Hi! My name is Amy. I am a Senior Research Fellow in Epidemiology, with a focus on sleep health. I completed my undergraduate studies in Psychology, my PhD in sleep and circadian rhythms, and a Masters degree in Clinical Epidemiology. My research is particularly interested in the way work, sleep and health interact, and I am currently doing work with shift workers, including paramedics, who are impacted by sleeping out of sync with their body clocks. I have the privilege of supervising some sensational HDR candidates and honours students myself, and love introducing students to the world of research. I evolved from an undergrad who was terrified of all things numerical into a researcher with a true love for both statistics and words – so I enjoy both quantitative and qualitative methodologies in my research. I’ve previously co-ordinated honours level courses and another university, and lectured in Advanced Data.

What do you do in the world of Higher Degrees by Research?

I have only recently stepped into the HDR Co-ordinator role for the College of Medicine and Public Health. This role was so appealing for me, as I love working with research students. In this space, I work with theme advisors from our college to support students across each stage of their masters or PhD candidature. I chair the College HDR Committee, and sit on the University HDR Committee. I am passionate about ensuring our students have a vibrant research culture within the college (and am looking forward to more of this over the next 3 years!).

What is the best part of your job?

Being part of the ‘a-ha’ moments… seeing students connect with an idea, a concept, a methodology, or a finding. The beauty of being a PhD supervisor, or indeed any role where we support students, is that these moments are everywhere if you look for them – everything from the moment a student decides that research is for them, all the way through to that moment an ethics approval is granted, the first participant recruited, a paper finished, a PhD submitted. These are the little moments that for me really make up the joy that is research. Sharing these experiences is a privilege.

What do you like to do for fun?

Spending time with my family, including two gorgeous little people who are full of endless questions, noise and challenges. We like to go for long hikes together, along with our Labrador, Winston Churchill. I also enjoy pottery, reading and cycling.

Your favourite authors?

This is a very hard question for me! There are a lot. I love poetry as much as I love prose. I have been a Keats fan since I was a teenager, and can still spend hours reading his work. The most recent book I was unable to put down until I finished was Trent Dalton’s ‘Boy Swallowed Universe’, and I also enjoyed Anna Burns’ ‘Milkman’.