Meet Hilary

First impressions of Newcastle

Walking around the city of Newcastle for the first time, I was surprised at how beautiful some of the buildings are! The main campus is close to the city with loads of great places to get lunch. During Freshers’ Week, it’s fun to check out the societies hall to see what is happening on campus. There are many societies on campus to choose from, and I joined the book club society and the orchestra for one year. 

In my first year, I spent a lot of time coffee shop-hopping while doing lots of background reading and figuring out my research niche. You’re spoiled for choice for places to get coffee in Newcastle, from Northumberland Street all the way to the Quayside. 

About my course

A PhD is very self-directed. While I was given a broad theme to work within, the specifics of my course have been decided by me, in collaboration with my supervisors, over time. I chose to focus on using health databases to explore whether people with multiple long-term conditions are at greater risk of getting dementia later in life. I'm interested in learning robust statistical and data science techniques to suggest ways that public health policy in England could manage the increase in numbers of people with both long-term conditions and dementia. 

As part of my PhD, I was invited to take part in conferences and Population Health Sciences Institute (PHSI) Research days to learn about what else is going on in the institute and to present my own research. These are optional, but I find them really valuable for getting to know colleagues, seeing who else is working on similar topics, and feeling like part of a wider team. 

I also love having a social workspace in the School of Pharmacy with other PhD students. While we’re not necessarily studying the same topics – because every PhD is different – we experience many of the same joys and obstacles of PhD life. I’ve also found that when I need expert advice, I can reach out to colleagues across the university for statistical support, encouragement in thesis-writing, and subject-specific advice. 

Funding

As part of my PhD, I arranged a three-month research trip to visit the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden: a world-leading medical research institution. This was a phenomenal opportunity to live and work in a different country, to meet knowledgeable researchers working in the same field, and get a taste of academic life. 

To pay for this I used some money from my PhD funder, the Vivensa Foudation, and also applied to the Doctoral College Research Enhancement Fund (DCREF). The funding from DCREF covered one third of my accommodation and travel costs, with the remaining expenses supported by my studentship from the Vivensa Foundation. Financial freedom was vital, as it allowed me to fully engage with the opportunities available without the worry of financial difficulties, and my trip would not have happened without it. The funding provided by DCREF also freed up some of my studentship that I can spend on conferences during the remainder of my studies. 

Preparing for the future

I’d like to work in public health research, health policy, or a similar field. I want to investigate health inequalities or patterns of disease and advise on how to improve outcomes for people on a large scale. I’m open to all possibilities in terms of future employment at universities, councils, governments, or charities – either locally or nationally. Mostly, I’m keen to work in a space where my talent and passion overlap. 

Studying at Newcastle has offered me a glimpse of working in an academic environment, improved my independent working skills, and my ability to justify and defend my own work. It has also enabled me to follow the topics I find interesting over a large time period (three years full-time, six years part-time). This allowed for interesting detours and research trips which all contributed to my wider work experience and knowledge base. 

Advice for future students

A student may want to consider a PhD if they: 

• have a niche subject matter interest that they'd like to explore further 
• enjoyed doing their undergraduate or Master's-level thesis, going down a rabbit-hole for one particular research question 
• are self-motivated and happy to set their own learning objectives and goals 
• admire the work of a particular academic or group and wish to contribute to the furthering of knowledge in that area 

If this sounds like it’s for you, my advice would be to treat your PhD application like a job application and prepare for the interview as you would with any other job. For me, there was an online application form and interview process, including typical questions like ‘why do you want to do this PhD’. Be prepared to answer these questions genuinely. And don’t forget: the interview is a two-way process and is also a chance for you to determine how suitable the PhD, and supervisors, are for you.