In three words or phrases: Supportive, collaborative, understanding.
Provision of Training
I discuss training with each student as part of our regular meetings. If you prefer to find your own way to do things and discover methods from the literature, then that is fine – if you need more structured guidance, then that is also good. I would expect that you would move from the latter to the former as we progress through the project, so by the end you have independence in designing experiments and developing expertise. Hands-on training will be provided by members of my group, myself (for some methods), and collaborators.
Progression Monitoring and Management
We will have weekly meetings and track progression through the project. Each week we will agree on targets and look back at what has been achieved in terms of method and expertise development, data collection, and data analysis. We can meet on a more regular basis when needed, to solve problems if they occur. As we progress through the project, we can switch to less regular meetings (once every two weeks) if required, although most students prefer to meet once a week.
Communication
I think that communication is key to success in a PhD. I am happy to discuss anything with my students – not just project and scientific issues, but pastoral and personal matters as well. I am a mental health first aider and a wellbeing champion. If I can’t help directly I can guide you in the right direction, including the wellbeing team. Outside of weekly meetings (usually face to face) our group has a Teams space for sharing data, methods, booking equipment etc., and am contactable by email. Work-life balance is incredibly important and I would expect that students find their own balance that works for them. I don’t expect responses to emails or messages outside of normal working hours, and I usually do not read emails at weekends.
PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me at least once per month.
These meetings will mainly be face to face, and I am usually contactable for an instant response (if required) on every working day.
Working Patterns
The timing of work in my lab is completely flexible, and (other than attending pre-arranged meetings) I expect students to manage their own time.
Notice Period for Feedback
I need at least 1 week’s notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5000 words.
