Craft Your Thesis

In my PhD research, I focus on the 3D strain measurement of the tendon to bone insertion (enthesis) using micro-CT and digital volume correlation techniques. The enthesis, a crucial tissue connecting tendons to bones, must withstand significant mechanical stress. High-resolution micro-CT imaging allows us to capture detailed scans of this interface, which we then analyze using digital volume correlation to quantify strain distribution. Understanding how strain is distributed within the enthesis provides valuable insights into its mechanical properties and resilience. This research is pivotal for advancing musculoskeletal research, as it enhances our understanding of how tendons and bones interact under load. Ultimately, these insights can inform the development of improved treatments for musculoskeletal injuries and conditions, contributing to better therapeutic strategies and patient outcomes.

Material culture formed an important part of Pteridomania or the Victorian fern craze. Women have traditionally been associated with the cultural elements of this, as opposed to the scientific, yet there were numerous women pteridologists (people who studied ferns). Their work has been entirely overlooked by scholars, and my PhD research focuses on rehabilitating their important scientific and cultural contributions. I chose the medium of cross stitch, as cross stitch and embroidery were popular crafts with Victorian women, and ferns were a motif which regularly featured in patterns in women’s magazines. In choosing this medium, I subvert the stereotype that women were not contributing to the science of ferns by emphasising their scientific work through a cultural medium, highlighting that “Women Can be Pteridologists”. My design features a self-drafted cross stitch pattern and di-cut paper ferns, mimicking the layering of pressed fern specimens in women’s fern albums and scrapbooks. 

Antimicrobial resistance poses a serious threat to both public health and the global economy. EnvZ, part of the EnvZ/OmpR two component system, is well-characterised in its vital role in regulating membrane porins, OmpF and OmpC. MzrA is a small inner membrane protein that has been shown to interact with and modulate transcription of EnvZ. Understanding the relationship between MzrA and EnvZ is key to discovering a new drug/small molecule pathway to tackle the problem of antimicrobial resistance. 

My research examines the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on reporting discourses of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) in British newspapers. ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), is a chronic, neurological condition characterised by a multitude of symptoms, including debilitating fatigue, post-exertional malaise (PEM), unrefreshing sleep, and cognitive fatigue (brain fog). Historically, this illness has been highly stigmatised and research is comparatively underfunded. My aim is to determine whether the pandemic and resulting mass development of long covid has impacted the linguistic and visual representations of ME in the news, as well as to identify the ways in which this invisible illness is represented visually. My research takes a combined corpus linguistic and multimodal discourse analysis approach through examining the linguistic choices within thousands of relevant newspaper articles and subsequently analysing the images used to represent people with ME.

I crafted this necklace to represent the complexity and beauty of my data analysis. Each bead symbolises an ""incident"" or participant behaviour, and the wires illustrate the intricate network of relationships within the data. The colours of the beads and wires correspond to my codes and memos. This necklace is designed to be seen, mirroring how my research aims to make participants and their concerns visible. Its delicacy signifies that, like my participants' experiences with frailty, their concerns must be handled with care. Participants want to be recognised for their strengths and unique characteristics, not their vulnerabilities.

Surrounded by memos and codes from the past three years, the necklace embodies the thought processes leading to the final piece. It shows how complex data can become something beautiful. The necklace's unfinished nature symbolises that research is never complete; it is evolving and unique, adding novelty and value to the research field.

The Global Genes Project estimates that 350 million people worldwide suffer from a rare disease, of which ~80% are genetic. A crucial element of rare genetic disease research is the use of animal models. Amphibians have held a prominent position in research for over a century, their numerous, large, and externally developing embryos provide an ideal model for studying development. The Western Clawed Frog (Xenopus) has been a powerful and effective disease model for conditions such as congenital heart disease, kidney disease and neurodevelopmental disorders. Simple and effective genetic manipulation in Xenopus can be achieved using the CRISPR gene editing system. These studies in Xenopus not only further our understanding of disease, but they also support diagnosis of patients with genetic disorders and contribute to the development of novel treatments.