose between a non-academic career and your love of research. Both are possible, if you’re up for it. My story I’m in a role where …

Five simple tips for joint health

Oliver O’Sullivan is a PhD researcher in the School of Medicine, investigating the use of blood tests to predict the development of osteoarthritis after injury. His research interests are the prediction and prevention of osteoarthritis, especially after injury, in young, active populations such as sports people and the military. Osteoarthritis is a disease which affects …

If you get the chance, get involved!

Jamie Green, occupational health specialist and researcher of clergy health and wellbeing, tells us how her PhD experience has been enriched by her role as a “demonstrator” in Researcher Academy courses. Embarking on a PhD, especially as a distance learner, can feel like a solitary, and sometimes lonely experience. For me, I have felt connected …

Ale as old as time: barley and the yeast

Researcher Christy Smith tell us the story of how human, plant and fungus have been collaborating for thousands of years to produce the perfect brew. The relationship between plants and fungi has spanned the ages of the earth. Ancient fungi manipulated rocks to create the soils that ancient plants needed to spread across the globe …