Category: Doctoral Students

Finding calm and connection through pottery painting: ECR Community Fund – DIDE PhD Student Social Pottery

by Kate Turpie, PhD Student, School of Public Health

On Tuesday 5 May 2026, students from the Department of Infectious Disease and Epidemiology (DIDE) gathered for a wellbeing-focused pottery painting social. The two-hour session invited PhD students to step away from their research and enjoy an evening of creativity, conversation, and relaxation together.

Hosted at a local pottery studio, the event gave students the opportunity to paint and personalise their own pottery pieces, which would later be glazed and fired in the kiln to take home. Alongside light snacks and lemonade, the session created a calm and welcoming atmosphere where students could connect outside of their usual academic environment.

The aim of the social was to encourage students across DIDE to network and bond over the shared experiences of the PhD journey. For many of us, it was also a valuable opportunity to pause, unwind, and spend time engaging in something entirely different from our everyday research work.

Although I had tried pottery before, I had never experienced it in a social setting. Walking into the studio, I was immediately drawn to the wide variety of pottery pieces lining the shelves. There were traditional plates and bowls, but also more unique and artistic pieces, including elegant vases shaped like human heads, panda-shaped ornaments, and owl mugs. The collection felt both creative and playful, and it took me quite a while to decide what to paint. In the end, I chose a simple plate, thinking it would be the most practical piece for me to use during lunch breaks at the department.

 

Once everyone settled around the table, the atmosphere quickly became calm and comforting. Conversations flowed naturally while everyone focused on painting their pottery. After spending most days immersed in mathematical models, research papers, and screens, it was refreshing to concentrate on something entirely creative. The quiet sounds of paint pots opening, brushes gliding across ceramic surfaces, and occasional laughter created a peaceful environment that felt very different from the intensity of everyday PhD life.

 

What I enjoyed most was how naturally the activity encouraged connection. Without the pressure of formal networking or academic discussion, students were able to relax and simply enjoy each other’s company. It reminded me how important it is to create spaces where postgraduate students can slow down and support their wellbeing alongside their research.

The pottery social was a simple but meaningful reminder of the importance of balance during postgraduate study. Research can often feel intense and isolating, particularly when much of the day is spent working independently in front of a laptop. Having the opportunity to step away from that environment, engage in a creative activity, and share lighthearted conversations with fellow PhD students felt incredibly refreshing.

I also appreciated leaving with something tangible that captured the experience. When I eventually use the plate during lunch at SPH, I know it will remind me of the creativity of the evening and the enjoyable time spent with fellow students.

We would like to thank Early Career Researcher Institute (ECRI) for funding our DIDE social.

IGHI PhD Christmas Social 2025

by Tricia Tay, Clinical Research Fellow, Department of Surgery & Cancer

We would like to thank Early Career Researcher Institute for funding our Christmas social. The original plan was to a research presentation where we provide updates of our PhDs in the morning to the group followed by lunch in a nearby café. We applied for funding for the lunch. However, our supervisor cancelled the research meeting after we had obtained funding.

Our team went ahead with the lunch and shared informally updates of our PhDs and lives in 2025. Our team of 18 PhD and Clinical Research Fellows work across various campuses including White City, St Mary’s and South Kensington. This is our first successful Christmas social lunch. We voted to eat at Bondi Green in Paddington. We shared life updates, highlights of our year, top tips for a successful PhD from final year students for first and second-year PhD candidates. Thank you ECRI team for this funding.

Student seminar series at the Abdus Salam Centre for Theoretical Physics

By Jaeha Park & Elias Van den Driessche, Department of Physics

The student seminar series is designed to give PhD students at the Abdus Salam Centre for Theoretical Physics an opportunity to present their ongoing research. As opposed to other seminars organised in the group, student seminars are organised in an accessible and informal setting. This gives an opportunity for PhD students and early-career postdocs to gain valuable experience in scientific communication, but also for MSc students and early-year PhD students to be exposed to the range of topics explored within the group.

The goal of the student seminars is far beyond individual talks. It is an active social event, open for not only the members of the Theoretical Physics group, but also to the Astrophysics group, and more broadly any MSc/MSci students in the department that are interested. Student seminars happen every Thursday at 5pm during term time, often at Huxley 503, or other seminar rooms in Blackett Laboratory. The time and location make it ideal for MSc students to join after their lectures. Starting from 16th October, we had 5 talks this term, covering a range of topics, including black holes, vacuum decay, supersymmetry, and quantum field theory. We have planned more talks until the end of this term and is planning to continue this activity with more speakers covering a wider range of topics.

The talks are aimed at advanced MSc and early-year PhD level, encouraging speakers to step back from technical details and emphasise the main ideas and motivations behind their work. For the speakers this serves as a unique opportunity to practice their presentation skills, as preparation for more formal talks at conferences or departmental seminars aimed at faculty members. For those in the audience, it is an opportunity to engage with research outside their own niche without having to go through a new set of technical terms. Indeed, we heard much positive feedback from the students. Talks by PhD students and early-career postdocs naturally led participants to “know who to ask” when they have questions outside their specialties, highlighting posible points of connection, and further fostering new collaborations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures from a student seminar on the 13th November, with title “Fun with the superconformal index”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to the Early Career Research Institute (ECRI) Postgraduate Community Fund, we are able to provide Pizzas and drinks to encourage participation.

The activity has been, and will be, conducted in a fully sustainable manner. The only minor environmental impact is expected to come from the food provided during the seminars. To minimize this, all packaging and containers are carefully collected and properly recycled, ensuring that the initiative remains as eco-friendly as possible.

The student seminar series is already becoming a core part of the research culture at the Abdus Salam Centre for Theoretical Physics. It lowers the barrier to engaging with new areas of research, helps student to develop the confidence and skills needed to present their work clearly, and strengthens a sense of community across di[erent career stages. The Community Fund from ECRI places a pivotal role; pizza provided for the event creates a welcoming atmosphere, and we have seen remarkable turn out in the past few talks, followed by active discussions. The student seminar series is helping the group to be more opened, interconnected, and supportive.

Looking ahead, we aim to keep expanding the range of topics and speakers. We are very excited to have 1st year PhD students to give their first talks next term. With continued support, we hope that the series will remain a fixture also for future cohorts, acting as a first step into research talks, a starting point for collaborations, and a fantastic opportunity to bridge di[erent members of the group and moreover members of the diverse community at Imperial.

The launch of the Imperial Women’s PhD Network

The Imperial Women’s PhD Network successfully launched with our networking event that welcomed women doctoral students from a range of different departments and campuses. This event provided a valuable opportunity for students to connect, share ideas, and learn more about the network’s aims and upcoming initiatives. The diversity of attendees reflected the network’s commitment to building a cross-disciplinary community.

Following the launch, the network was also represented at Imperial Lates: Lights, Colour, Action, where our committee member Shana Winston (PhD student, Department of Physics), with assistance from her colleague Xunuo Jiang (PhD student, Department of Physics) and committee member Lisa Coiffard (PhD student, Department of Computing), presented an exhibit titled “Women of Light.” The exhibit celebrated the achievements and contributions of women in light science, and it received strong engagement from visitors throughout the evening. Attendees interacted enthusiastically with the display, sparking meaningful conversations and raising awareness of the importance of representation in STEM.

Both events were a great success and an encouraging start for the network, demonstrating strong interest and support from the wider Imperial community.

We look forward to building on this momentum with future events and collaborations!

Get involved

This network is open to all Imperial PhD students who identify as women. Please join our Teams Channel and WhatsApp Community and follow us on Instagram to:

  • get involved with the Network
  • connect with other women PhD students across Imperial
  • find out about upcoming events

You can also contact the network by emailing imperialwomensphdnetwork@imperial.ac.uk.

Doctoral Student Welcome Event 2025

On Wednesday 15 October, the Early Career Researcher Institute hosted a Doctoral Student Welcome Event on the South Kensington Campus!

This 2-hour event included:

  • A welcome from the Early Career Researcher Institute, Provost Professor Peter Haynes, and Imperial Union President Nico Henry.
  • A presentation on the programme of support offered by the Early Career Researcher Institute
  • A Q&A panel discussion with current doctoral students
  • Tea, coffee, cakes and an opportunity to network with other doctoral students
  • Support Services stands

It was fantastic to see so many of Imperial’s new doctoral students at this event and at the Doctoral Student Welcome event held at the White City Campus.

A reminder that we also encourage you to complete our online induction which takes you through our suite of learning, development and support provision available to you.

 

Faculty of Medicine’s Rising Scientist Day

Rising Scientist Day is an event hosted by the Faculty of Medicine, celebrating the innovative research and achievements of postgraduate students. It provides a valuable platform for students to present their work, exchange ideas, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration across the scientific community.

The following post summarises key highlights and reflections from the day.

Yuan Wang, PhD Student

I was honoured to present my poster on how the gut microbiome modulates metabolic diseases through its metabolites. My research focuses on integrating metagenomic and metabolomic data to better understand host–microbiome interactions. It was an exciting opportunity to share my findings with peers and faculty, and I’m grateful to have received a prize for my work. As science continues to move toward interdisciplinary approaches, I was especially inspired by conversations with researchers from different backgrounds who also study the gut microbiome. Many thanks to the organizers, judges, and everyone involved — I truly enjoyed the experience.

Aya Elemeligy, PhD Student

I am grateful to have attended the Rising Scientist Day event and participate in the poster presentation session; it was inspiring to see an incredible range of work beyond my usual area of study. My own poster focused on “Regulation of Haematopoietic Stem Cells in aging and stress haematopoiesis”, it was great to be given the opportunity to discuss my research with others. I am also appreciative of receiving a prize for my poster and having my work recognised amongst so many impressive projects.

Daniel Sin, PhD Student

I had a great time on Rising Scientist Day! It felt really rewarding to present my PhD work to the rest of the department and share Science that I felt passionate about, and it was great to hear other’s feedback on my project. The feedback was useful for my own considerations on what I should prioritize for future directions. It was also really cool to learn about what other types of projects other PhD students were working on. Looking forward to the next one!

Kavita Gulati, PhD Student

My name is Kavita Gulati, and I am a 2nd Year PhD Student, working within the Department of Immunology and Inflammation. I am grateful to have been awarded a prize for my poster “Novel Therapeutic Targets in Glomerulonephritis and Renal Vasculitis”. This was a much-needed confidence boost, as I had recently returned following a year-long maternity leave.

I felt this day was a great opportunity to interact with other students both within and outside of my department. I particularly enjoyed the thought-provoking discussion that came from presenting my poster. I found presenting my work to an audience outside of my speciality helped gain a refreshing perspective.

I also really enjoyed the aspirational 3-minute thesis competition, and I loved seeing the breadth of research that is currently being undertaken in the faculty. It was particularly useful to see the different presentation styles and approaches to summarising years of work. I look forward to hopefully presenting next year when I am also a final year student.

Samuel Channon-Wells, PhD Student

I thought Rising Scientist Day 2025 was a highly rewarding event, definitely exceeding my expectations. Presentations across the board were high quality, and the three-minute-thesis presentations were a particular highlight. I enjoyed the array of work on display, as well as the diverse presentation style.

As a PhD student the day was especially useful. It provided great insights from colleagues into effective research communication, as well as potential new approaches I could use in the future. It was also really enjoyable to see other students condense their years of work into concise, interesting, and often funny presentations. I also found preparing for my own three-minute-thesis presentation an incredibly valuable opportunity. Having to focus on clarity and effective scientific story telling over technical complexity was a challenging but useful experience.

The event was also great for meeting other researchers across a range of disciplines, although I think the ambition should be for even greater participation and engagement from within the various departments! It was a fantastic day and I think lots of colleagues and peers would benefit from attending!

Sorcha O’Conner, PhD Student

I’m a final-year PhD student at the Centre for Psychedelic Research in Brain Sciences. During the Rising Scientist Day, I presented my poster on PsilOCD, a clinical trial exploring low-to-moderate doses of psilocybin for OCD. Our data showed a significant drop in symptoms that held up for two weeks after dosing, compared with placebo – an effect that wasn’t seen in participants’ co-occurring depression symptoms. It was nice to be able to converse with the other PhD students and refreshing to see posters on proteomics for Alzheimer’s and gene-editing approaches in neurodevelopment when I’m usually surrounded by clinical psychiatric research.

The judges moved among the poster sessions, offering practical feedback that helped me refine my methods description and clarify statistical details. Their comments will definitely improve how I present my findings in future conferences.

We wrapped up with drinks and snacks, and the best moments were the informal conversations—sharing challenges, milestones and our next steps. I left feeling energised and ready to apply the new ideas I picked up.

Luke Hanna, PhD Student

I’m currently researching perianal fistulising Crohn’s disease (pfCD) — a particularly challenging form of inflammatory bowel disease. In pfCD, patients develop abnormal tunnels (fistulae) between the anorectum and the skin near the anus, which are often resistant to standard medical treatments for Crohn’s disease.

To better understand the immunopathophysiology of pfCD, I’ve been working with single-cell RNA sequencing of immune cells (CD45+) isolated directly from fistula tissue. Our data reveal strong evidence for upregulation of JAK-STAT signalling, alongside increased activity of JAK-dependent cytokines such as interferon-gamma and interleukin-22.

Importantly, our gene set enrichment analysis shows that these inflammatory pathways can be downregulated in vitro using upadacitinib, a JAK-1 inhibitor — highlighting its potential therapeutic relevance in pfCD.

It was a privilege presenting this work at the Rising Scientist Day and I want to thank my amazing team: my supervisors Prof Powell, Prof Hart, and Mr Tozer, as well as Dr Laura Constable and Dr Domenico Cozzetto, whose expertise in sequencing analysis has been key to this work.

Michael Wang, PhD Student

It’s always a pleasure to connect with fellow PhD students in the cohort. During Rising Scientist Day, I was able to present my work to members of the Faculty and get valuable feedback, while keeping myself up to date on the latest research performed by my follow batchmates and fostering potential collaborations on future research projects.

It’s heartening to see students of the Faculty come together to exchanging ideas and insight and really strengthening our ties as a research community. I look forward to participating in similar events in the future.

Muteb Alatawi, PhD Student

Rising Scientist Day gave me the opportunity to present my research entitled “multi-omic characterization of T cells Dynamics in Lung Transplant Patients-Associated Aspergillosis”. The event featured various activities that made it truly valuable for research students.

The poster sessions allowed me to showcase my work and receive feedback from colleagues and judges. Additionally, meeting and networking with other students and learning about the fascinating work being conducted across different departments was incredibly enriching. These interactions sparked new ideas for my own research and opened doors for potential collaborations that could strengthen my project.

The 3-minute thesis competition was particularly engaging – watching colleagues distil complex research into concise presentations demonstrated an impressive skill in highlighting their work’s significance without technical overload, which was both educational and inspiring. The alumni talk was valuable and offered insights into academic career paths, giving me perspective as I approached my final year.

Overall, Rising Scientist Day offered excellent practice in communicating research to diverse audiences – essential for my development as a scientist.

By Muteb Alatawi | Armstrong-James Lab, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine.

Ravi Mehta, PhD Student

At this year’s Rising Scientist Day “3-minute thesis” competition, I presented my PhD research tackling one of the major challenges in infectious diseases: slow viral diagnostics. My work centres on ddhC, a host-derived small molecule produced in response to many viral infections. Rather than relying on PCR to detect the virus itself, detection of the body’s immune response offers a faster alternative. Using human challenge models, we’ve shown that ddhC levels rise and fall during the acute phase of viral infection. ddhC can identify viral infections across a wide range of settings – including in children, in patients from tropical regions, in spinal fluid from meningitis cases, and even in urine, raising the exciting possibility of a needle-free test.

Until now, ddhC has only been detected using costly and complex mass spectrometry. To overcome this, I’m developing aptamer-based assays. Aptamers – DNA strands that fold into specific shapes to bind their targets – have been engineered to detect ddhC and produce a fluorescent signal. This system is now being trialled in patient samples and adapted into a lateral flow format. Ultimately, this work positions ddhC as a pan-viral biomarker across different populations and biofluids, paving the way for rapid, accessible diagnostics that could help curb antibiotic misuse and support faster responses to future pandemics.

My experience of Rising Scientist Day was excellent overall. It really showcased the sheer diversity of research happening across Imperial – from fundamental science to applied clinical work – and it was inspiring to see so many different presenting styles and some truly exciting results. The event was also a great opportunity to connect with others, and develop new collaborations.

Our experience of the Early Academic Talks (EAT)

By Clara Finnigan, Postgraduate Student, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction

Research is all about collaboration and communication. However, it can be daunting to meet new researchers, especially those outside of your immediate environment. We set up Early Academic Talks (EAT) to provide a space for Imperial Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to connect and present their research, helping break down barriers for collaboration and communication. Our fourth EAT session took place on Thursday, 24th of April.

This talk series is a cross-sectional initiative, aiming to oGer the opportunity for ECRs to meet and learn about the research at Imperial in a friendly and informal environment. These events take place every month and have 2-3 ECRs presenting the research they carry out at Imperial. It was a great event in which we saw a high turnout, with the talks stimulating excellent discussions between researchers. The students and postgraduates also enjoyed the post talk social with food and drinks in the Wolfson Canteen in the Commonwealth Building.

“I found this was an amazing opportunity to practice my presenting skills and to share my next career steps as a post-doc” – Iona Davies

The importance of communication between researchers cannot be emphasised enough. Here at Imperial, essential research is happening every day but not everyone always knows about it. EAT provides the space to disseminate knowledge and build networks with other Imperial ECRs. The series helps with presentation practice, as feedback is provided in a friendly and supportive environment. The series also supports researchers to communicate their work in an accessible way to allow it to be understood across the different disciplines here at Imperial.

Here are examples of some talks we have had in the past:

  • Rutian Ding, MRes Clinical Research – “Applying metabolomics strategies to assess postprandial variability in response to two extreme diets in people at risk of cardiovascular diseases.”
  • Jia Jun Lee, PhD – “Skin wound healing models – potential targets for diabetic wound healing.”
  • Iona Davis, Post-doc – “Investigating pancreatic and CNS GIPR signalling; Implications for the treatment of metabolic disease.”
“I learnt new tools and techniques for illustration for presenting academic research such as BioRender. Moreover, meeting new connections is one of the highlights from EAT!” – Onyinye Eze

The event series so far has provided a platform to practice presenting academic work and critically analyse research in a friendly space, fostering an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment. Personally, through the series I have further developed my presenting skills and ability to discuss my PhD project in more depth and answer more challenging questions from my peers. This has simultaneously facilitated broadening my Early Career Researcher network. We hope to see more of you ECRs at our next event!

Next Event: 29 May 2025, 16:10 – 17:00 – SB Seminar Room 10A, Conference Room, Hammersmith Campus.
Event Details https://linktr.ee/earlyacademictalks

A huge thank you to the Early Career Researcher Institute as our sponsors for this talk series!

! Look out for our fliers around the Hammersmith Campus !

 

From Labs to Lunch: How the I&I PhD Networking Event Brings Us Together

By Sophie Ball and Katrina Fordwor, Department of Immunology and Inflammation

PhD students can easily get caught up in their projects, labs and work and not have the opportunity to network with other students, whether these students are from the same floor or other labs. The department for Inflammatory and Infection is spread over multiple floors, so it is easy for students to become siloed and not to interact with one another across the whole of their PhD. This is why we set up a monthly initiative to bring PhD students together in a relaxed setting. The Graduate School has granted us the opportunity to fund a monthly lunch. These events to allow PhD students to network in a casual setting, while being fuelled with some well-deserved food.

Collaborations between labs is a massive part of research, building a career and the general life of a scientist. This event was created exactly for that purpose, to allow students to gather in a communal space and interact with different labs. Having this event with lunch provided a relaxed atmosphere that allowed conversations to flow to discuss their current projects, career aspirations and identify future collaborators. I personally felt this event was a great way to speak to other students in the department and learn about the research going on, on floors just above me.

The I&I PhD Student Networking event is scheduled at lunchtime once a month, normally on the first Friday, and lasts for about an hour. This event is scheduled to continue for the remaining of the academic year, allowing these new connections to strengthen and possibly allow new research collaborations to develop. Moving forward, I hope this initiative continues to grow with this event’s participants reaching out to other students who missed out. It has the space to expand to a larger event with guest speakers and themed discussions but for now, it provides a simple yet effective way for PhD students to mingle and strengthen the academic community we are trying to achieve here at Imperial.

 

 

Life Sciences – Living Planet Data Challenge

By Agnes Szwarczynska, PhD Researcher at Schroeder Lab at Silwood Park

Recently, I came across a Nature article titled “Reproducibility trial: 246 biologists get different results from the same data sets.” It got me thinking — what if Imperial students, with expertise spanning from animal communication to microbial science, took on the same challenge? That’s how The Living Planet Data Challenge was born — an exciting three-day event that, for the first time, brought together master’s and PhD students at Silwood Park to tackle a real-world data problem.

In the first week of February, participants applied their skills in data analysis, coding, and research to address a question at the intersection of ecology, evolution and environmental conservation. The primary aim of the challenge was to foster problem-solving skills in a fun and inclusive environment — free from the pressure of grades. But despite its playful nature, it turned into something students could proudly add to their CVs. It also provided a chance to practice presenting methodologies and refine communication skills ahead of thesis vivas. For me, it was a big lesson in leading an event and everything that comes with it — securing funding, managing logistics and fostering engagement.

The event kicked off on Tuesday, February 4th, with participants tackling a problem using a publicly available dataset from eBird, a citizen science database with avian occurrence data. The challenge was set within a hypothetical scenario: as Tunisia’s newly appointed Environmental Officers, students had to assess whether the avian conservation program launched in 2017 had achieved its goals. AI tools were permitted, but participants had to justify their usage, adding an extra layer of challenge that required teams to critically evaluate their methodological choices.

[slides from the presentations of a) Jinxuan Cui, Xinting Cheng, Vicky Lin b) Yolanda Qian, Kotaro Kuroda, Rahim Dina c) Nathan Clark, Scott Tytheridge d) Saskia Pearce, Nia Potapova, Georgina Chow]

Using the eBird dataset, teams defined “success” in different ways — some focused on species diversity trends, while others analysed geographic distribution and changes in range sizes or simulated population numbers under various scenarios. From the organiser’s perspective, it was fascinating to see how different teams set out to solve the same problem by adopting very different strategies.

Over the next three days, five teams brainstormed ideas, analysed data and prepared their final presentations. Each day, they were provided with vegan and vegetarian snacks to fuel their creativity. More than just an academic exercise, the challenge served as a platform to refine scientific communication, encourage collaboration and knowledge exchange. With the two £150 prizes in vouchers for sustainable shops, teams were motivated to demonstrate that their approach was the most scientifically robust.

On the final day, teams presented their findings in 10-minute presentations, followed by a Q&A session with a panel of postdoctoral researchers. The prize in the master’s students category was awarded to Saskia Pearce, Nia Potapova and Georgina Chow for their ability to create a well-structured, compelling story and its critical interpretation. In the PhD category, the prize went to Nathan Clark and Scott Tytheridge for accounting for data collection biases and conducting a robust analysis that considered both the short- and long-term effects of the intervention.

Here, I want to thank all the teams for their hard work and determination! Special thanks to Dr. Ambre Salis, Dr. Vivienne Comyn-Platt and Dr. Balig Panossian for assessing the presentations and providing detailed feedback and to Stanislav Modrak for help with the event organisation. Lastly, this event would not have been possible without the funding provided by Imperial’s Early Career Researcher Institute, whose support brought the Living Planet Data Challenge to life.

Empower 2024 – Imperial’s Black Doctoral Network hosts its inaugural inter-university event

Written by Peter Bryan and Naima Adan, PhD Students from the Department of Bioengineering

Last month, Imperial College London’s Black Doctoral Network (BDN) held its inaugural inter-university event bringing together attendees from Imperial, London School of Economic (LSE), King’s College London (KCL), University College London (UCL), Cambridge, Bath, Swansea and more to share experiences, insights and anecdotes of postgraduate studies and careers. With over 40 attendees, the event was a resounding success.

Panel discussion

The event kicked off with a panel discussion hosted by Dr Wayne Mitchell, Associate Provost (Equality, Diversity and Inclusions). Joining Wayne was Kathryn Plummer, Patent Attorney at Carpmaels and Ransford, Dr Andrea Attipoe, co-founder of BDN and Microsystems Engineer at Beyond Blood Diagnostics, and Dr Emily Muller, Machine Learning Engineer at the Wellcome Trust and co-chair of Indaba.

The panel delved into their experiences as they transitioned from PhD researchers to their current careers. Andrea also discussed why he and Du-Shaine Murray started the network 4 years ago, and shared his vision for the BDN.

“We wanted this network to become a community to share joys and struggles, and to provide strong roots to navigate an environment that is often hostile to ethnic minorities.”

After the event we talked to Andrea and asked his thoughts on Empower and how he found coming back to the network..

“I thought the event was thoroughly enjoyed both by the audience and the panel. It’s always great to share your experience, hoping it can help someone who’s on a journey similar to yours. From the questions the audience asked, it was apparent that events like these are very much needed and appreciated by a Black community at Imperial that can often feel isolated and forgotten about. I’m very happy and proud that the network manages to provide the level of support and advice its members need to keep going with their head up proud!” 

Wellbeing session 

The second session focused on wellbeing, delving into the expectations and realities of the PhD process. Speakers shared methods and techniques for managing and protecting ourselves, and we learnt techniques to stabilise the journey.

“The comfort and familiarity of walking into a room with people who look like you and have an understanding or similar experience cannot be overstated” PhD student and BDN member

UK Black Research Network

The event sparked the creation of the UK Black Research Network (UK BRN). The purpose of the network is to support Black researchers during and after their PhDs and facilitate connections within and across universities. The network is based in a WhatsApp group chat where opportunities, events, resources, and socials are shared. The network’s first games night is already in the calendar!

Closing the event with Afro-Caribbean food and the obligatory selfie with Dr Sunday Popo-Ola, there was a powerful feeling of community as attendees reflected on the future of the BDN and new UK BRN.