Dr Paul Muhle-Karbe
University of Birmingham

Contact Details

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Who is your scientific inspiration and why?

Jay McClelland. Not only a kind person and dedicated mentor, but also a true pioneer with the vision to integrate mind and brain sciences via computational mechanisms.

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

My aim is to create a diverse, inclusive, and family-friendly research environment in which young scholars can unfold their full potential through collaborative, rigorous, and interdisciplinary science.

Provision of training:

I take responsibility for your training especially during the early stages of your PhD. As you progress, I will expect you to take on more responsibility and ownership of your projects, so you can become an independent and confident researcher.

You will be supervised jointly by myself and experienced postdocs and often also with the support of another faculty member.

Progression monitoring and management:

I like to hold weekly meetings with PhD students to discuss their progress in a relaxed atmosphere. These meetings are a great opportunity to catch up and define goals for the coming week and to identify problems and work out how to tackle them together.

In addition, there are regular lab meetings and journal clubs, where we discuss research as a group.

Communication:

The weekly individual meetings are my most important contact points with PhD students. In those meetings, students can bring up any topics they would like to discuss - from discussion of ongoing projects; to brainstorming of new ideas, to more general discussions about career development.

The lab also communicates through different channels (e.g., WhatsApp, Slack, email). Some communication may occur outside of normal working hours, but I do not expect people to keep with communication or respond outside their own working hours.

I am happy to discuss any issues that are impacting your ability to fulfil your potential (work-related or personal).

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 3 or 4 days per week.

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 week’s notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5000 words.