‘Why do we listen to music?’ - Oxford Brookes students showcase their research degree projects
Students from Oxford Brookes' research degree community presented a wide range of exciting projects at this year’s Graduate College Research Student Annual Exhibition.
The exhibition included work by PhD, professional doctorate and master’s by research students from across the University. One of the biggest events in the Graduate College calendar, the exhibition gives research students from all subjects and at every stage the chance to showcase their work to students, staff and external visitors such as placement providers.Catherine Joyejob, Head of the Research Degrees team at Oxford Brookes, says: “The annual exhibition is a chance for students to develop their communication skills, make new friends and improve their CVs. It’s also an opportunity for current undergraduate and taught students at the end of their courses to consider the possibility of doing a research degree.”
Maria Brown, Research Degrees Training and Events Coordinator, adds: “The exhibition is the perfect place for research students to network and showcase their research in a friendly atmosphere. Through this and other social events, we give students the opportunity to meet peers who are working in very different areas but going through the same challenges and experiences.”
The latest Research Excellence Framework found that 97% of research at Oxford Brookes was internationally recognised or higher, with 70% judged to be of ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ quality.
If you’d like to know more about research degrees at Oxford Brookes, don’t hesitate to contact our Research Degrees team.
Now, hear from some of the research students who presented at the exhibition:
Shannon Skeffington - PhD in Psychology
“My research is about why people listen to music, what kind of music they listen to, and how those listening habits change as people get older and go through different stages of life. There are lots of studies about specific age groups, but nothing that looks at the whole lifespan. I’ve found that, in general, people listen to less music and place less importance on music as they get older. And people’s tastes tend to stabilise in their early to mid-20s. Now I want to look at the potential of music as a therapy for people with brain injuries.
“I did my undergraduate and master’s degrees at Bath and came to Oxford Brookes to do my PhD because my supervisor, Dr Adam Lonsdale, is an international expert in this area. I love it here - everyone is so supportive.”
Madhusha Mendis - PhD in Architecture
“I’m a second-year PhD student researching people’s comfort and wellbeing in indoor environments, making use of data science and machine learning technology. By bringing together real-time data from building sensors and human feedback, we can make more proactive and automated interventions. The aim is to visualise this data within a trained virtual model of the building - known as a digital twin - so that eventually buildings can understand and respond to occupants’ needs without requiring constant input.
“I applied for this PhD studentship at Oxford Brookes because, as a practising architect in Sri Lanka, I saw these issues with our indoor environments and wanted to contribute towards a solution.”
Sam Hollidge - Master’s by Research in Engineering
“I’m focusing on developing an electrically conductive carbon fibre composite material using a mixture of graphite and graphene. The challenge is to allow electrical energy to pass between the materials - even when they’re not directly connected - without weakening the overall strength of the composite. The goal is to use this for aircraft hulls, which currently still require a copper or aluminium mesh to conduct electricity safely in the event of a lightning strike. If we can remove that mesh, even though it doesn’t weigh much, it could significantly reduce fuel use and environmental impact over time.
“After my undergraduate degree I spent a couple of years in commercial engineering but decided I wanted to pursue the research side of things and also gain another qualification to help me in my future career.”
Annelies Rowland - PhD in Psychology
“I’m in the second year of my part-time PhD, and I’m also a Senior Lecturer in Nursing at Oxford Brookes and a former intensive care nurse and childhood bereavement practitioner. I’m particularly interested in the support provided to families - especially children - when someone significant to them dies in an intensive care environment, which is why I began this PhD.
“Intensive care is a unique setting, where death can be sudden and unpredictable, and families are significantly more likely to experience prolonged grief disorder compared with other end-of-life care settings. There’s currently no national guidance for clinicians on how to support children through this process, and practices vary widely between intensive care units. Our next step is to launch a study exploring the lived experiences of parents, children and nurses to understand their needs and inform future guidance that ensures consistent, compassionate care.”
Exhibition prize-winners
Three Brookes research students were awarded prizes for the quality of their presentations:- Sanjar Jumanazarov (PhD, Oxford Brookes Business School)
- Leah Griffiths (PhD, School of Biological and Medical Sciences)
- Olivia Carter (PhD, School of Biological and Medical Sciences)