Postgraduate students have come together for the first conference of its kind at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).
The university’s HLS PhD society – a group of postgraduate research students based in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences – held its first annual conference to showcase their outstanding work, hear from keynote speakers and get top tips from academics. Featured sessions also included the challenges of undertaking research, academic writing, careers advice, and a talk on troubleshooting.
RESEARCH: Postgraduate student Kate Riley (right) talked about her work which found nearly half of all hospital uniforms were washed at temperatures too low to kill bacteria
Claire Sedgwick, Research Sustainability Manager for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, helped organise the event. She said: “This is the first event that has been organised on this scale at the university and is centred on the process of being a researcher.
“Another of the big things that PhD students face is that they do not get many opportunities to talk to other students, so we have tried to do it so people can get to know the other research that is happening here.
“We have had presentations on projects ranging from using Skype as an interview technique, ADHD education practices and drug resistance. Because Health and Life Sciences is such a big faculty we have a real range of projects and there is stuff here that is vastly different from one another.”
Claire continued: “This event is something the university is hoping to do more of. What we want to be is really supportive and make sure there are more and more opportunities for students to feel a part of a larger research community.
“We recognise that postgraduate students have complex needs and try to make sure that they are supported as much as possible.”
Aamir Hussain was one of the students who attended the free event and said: “This conference has been really helpful for networking and there was a lot of interest in what I presented too.
“I came today for the opportunity to discuss my project and the collaboration aspect has been a big hit. Sitting with other PhD students gives it a good social aspect as well.”
Aamir, who graduated from DMU’s Biomedical Science course last year and began his PhD in October, continued: “My project is based around anti-antigenics, looking at new drugs that block the blood vessels around tumours – instead of concentrating on killing the tumour itself, this technique starves it and stops it from growing any larger.”
And it wasn’t just Aamir’s academic studies at DMU that helped him to where he is today. “I was part of DMU Square Mile’s Diabetes Project and even got the chance to give a talk to the university board about what I did, how it helped my CV and how it helped get me to my current position.”
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Another of the students present was Kate Riley, who is nearing the end of her PhD studies. “I graduated from the then Fashion Technology course in 2009 and began my project in October 2010 so I am close to finishing,” she said.
“I am trying to improve the sustainability of uniforms in the healthcare sector so I am looking at the environmental impact textiles can have, including examining how the uniforms are treated and the type of textiles used.”
Some of Kate’s research, conducted alongside DMU microbiologist Katie Laird and Principal Lecturer John Williams, found that nearly half of hospital uniforms are washed in temperatures too cool to kill bacteria.
“I have been to other events like this before, but the main thing is talking about the emotional journey you go on and it is nice to know other people feel the same.
“Sometimes you can find yourself a little isolated and in your own little bubble but to bring people together and know they have been through the same thing is reassuring, and the support is great.”
Posted on Tuesday 9 June 2015