This summer marks the end of the first year of my PhD — and what a busy year it’s been!

My final stop in Australia was Melbourne: a vibrant city of stunning views, green spaces and incredible researchers. I spent the week hosted by Professor Matthew Spittal at the University of Melbourne, who warmly welcomed me into the School of Population and Global Health. I had my own desk (a rare treat!) and got straight to work.

This week, I had the privilege of spending time in Newcastle, Australia, learning from the people and services that support young people who self-harm. I was kindly hosted by Dr Katie Mcgill and Prof Greg Carter, both world leaders in self-harm research, who shared their knowledge and showed me around this beautiful part of the world.

As part of my PhD Fellowship, I recently went on a research visit to Australia, where I spent three weeks visiting different cities to learn about Australia’s approach to emergency care for young people who self-harm. My first stop was Sydney – a beautiful city with impressive views and lots of inspiring people dedicated to helping young people through their clinical work and research.

Hello everybody, and happy Half Term! I hope it’s a peaceful week for you, however you’re spending it.

2025 has begun with a flurry or activity for EmCASH, and I’ve been working hard behind the scenes to make progress with the study.

As part of my PhD fellowship, I spend one day every fortnight working with the CAMHS crisis team in Leeds. When I first started, I thought this would just be a way to keep my clinical skills up – but I am already realising how crucial this experience is for making my research useful and relevant.

Research is not a solo sport, and making connections with the right people is a key ingredient to doing high-quality work and making positive change.

That’s why I couldn’t say no to the opportunity to organise and chair the second Research & Connect seminar, hosted by the Division of Psychological & Social Medicine at the University of Leeds.

In October 2024, I was lucky enough to give a talk at Inspiring the Next Generation, an event for academic health professionals across Leeds. I spoke about how I’ve made sure that young people and their families are at the centre of my research. My project, EmCASH, was even highlighted as a great example of patient-centred research – which made me feel both proud and inspired to keep going!