On the 15th of September, the second meeting of ME Research UK’s ‘Researcher Circle’ took place online.
The Circle meets every other month, and alternates between more structured sessions with a speaker followed by time for questions and discussion, and informal ‘catch-ups’ which aim to provide a friendly forum to discuss progress and challenges faced, and to practice presentations.
The previous session, which took place in July, was a structured session in which Professor Faisel Khan – one of ME Research UK’s Trustees, and Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences and Associate Dean (International) at the University of Dundee – and Dr Emma Slack – Science Writer and Research Engagement Officer at ME Research UK – discussed career planning and skill development.
Therefore, the September meeting was an informal ‘catch-up’ in which the students discussed their work, progress and achievements, and any challenges they had faced.
Amongst the topics covered in the session were career progression options, writing papers and the challenges faced when deciding where to publish an article and during the peer review process, and also the difficulties identifying sources of funding for ME/CFS research as PhD students and early career researchers.
Reflecting on the session, Gemma Samms, a PhD level researcher who is working on an ME Research UK funded project investigating genetic risk factors for ME/CFS using data from the DecodeME project, said:
“Thank you for organising! I found it helpful to get wisdom and insight from others who are also completing a PhD in ME/CFS research. It’s lovely to have the opportunity to meet other researchers from all around the world and hear about their work.”
ME Research UK looks forward to welcoming the students to the next session in which Dr Emma Slack will talk about how to work well and stay motivated during a PhD, and share tips which aim to help the students to balance workload with wellbeing when working in the research environment.
The Circle is aimed (initially) at PhD-level students working on projects funded by ME Research UK charity, and will:
- Create an online space for students to network and learn about each other’s work.
- Provide an opportunity for skill development through talks given by members of ME Research UK staff, from established researchers in the field, and from other relevant experts.
- Provide a friendly forum to discuss challenges faced, to practice presentations, and to lay the foundations for future careers.
- Fulfil ME Research UK’s aim to create an environment to encourage, support, and to facilitate the entrance and retention of early-career researchers in the field of ME/CFS research.
