Profile

I moved to Cardiff as an undergraduate student, and fell in love with the city so I’ve never left! Alongside my PhD and teaching, I also volunteer at my local church, within widening engagement programmes, and with relevant charities. I play for a local rugby team, and enjoy spending time with my teammates outside of training, and at the gym.

My work is orientated within the Behavioural Genetics Group at Cardiff University, and branches the fields of genetics, psychology, medicine and dermatology. The majority of our work is focused on the rare genetic skin disorder called X-linked ichthyosis (XLI), where there is little research or understanding of the condition. XLI is caused by a mutation or deletion in a specific gene, resulting in a range of symptoms including flaky skin, eye problems and a decreased ability to sweat. Our recent work has revealed that people with XLI are also more likely to develop mood and neurodevelopmental disorders such as depression, anxiety or autism spectrum disorder. We are also exploring the impact of this gene mutation/deletion on abnormal heart rhythms, and attitudes towards potential heart screening services.

Although our research is complex and spans a number of topics and disciplines, we hope that this work will help other scientists and psychologists to develop support programmes and interventions to improve the wellbeing of people living with XLI.

My typical day is largely dependent on the number of meetings I have, any teaching sessions and sometimes even the weather as I usually walk 20 minutes to work! Sometimes I work from home, and sometimes I work in a joint office with other PhD students. I try to prepare all my meals in advance as my days can be quite hectic, and I normally try to find time to go to the gym, for a swim or to rugby training after work. As a PhD is not set hours, I try to work from 9-5, but this is also dependent on any deadlines or urgent work. I normally avoid working at weekends to try to establish an important work-life balance.

If I have lots of teaching to do, a normal working day for me might involve answering emails or queries from students, preparing for teaching sessions or marking essays. If I am focused on my PhD research, I will often spend the morning analysing new data, meeting with my supervisor to discuss our plans, or writing for any work we are trying to publish. I also serve on lots of different committees and groups, so I tend to spend a few hours a week in meetings, approving documents or organising events. Some of my other commitments include tutoring GCSE & A-Level students, reviewing other people’s research, and preparing presentations for conferences or events.