Professor Luisa Orsini
University of Birmingham

Contact Details

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Who is your scientific inspiration and why?

Rita Levi Montalcini. She was a brilliant scientist and strongly engaged in every-day life to help people in need.

In three words or phrases how would you describe your supervision style?

My style depends on the student’s need and experience. I am more guiding and pacesetting when the student has little experience. I teach the student to become independent and critical of his/her work. My aim is to see a student growing into a scientist by the time he/she defends the thesis. I am organized and goal-oriented.

In one or two sentences please describe your strategies regarding the following.

Provision of training:

I take responsibility for your training at first, leading to more independence later. I lead a mid-size research group with diverse expertise. People in my group will support your training and learning. You are encouraged to identify training outside of the group/University to best meet your needs.

Progression monitoring and management:

I am very involved in my PhD students’ work and progression. We set weekly meetings to discuss progress, issues and mitigation strategies when needed. In addition, my door is always open if you need support beyond the weekly meetings. My team is also very supportive and helpful if I happen not to be around. I will support you and help you achieve your full potential.

Communication:

I am reachable via email and WhatsApp. My research group has a slack channel for wider support and communication. Even if I work long hours and weekends, I do not expect my students to have the same patterns. However, if an extra push is required by the nature of the work for short time periods, I expect you to take ownership of your experiments going the extra mile.

How often do your PhD students see you in a timetabled group meeting?

At least once per week

In year 1 of PhD study, how often do your PhD students have a scheduled >30 minute 1:1 meeting with you?

At least once per week

In year 2 of PhD study, how often do your PhD students have a scheduled >30 minute 1:1 meeting with you?

At least once per week

In year 3 of PhD study, how often do your PhD students have a scheduled >30 minute 1:1 meeting with you?

At least once per week

What form do your 1:1 meetings with PhD students take?

Face to face (if allowed under current health and safety advice)

Open door policy?

Yes, I am usually contactable for an instant response (if required) on every working day.

My expectation of PhD student 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 for feedback (e.g. on reports, manuscript drafts, thesis chapters)?

I need at least 1, preferably 2 week’s notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5000 words.