Oxford Brookes students showcase their research at GetPublished! 2025
Dozens of students from across the University presented their research at the annual GetPublished! showcase on Wednesday 2 April.
GetPublished! gives undergraduate and taught master’s students the chance to show their work to an audience of students, staff, employers and the public.Event organiser Professor Louise Taylor, Project Lead for the Student Research Launch Pad at Oxford Brookes, says: “Sharing and publishing your research helps develop invaluable graduate skills such as communication and critical thinking, as well as attributes including confidence, creativity and independence. Being able to communicate complex ideas to a wide audience in simple and interesting ways is a crucial stand-out skill in the digital age.”
The Student Communications team went along to speak to some of the participating students about their research and why they decided to showcase their work at the event.
Elizabeth Harley - BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science
“For my final-year dissertation, I carried out primary research on the single-celled parasite that causes a disease known as African sleeping sickness. I looked at whether removing one of the parasite’s genes would have an effect on its ability to infect humans. Removing this particular gene caused inhibitive changes in a structure called the flagellum, which is a whip-like tail that allows the cell to move. This gene could therefore be a potential target for new drugs to treat African sleeping sickness.
“I decided to take part in GetPublished! because I want to get my work out there and make it part of something bigger.”
Chandra Mouli Naidu Kasimahanti - MSc Motorsport Engineering
“My project is about the problems associated with constant use of earphones, such as hearing loss, tinnitus and infection. The World Health Organization estimates that 1 billion young people worldwide are at risk of hearing loss because of this routine and pervasive earphone use - especially at high volumes - that we didn’t see in the past. My aim is to design a new product that can help solve these problems by introducing features including built-in volume controls and improved ventilation.
“I have come to GetPublished! to raise awareness of these issues among students and to improve my marketing skills, because eventually I want to get my product to market.”
Francesco Perrotti - MSc Marketing Communications Management
“I used focus groups to study the relationship between luxury fashion brands and Gen Z when it comes to storytelling. My question was whether narrative storytelling can help generate brand love and brand loyalty among this consumer group. I found that yes, storytelling is a very powerful tool to generate and enhance brand love - but it has to be authentic. I also found that, contrary to the existing literature, Gen Z sees brand loyalty not simply as repeated purchases, but as engagement with the brand through digital platforms.
“I’m hoping that my research will be published, and I have come to the GetPublished! conference because I think my findings will be of interest to other students at Oxford Brookes working in this field. By 2030, Gen Z will be the biggest and most powerful market we have ever seen.”
Ellie Howarth - BA (Hons) Urban Design and Planning Development
“I’m exploring how we can address barriers faced by people with disabilities through more inclusive building design. Well-known examples of this include lifts and ramps for wheelchair users, but I’m looking at all types of disability. My GetPublished! poster outlines my literature review, which showed that there are lots of different definitions of disability and lots of different policies in place to address inclusive design. Next, I’m hoping to look at some real-life case studies and carry out interviews and surveys to gain a greater understanding of the topic.
“Exhibiting at GetPublished! will be a good thing for my CV and will help me improve the way I explain my project to people on a more professional level.”
GetPublished! 2025 prize-winners
A judging panel from across the University awarded prizes to eight participating students for the quality of their research projects and their presentation delivery.
- Haya Yazeji (BSc Psychology) - From ruins to reflections: exploring self-referential processing within post-war Middle Eastern countries
- Eva Wright (BA Urban Design, Planning and Development) - How does adaptive reuse of heritage buildings impact their perceived value and place identity within the community?
- Kiera Wharton (BA Business and Marketing Management) - Factors that influence consumers’ decisions on whether to purchase sustainable or unsustainable fashion
- Megan Bamforth (MSc Psychology) - Thriving or just surviving? The role of the dark triad traits in mental toughness and psychosocial flourishing
- Jurgent Gjeloshaj (BEng Electro-mechanical Engineering) - Autonomous vehicle control
- Sakina Karim (BA Architecture) - Design for resilience in Tanzania
- Catherine Kington (MA Education) - Complex choices: how newly dependent readers select a book to read
- Kate Lam (MA Education) - Teachers’ academic expectations of British-Chinese pupils.