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This exhibition celebrates the career journeys of a selection of our women researchers. The women in the photographs represent just a small selection of the fantastic women

researchers who work across different disciplines at various levels across QMU.

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Queen Margaret University is committed to the principles

of the Charter and values equality and diversity  across its workforce. To support these principles and to

promote the role o f women in SET, the University has

undertaken an internal self-assessment process and has been successful in gaining a Bronze SWAN Award.

The University sees membership o f the Charter, with

its bronze, silver and gold SWAN recognition awards, as working towards sustaining equitable working

environments enabling QMU to identify itself as an

employer of choice, not only to its staff, but to students, stakeholders, research councils and industry.

The Athena SWAN

Charter is a recognition

scheme for UK universities

and their science,

engineering and technology (SET) departments. It aims

to assist the recruitment,

retention and progression

of women in SET.

In 2013, Queen Margaret University was delighted to receive

 the Bronze Athena SWAN Award in light of its commitment to assisting the recruitment and retention of women 

in science, engineering and technology (SET).

QMU Athena Swan Bronze Award

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I’m Dr Patrycja Strycharczuk, and I do research on how and

why sounds of language change. Sound change is something

we’re not normally aware of , yet somehow we sound slightly

differently from our parents or our grandparents.

RESEARCH FELLOW, SPEECH AND HEARING SCIENCES

WOMEN 

RESEARCHERS

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INSPIRING

RESEARCH CAREER

 JOURN EYS

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I am Dr Maria Paola Bissiri, I hold a PhD in Phonetics from the

Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich in Germany. In my research

work I compare native with non-native speech productions and investigate speech perception in different languages.

RESEARCH FELLOW, SPEECH AND HEARING SCIENCES

I have worked as a Research Fellow in several institutions

across Europe: the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich,

the Charles University in Prague, the University of the Basque Country in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain), the University of Bristol,

and the Technical University of Dresden (Germany).

I am happy to work as a researcher, because this allows me to

learn something new every day.

I have always been fascinated by language. I remember listening to foreign languages as a child and wondering how it

would feel to be able to recognise words in such mysterious

languages. I grew up in Sardinia from Sardinian-Italian bilingual parents. Sardinian, an archaic Romance language, is a UNESCO

endangered language.

WOMEN 

RESEARCHERS

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INSPIRING

RESEARCH CAREER

 JOURN EYS

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Examples of our research are Pilates for people with MS who use a wheelchair and a community exercise programme for young people with Cerebral Palsy. Exercise can be a way of self-management, i.e. people can take care of their condition themselves, instead of relying on

drugs or surgical interventions.

I am Dr Marietta van der Linden and I am doing research on

how exercise and assistive technology can improve the ability to perform activities of daily living in people with a neurological

condition such as Multiple Sclerosis or Cerebral Palsy.

 Assistive technologies to aid walking such as splints allow people to walk further and

more easily which can positively impact their participation and general health.

Finding out from study participants how

they feel a certain inter vention has positively impacted their function and then showing

these benets through objectively measured

outcomes is probably the most rewarding aspect of my area of research.

WOMEN 

RESEARCHERS

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INSPIRING

RESEARCH CAREER

 JOURN EYS

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I am passionate about improving the patient  journey through stroke services and after completing my PhD I

plan to continue my research into various aspects of stroke care.

My past work has examined the value of engaging in purposeful activities, which is another area which

I am passionate about - particularly the eld of

physical activities as contributors to the quality of

life of various groups of people .

I’m fortunate to have been able to work with

Professor Gillian Mead, a UK expert on life after stroke. She has inspired me to pursue my areas of research and to widen my research portfolio, so that

I have gained invaluable experience utilising a wide

variety of research methodologies.

I’m an Occupational Therapy Lecturer currently in the

closing stretches of a part time PhD. I am interested

in researching various aspects of life after stroke, currently my main focus is on the process of identifying

a delirium in the acute stages of stroke.

WOMEN 

RESEARCHERS

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INSPIRING

RESEARCH CAREER

 JOURN EYS

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My recent research focused on investigating the involvement of cerebrovascular dysfunction in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease,

and potential therapeutic strategiesfor the disease. In particular I focused on the role of hypertension in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease, and the mechanisms by which anti-hypertensive drugs may confer protection against cognitive decline.

 I also have interests in the impact of stress-induced metabolic d isease upon Alzheimer’s disease. This

experience is invaluable in my current teaching on

a wide range of courses within Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences.

I was taught at undergraduate level by severalinspiring lecturers, who sparked my interest in

undertaking research, and introduced me to a team

of enthusiastic researchers. I enjoyed the laboratory experience I obtained at undergraduate level and

was lucky to be able to embark on a PhD which

cemented my interests.

Following completion of my BSc (Hons) in Biological and Health Sciences  at Queen Margaret University, I undertook a PhD in neuroscience at

Queen Margaret University, in collaboration with researchers in Cognitive

and Neural Systems at the University of Edinburgh.

WOMEN 

RESEARCHERS

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INSPIRING

RESEARCH CAREER

 JOURN EYS

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I completed my Professional Doctorate last year exploring the theme of partnership between young “expert” patients and health care providers. As a mature student I value education and have extended my research interests into this area.

I am passionate about the student experience.

My own experiences as a mature learner at Queen

Margaret University through the Masters and Doctorate programmes have been positive ones

and I want to ensure this continues in both our

undergraduate and post graduate programmes.

My inspiration was predominantly the client group

with whom I worked and a motivation to enhance service delivery. I was hugely supported by Dr

Shona Cameron my Director of Studies and my

academic colleagues.

I’m Dr Kath MacDonald. I’m a Senior Lecturer and a registered

Nurse. I worked for many years in the Health Service as a Clinical

Nurse Specialist with young people with a long term condition 

and it is this work that has inspired my research.

WOMEN 

RESEARCHERS

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INSPIRING

RESEARCH CAREER

 JOURN EYS

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I’m Dr Alison Strang, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for

International Health and Development at Queen Margaret University.

I hate seeing people excluded and marginalised. This is reected

in my work with communities affect