Summer 2020 PhD Yearbook

I joined Ulster university in Jan 1990 after completing Postdoctoral research in Germany (1986-88) and PhD in India (1985). DSc degree in Applied Microbial-Biotechnology has been awarded after the evaluation of my thesis based on Research, Publication & related activities, completed as a research-active academic member of staff (1990-2019). DSc thesis summarised my scientific outputs and contributions (183 research papers, 3 biotechnology reference-books, 43 research-informed book-chapters, 26 research-informed review-articles, 90 conference-abstracts,1 European Patent and 2 Technology-transfers; Supervision of National & International researchers-18 Postdoctoral/Exchange and 12 PhD; and affiliations as Examiner of 58 PhD researchers globally, and Fellow & Member of nine scientific & academic societies.

My message to all researchers is that "Chase your Aspirations and Never Give up". I couldn’t have got through my long academic & Professional journey without my parents' support and love (who themselves had no higher eduction), but they were happier and more excited than I was, on my every achievement: BSc MSc PhD SFHEA FRSB FCHERP FBRSI FIFIBiop FAMSc CBiol PGCUT DYEd DNSc SP SR. Their feeling proud of my awards, kept me going ... and will continue...

I am a visual artist and researcher with emphasis on performative art and interdisciplinary practice. Before applying for the practice-based PhD I had studied Philosophy of Science and Fine arts. My research concerned immersive performative installations and focused on the psychophysical effects of artistic creation to the participants.

My proudest  moment was when I managed to identify the right supervisory team to support my project. My favourite memory was when I was awarded a doctoral grant in order to participate to Psi conference in Canada. I’ll never forget my first year's struggle to define my subject! I couldn’t have got through without the moral support of my family and my passion for the art.

If I could speak to myself at the start of my PhD I would advise myself to break down into steps this whole project and feed constantly my motivation with a balanced lifestyle.

I am a Swiss citizen, grew up in Papua New Guinea and graduated from Ukarumpa International Schools. I was trained and certified as a Swiss cabinetmaker and hold a Swiss diploma in electrical engineering from the Bern University of applied Science. In the past ten years I have been employed at Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology and have performed research in the field of energy conversion and storage.

Research activities include; Alkali water electrolysis, metal hydride hydrogen storage, PEM fuel cell and stack development, catalytic oxidation of hydrogen for high temperature heat (cooking), energy systems for autarky living and liquid sorption heat storage. I lead the subtask Components and Systems of the IEA, SHC Program, Task 58 ‘Material and Component Development for Thermal Energy Storage’ and have performed a part time external PhD at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment in the development of a heat and mass exchanger for liquid sorption heat storage with aqueous sodium hydroxide, with the supervisors Philip Griffiths and Neil Hewitt.

A very interesting and educational part of my research was the neutron imaging based droplet impingement and absorption study. This I was able to perform at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) neutron imaging facility. I always enjoyed traveling to Belfast to present my research work and discuss progress and further activities with my supervisors.

I am Dean and Professor of Fine Arts School, Shenyang University. I received my undergraduate in Graphic Design at Luxun Fine Arts Academy and Masters of Applied Art at Luxun Fine Arts Academy too.

My research is about art and social actions. It is one of the best experiences for me to study PhD at Ulster in Belfast. No words can express how much I learned and gained from my supervisors and colleagues and how much I feel grateful to them. They have broaden my views and deepen my understanding about art and art practice.

With their help, my work "Cyber Cocoon Kids" was exhibited at UN in New York in 2018, which was one of my proudest moment. What a luck that I am from China, Shenyang, sister city of Belfast. I love Belfast and I would like to contribute to cooperation of the two cities in the future. With this PhD experience, I put what I learned into practice.

My proudest moment was when I was accepted to pursue my PhD in Ulster University. My favourite memory was how I met my group of friends who also pursue their dreams in this foreign country. I'll never forget the tough times I underwent during my study, but thanks to those times that I finally managed to lose weight. I couldn't have got through this without my supervisors' support, kind encouragement and firmest trust. If I could speak to myself at the start of my PhD, the best piece of advice I would give myself would be - do not procrastinate, you gotta learn to move forward in life when you feel stuck.

I studied my Integrated Masters (MSci) at Jordanstown from 2008-2012. After a few years working as an Estate Agent, I went back to academia to complete my PhD, looking at the broad area of health within the field of planning.

Many PhDs are given a topic to begin with, however when I applied for the PhD scholarship I had to create my own research topic. This took me a while to establish, but eventually my hard work paid off and I narrowed my research into an area I am truly proud of - Active living, how the built environment can influence physical activity and how this was interpreted in the domains listed in my thesis title.

My favourite aspect of the PhD was presenting my research and getting the acknowledgment from other academics that my research was interesting, robust and well thought out. I submitted an abstract to AESOP, an annual planning conference, and was given the opportunity to present my work in Venice. I also presented my work to the president of RTPI.

There is nothing more satisfying than putting your mind to something and achieving it. Completing a PhD is one of the biggest challenges you can set for yourself. It takes an unprecedented amount of work and it can be a lonely endeavour. Through the support from my family, friends and the staff at Ulster University I was successful, and I am already reaping the benefits of the hard work I put in!

I completed my undergraduate studies at Ulster University, where I graduated in 2017 with first class honours in Biomedical Science with a Diploma in Professional Practice . I joined the Diabetes Research group as a PhD researcher in September 2017 and completed my PhD studies in June 2020.

I am proud to say I not only completed my PhD studies within 3 years, but also became the World Champion (with a perfect score!) in Irish Dance during my PhD studies. My favourite memory was the opportunity to present my PhD work at the EASD conference in 2019. If I could speak to myself at the start of my PhD, the best piece of advice I would give myself would be to enjoy every single minute as the time flies in. I really would do another PhD!

I started at Ulster Uni in 2011, graduating in 2015 with first class honours in Criminology and Criminal Justice - the entire Criminology faculty were so supportive, I knew then I wanted to pursue further study.

I obtained my Masters degree in Violence, Terrorism and Security from Queen's University Belfast in 2016 before returning to Ulster to pursue my PhD. My favourite part of my PhD was travelling to the USA and Southeast Asia for fieldwork, I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to pursue exciting research on an international scale.

I'm so proud to have completed my PhD at Ulster, I couldn't have got through it without the unwavering support of my family, my supervisors and fellow PhDer Jessica McElhone - here's to graduating together in 2021!

In the whole PhD ordeal, my supervisory team played a tremendous role:- they are three in a million. They are perfect supervisors who perfectly know which milestones or pathways to be taken during research initiatives, and they understand the roles of virtually all stages in the journey of PhD. They showcased superior abilities in managing and motivating me evoking high standards; demonstrating a commitment to excellence. Jane and Haiying guided me as their daughter and Fiona turned out to be the best of friends.

I heard from “Eleanor Roosevelt” that “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” The dream with which I grew up to become a Doctor one day, has finally come true. In the journey of PhD, I embraced that a PhD is not just the highest degree in Education but rather it is a life experience where perseverance is the key. I can never forget words from my external examiner Prof Yike Guo, from Imperial College London. His words echoed in my ears to date when he said “... give credit to you” and he wrote “Very Good” on the Methodology diagram in my thesis with his comments. That's the best rewarded moment I have ever embraced in my life to date.

When I showed it to my son later who is just 5 years old he yelled like anything to the family, "Hey, my mum got very good on her exam" and left me with teary eyes. With my journey of PhinisheD, I can say it to all gals in this world who are new mothers that sometimes we take a break from worldly affairs after having babies but trust me it's rewarding when you do take professional pathways with them and they appreciate and motivate you. Go Mum Go Mum..! So nothing is impossible even if you have become mum. The spirits should never die. Not only that, but I also made so many friends on our journey.

Got best colleagues (with best memories of 16J27 in School of Computing) who bestowed too much affection and always made me realize that my journey of PhD was so rewarding! One of the best moments was when all my colleagues threw a surprise to congratulate on my successful viva and I saw my name board outside my room and my desk full of thoughtful gifts to cherish the moment of success.

After returning back home, my husband and son celebrated my visit back with dancing tunes and an amazing scrapbook of memories of a green patch of land with emotional messages from colleagues and friends. Ulster is terribly missed. My love and best wishes to all!

I'm from county Monaghan originally and I did my undergraduate degree and Masters in the Irish language in NUI Galway. For my doctoral study I carried out a research project on the performance and transmission of Irish language storytelling in Donegal in modern times and down to the current day.

I am very glad that I undertook this PhD project. It was certainly the most challenging and intense piece of work that I have done in my life but as a learning opportunity and as a platform for launching into other areas of activity it was unbeatable. Those storytellers whom I was working with in Donegal formed the basis of this research and were beyond helpful. I learned a lot from them.

Also, I couldn't have completed this work if it wasn't for the talented and supportive staff involved in teaching and research in the Irish language on the Belfast and Magee campuses.

I worked as an academic librarian before starting my PhD, and have always been interested in library provision to people in prison. My thesis explored prisoners' experiences of engaging with library services during incarceration, focusing on two specific prison sites in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Completing my PhD was one of the most challenging but rewardable and enjoyable experiences I have had. I loved having the chance to engage with people from across the world at different conferences and events who were just as passionate about my chosen research area.

I would never have reached the finished line without the encouragement of my brilliant supervisors and the support of my PhD buddies both in Belfast and Coleraine. Connecting with other researchers was definitely the most important thing I could have done, and helped to give me perspective during endless days and nights of writing toward the end!

I have been pushed out of my comfort zone in countless ways and the people I have met helped to challenge my way of thinking both about my research and the world in general – I’m very grateful for such a positive experience at UU.

I graduated Ulster University in 2016 with a degree in Biomedical Science with DPP (Pathology). I was then offered a PhD studentship with Dr Catriona Kelly and Professor Neville McClenaghan at CTRIC which I started in September 2016. My PhD explored the pathophysiology of Cystic Fibrosis-Related Diabetes, the most common co-morbidity associated with Cystic Fibrosis.

My proudest moment was undoubtedly passing my Viva (via Skype!), but I was also proud to be given the opportunity to present my work at the UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust Conference in 2018. Through this conference, I was able to meet with people with CF and the challenges they face which was important reminder that the research I was doing mattered. I couldn't have got through this without the unwavering support of my family, who were always there for me in the good times and the bad.

I am also extremely grateful for the support and mentorship of my supervisors Dr Catriona Kelly, Professor Neville McClenaghan and Dr Dawood Khan who encouraged me to think differently, pushed me, and gave me the confidence that I had the ability to finish this PhD. If I could speak to myself at the start of my PhD, the best piece of advice I would give myself would be to not get too disheartened when something doesn't work first time.

A PhD is a learning experience, and part of that experience is learning how to solve problems, especially when an experiment doesn't quite work out as you'd hoped!

I started my PhD after I completed my undergraduate in Biology at Ulster University in 2016, with a dissertation project that focused on genetic variations in bacterial species. I continued using some of these techniques in my doctoral research, which primarily involved the investigation and development of mass spectrometry imaging in vitamin D treated prostate cancer, looking at the metabolic and genetic variations upon treatment.

I worked with international collaborators at the University of Edinburgh and Maastricht University, where I got to learn and develop mass spectrometry techniques that have not previously been carried out in Northern Ireland. I now work as a postdoctoral researcher at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, where I am helping to develop and implement a mass spectrometry imaging facility for users across the world with the super powerful 21T FT-ICR mass spectrometer.

A PhD is a demanding process but when you surround yourself with great people, it becomes a lot more enjoyable. I will never forget the life long friends and mentors that I have made along the way, enduring all the ups and downs of both PhDing and life. I'm very proud of the work produced from my PhD, including my two publications and hopefully more to come! Advice that I would tell any new PhD, including myself, is to just go for it, as there is a lot to learn and explore.

My proudest moment was when I knew the possibility of the full transfer of my PhD project to Ulster University, the University which I loved and started my first steps towards my PhD in, and also being a PhD graduate from one of the highly reputable universities such as Ulster is a big thing which I should always be proud of. I think there is no that word that can ever express my deepest thanks and sincere appreciation to my supervisor Professor Kathryn Burnett for her ideal supervision, valuable guidance, encouragement, generous help and ultimate support throughout my PhD project.

I have been really lucky to have her as a supervisor. Also my deepest gratitude to Mr Linden Ashfield, Principal Clinical Pharmacist, Antrim Area Hospital (NHSCT) for his help and endless support throughout the whole research project. Also, I could not have got through this without the support of my beloved family (my father ”Sayed”, my mother ”Gamila”, my wife “Nermeen” and my two lovely boys “Eslam & Adam”). I am deeply grateful for their unconditional love and overwhelming care which pushed me forward throughout my long journey in PhD. Nevertheless, I’m profoundly appreciative for their continuous encouragement and everlasting patience.

I have been recently appointed as a Teaching Fellow in Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice within the School of Pharmacy, Ulster University and I wish to achieve more success within the university I love. PROUD WITH ULSTER UNIVERSITY!