by YPU Admin on March 27, 2020,
. Tags:
Health, healthcare, Humanities, international relations, Law, migration, PhD, politics, Research, and social science
Introduction
Hi everyone! My name’s Moises Vieira. I’m currently doing a PhD in the Department of Politics. In my research, I’m looking at the intersection of migration and healthcare. In a nutshell, I’m interested in the (legal and ethical) challenges around providing healthcare for migrants, in the UK. I have been a student at Manchester since September 2018, where I’ve had the opportunity to discuss my work with world-class researchers, professors and fellow colleagues in the field of International Relations.
In addition to being a researcher, I am also a graduate teaching assistant in the Faculty of Humanities. So far, I have taught a module on the ‘Politics of Globalization’ where the students and I discussed different aspects of living in a globalised world, and how that impacts on social, economic and political life. Furthermore, I have also taught online modules addressing a range of issues within the field of International Relations and beyond: creating a sustainable world, security and trust, cybercrimes, partnerships for development, among others.
As you can see, life as a university student goes way beyond simply attending classes and hitting the books. There are always a lot of extra activities you can engage with, according to your interests, academic background and previous training.
In Depth…
I went to Law School as an undergraduate student, and decided to pursue an academic career following my Master’s degree in International Relations. I undertook my studies in Brazil, so doing my PhD at Manchester has been an incredible experience both on the academic and personal levels. Most of my activities take place on campus, such as attending seminars, lectures, workshops and specific training events for career advancement. Doing a PhD in Politics is a great opportunity to move around and explore the world, too: as a researcher, I have attended academic events in a range of cities in the UK, and international conferences in a few countries, such as Switzerland and Denmark. These have been invaluable experiences in order to further my research, but also to meet new people and explore new places.
Back to my main research interest: What does it mean to be looking at the intersection of migration and healthcare? Let’s say an immigrant (with unlawful residence in the UK) falls ill, and is denied access to the NHS. In my research, I analyse issues like that, and ask questions such as: Is it ethical to deny healthcare for migrants on the grounds of immigration status? What are the human rights implications of refusing healthcare for non-citizens? By addressing these questions, I seek to raise people’s awareness of these important issues around public health and migration, which are very relevant for both migrants and UK citizens alike.
Going Further…
A short guide for healthcare provision for migrants by the charity ‘Doctors of the World’:
The British Medical Association (BMA) opinion on refusing migrants’ access to the NHS:
Some reflections on charging migrants for healthcare:
Some context on the extension of ‘hostile environment’ into a range of areas, including healthcare:
A special focus on pregnancy and migrant women:
A report on the health of migrants in the UK, by the Migration Observatory, at the University of Oxford:
My
name is Chloe and I’m a second year PhD student, funded by the Wellcome Trust, in
Bioethics and Medical Law at the University of Manchester. I finished my A
Levels in Physics, Biology and Chemistry in 2011, but having decided science
wasn’t for me I took a gap year to think about what I wanted to do next. During
my time off I decided to go in a completely different direction and applied to
the University of Manchester to study Law. I started my degree in 2012 and I
loved it! I was still interested in some of the ethical issues surrounding
science and so during my degree I took modules in Medical Law and Mental Health
Law and I wrote my dissertation about Caesarean Sections.
After
my undergraduate degree I received a scholarship from Manchester to take my Masters in
Healthcare Law and Ethics in 2015. In 2017 I started my PhD also in the School
of Law at Manchester. My PhD is about artificial wombs and the impact of this
technology on the law and ethics of reproduction and pregnancy.
IN DEPTH
Artificial
womb technology is currently being developed as a replacement for conventional
neonatal intensive care. Current methods of intensive care for premature babies
cannot aid babies born before 22 weeks because their lungs are not developed
enough for assisted ventilation. Intensive care also cannot always prevent
premature neonates from developing life-threatening infections during treatment
or serious long-term health problems as a result of being born premature.
Artificial wombs might be the future solution to mortality and morbidity
amongst premature babies. Artificial wombs are designed to mimic the conditions
of the womb and effectively ‘take over’
the process of gestation. An artificial womb treats a premature baby as if it had
never been born. Artificial wombs should ‘sidestep’ the common complications
caused by, or not prevented by, conventional methods of care. In 2017 there was
a successful animal trial of an experimental artificial womb-like device; the
‘biobag.’ The scientists that invented this device have suggested they are only
years away from considering human trials of the biobag.
My
PhD is by publication, which means that rather than writing a traditional
thesis I am writing and publishing a series of articles on my subject that I’ll
put together into a thesis at the end. In reproduction science and medicine
there are often rapid advances in technology and the law struggles to keep up.
Academic research plays a really important role in highlighting the
insufficiencies of the law at addressing ethical issues with these new
technologies. Writing for publication gives me so much flexibility, and
publishing helps me get stuck into, and generate, academic debate right now and
help ensure my research has impact. I’m very lucky!
Most
days, I spend my time reading and writing in our postgrad research office. I
try to write a little something every day so I don’t get out of the habit. I’m
also a teaching assistant in the school of law: so one day a week I spend
teaching first year students criminal and contract law. I’m hoping to stay in
academic when I’ve finished my PhD because I really enjoy both teaching and
research.
GOING FURTHER
If
you are interested in my research you can read this blog post about some of my
work on the Journal of Medical Ethics Blog: https://blogs.bmj.com/medical-ethics/2018/08/11/artificial-wombs-a-shift-in-approach-to-neonatal-intensive-care-and-beyond/
You
can also read my first research paper (it’s free because it is open access)
here: https://jme.bmj.com/content/44/11/751
For
a brief summary of the science behind artificial wombs: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/04/fluid-filled-biobag-allows-premature-lambs-develop-outside-womb
You
can also follow my research on my Twitter: https://twitter.com/ECRomanis
For
more information about Bioethics, Health and the Law at Manchester: https://www.law.manchester.ac.uk/research/themes/bioethics-health-and-law/
Introduction
My name is Alice Heaney and I graduated this summer from The
University of Manchester with a first class degree in Psychology. Having
studied Psychology at A level and being fascinated by the subject, I was eager
to learn more about the mind and behaviour. During my undergraduate degree, I
developed an interest in health psychology, whilst my enthusiasm for statistics
and research methods continued to grow. The enjoyment gained from these modules
helped me realise that a career in research was something I wished to pursue. Being
fortunate enough to find a position that incorporates my areas of interest, I now
work as a research assistant for Galen Research Ltd.
In Depth
When I tell people that I’m a research assistant, they tend
to picture me working in a laboratory, wearing a white lab coat and handling
chemicals. However the picture is quite the opposite in reality! To provide
some background into the company I work for, at Galen Research we develop
disease-specific, patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures. In other words, we design
questionnaires that assess patient’s views on how they feel their medical
condition and the treatment they receive affect their quality of life. The
content of our measures is derived from in-depth qualitative interviews with
patients to ensure they capture issues important to them. Our measures serve as valuable tools for the
pharmaceutical industry and health services worldwide, such as the NHS, in assessing
the impact of specific conditions and their treatments.
As a research assistant, I am involved in supporting the
senior researchers with the development, translation and validation of our
measures. My responsibilities range from transcribing interviews and performing
statistical analyses to helping with the writing of research articles for
publication in academic journals. My undergraduate degree equipped me with an
abundance of transferable skills which have proven to be of great help to my current
role. The obvious one to mention would be the research skills I learned during
my Psychology course, gained through experience of designing research questions
and studies as well as collecting and analysing both quantitative and
qualitative data. The opportunity to undertake an independent project in third
year not only helped to develop project management skills but also allowed me
to build upon problem-solving, critical evaluation and interpersonal skills,
amongst many more. The ability to
communicate information clearly to a variety of audiences is another skill
which I have brought with me, exercising effective communication on a regular
basis in the form of academic writing, meetings and oral presentations.
I hope that I’ve been able to provide some insight into what
my role as a research assistant entails. In the near future I will be applying
for a research passport which would allow me to conduct interviews with
patients. Something else to look forward to is the international travel my work
involves. This month I am heading to Portugal to carry out a linguistic and
cultural adaptation of one of our measures. In terms of my aspirations,
progressing to the role of senior research associate as well as studying for a
PhD are long term goals which I am working towards. For now though I plan to
continue to gain valuable experience at Galen Research.
.
Going further
If you would like to know more about the research we carry
out, please visit our website:
http://www.galen-research.com
For more information on studying Psychology at The
University of Manchester:
http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/psychology
To keep up to date with current research developments in the
field of psychology, please refer to the ‘Research Digest’ section of The British
Psychological Society’s website. The site also provides useful information
about careers and accredited courses in Psychology:
http://www.bps.org.uk
Audiology
Considering
becoming an audiologist?
Not sure what an
audiologist is? Well, if you like interacting with people, want to improve
somebody’s quality of life and want a career that is people focused but also
has elements of science and technology, then a degree in audiology could be
just for you.
What is audiology?
Audiology is the branch of
science that studies hearing, hearing related disorders, and balance. Audiologists
work with people who have hearing and balance conditions, so you will get to
work with people of all ages, from new-born babies to adults. Audiologists are
also responsible for the patient’s management, which may include counselling
and fitting of hearing aids. As the world gets more crowded, and ‘louder’, and
people get older, more and more people will need help from audiologists. Just
check out the figures: there are more than 10 million people in the UK with
some form of hearing loss. That’s one in six of the population. There are more
than 45,000 deaf children in the UK and, on average, it takes around ten years
for people to seek help about hearing problems. By 2031, it is estimated that
there will be 14.5 million people with hearing loss in the UK. Hearing problems
are only going to get more common and that means the world needs more
audiologists!
Studying audiology
There are lots of different
training and education options if you want a career in audiology. You could
work alongside an audiologist as an assistant, or work as a Hearing Aid
Dispenser in which you would need to do a foundation degree (see
http://www.bshaa.com). If you are not really sure
where you want to work, but would like to see patients then you may want to study
an audiology degree. Here at The University of Manchester we offer both
undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, which combine the practical, theoretical
and clinical aspects of audiology. These courses are part of the Audiology and
Deafness Group at Manchester, which is the oldest audiology department in the
UK, dating back to 1919. In addition we have strong links with the NHS, where
some of our courses provide placements in NHS clinics. Click
here to find out the many different
courses we offer. Also why not find out what one of our first years has to say
about the course….
here
Career Paths
Completing either an
undergraduate or postgraduate degree at The University of Manchester prepares you
for a career in the NHS or the independent sector. Audiologists are part of a
big team and work with: speech and language therapists; teachers of the deaf;
ear, nose and throat specialists; and social services. But if working in the
NHS doesn’t appeal to you, there are loads more options. Graduates from our
courses have found work with companies that create and dispense hearing aids or
have become lecturers at universities, undertaking their own research. Others
now work for hearing charities or at schools that specialise in teaching
children with hearing problems. The career opportunities as an audiologist are
very good and, with an ageing population, the demand for audiologists will only
increase.
Our Research
One example of a
research project being carried out at The University of Manchester is
investigating the changes in brain activity after wearing an earplug in one ear
for a short period of time. Our brains are able to compensate for a change in
hearing. If you have a hearing loss, the brain will increase its activity to
compensate for less sound reaching the brain. However, in some people, the
brain activity will increase too much and this can lead to tinnitus, a
condition where the person hears a high-pitched ringing noise (this is why the
condition is also known as ‘ringing in the ears’). Little is known about what
causes the brain to overcompensate and where and when these changes occur. We
hope to understand more about the changes in brain activity and how it can lead
to tinnitus by simulating hearing loss, which involves wearing an earplug and
measuring the changes in brain activity. If we can understand more about the
changes in brain activity, this could lead to a better understanding of tinnitus.
If you would like to know more about our other research projects, visit our website.
Find out more about audiology
Have a look at our website for more information about Audiology
at The University of Manchester.
For up-to-date news about what we
do in our department and school, check out our blog.
Check out our very own Professor Chris
Plack, explaining how the ear works using only the thousand most used words in
the English Language.
The British Society of
Audiology supports audiology across the UK and you can find out about the
latest news and events from their website.
Check out The British
Academy of Audiology (BAA) that supports Audiologists and provides advice on
careers in Audiology.