Faculty of Health and Life Sciences research students awarded PhDs and Masters by Research

"My Psychology PhD was on how the brain prioritises information related to the self, and the effect this has on attention and memory. Overall, I very much enjoyed my time as a PhD student. It was hard work and a good lesson in perseverance. I have met a lot of interesting people, been to very nice conferences, and learnt a great deal about research and teaching. After my PhD, I started working as a researcher, and as an eLearning technologist for Oxford Brookes University. Both experiences will be invaluable to my future plans of being an ‘eLecturer’. I believe that, even without a pandemic, it is very important to offer a combination of face-to-face and online learning to students." Alfred Veldhuis, Department of Psychology,Health and Professional Development

“I began my PhD at Oxford Brookes having previously worked and studied here. I chose to stay for my PhD because I wanted to continue to work with internationally renowned researchers Prof. Vince Connelly, Prof. Anna Barnett and Dr. Olivia Afonso. My PhD research was the first to investigate how spellcheck impacts writing for individuals with dyslexia. Through opportunities available at Brookes I have been awarded multiple small grants to support my research. I have presented my PhD work at international conferences. I have published my research and am continuing to produce papers from it. I am currently teaching at Brookes and working as an associate researcher, making the most of specialist research skills developed over the course of my PhD.” Lynsey O'Rourke, Department of Psychology, Health and Professional Development.

“While my experience at Oxford Brookes was quite challenging, it was equally rewarding I was fortunate to have a fantastic supervisor ( Professor Munira Kadhim) who was dedicated to each one of her students, celebrating our accomplishments and ensuring her support both inside and outside the laboratory. The tears, laughs, many-a-day coffees, pub sessions, and support from my PhD pals in the department helped get me through as well, and led to some life-long friendships that I am beyond grateful for.” Brittany Almond, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences.

“I came to Oxford Brookes looking for a new and exciting challenge, having previously completed my undergraduate in Canada. During my time here, I have gained expertise in several biology related techniques and made life-long friends. Oxford Brookes is an institute with abundant knowledge and opportunities. During my PhD, I specialised in microscopy and now work alongside Prof. Isabel Bermudez and Dr Dianne Newbury, as a Post-Doctoral Researcher. My work focuses on delineating the functional effect of a rare genetic mutation associated with exceptional memory and the ability to speak backwards. I am fortunate to be able to further my PhD work, alongside my primary supervisor Prof. Dave Carter, researching chemoresistance in ovarian cancer. My experience at Oxford Brookes has developed me as an independent researcher and I am excited to pursue a career in science and research.” Aditi Pradhan, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences