Dr Michaela James, Research Officer at The National Centre for Population Health & Wellbeing Research (NCPHWR) and ADR Wales, shares her inspirational journey into research with us.
What did you do before you joined the National Centre for Population Health & Wellbeing Research (NCPHWR) and ADR Wales?
I went to University in Bath, where I studied a BA(Hons) in Sport and Social Science for four years in which I did a placement as a mentor to young people not in education, employment or training with two premiership rugby clubs (Warriors and Bath).
I left Bath, moved to Swansea, and became a fitness instructor for three years and part of the National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS) programme while studying for a Master’s in Public Health and Health Promotion at Swansea University.
After completing my master’s, I secured a role at the University working on ACTIVE (empowering young people to be more active), which was an NCPHWR project funded by the British Heart Foundation.
What sparked your interest in a research career?
Coming from a very sport-based background, I had never thought a career in academia was possible. My interest was sparked once I got my role at Swansea University on my first project (ACTIVE) and saw the opportunities. I couldn’t think of anything else I’d want to be doing now!
If any, what challenges have you faced in your journey into research?
Imposter syndrome! This is a big one for me. Despite having a PhD, I still have days where I question if I know enough, do enough or am enough to be where I am right now. It’s a work in progress, but the more I face the challenges, take on responsibility and practice resilience and a growth mindset (a difficult task when faced with reviewers’ comments, I must admit!), the more I can silence the imposter talking in my brain.
What type of research have you worked on?
My area of expertise is children’s health and wellbeing, particularly play and physical activity. I am a big advocate for both (unsurprisingly, given my background).
What areas of research interest you? What does the future hold?
General health and wellbeing, physical activity, play, children’s rights, co-production, and advocacy in summary! Anything that involves raising the volume on what children and young people want and need. I really want to give this group a voice in research as they are often overlooked. The future is a lot more of this! I would love to set up a young person’s advisory group, especially around research dissemination, as the accessibility of research outputs is not great for the public.
What advice would you give to someone looking at a career in research?
You can make a difference, so go for it. Don’t be put off by the academic stereotype! We need to break that down and redefine how all backgrounds, experiences and knowledge can contribute to research!
The National Centre for Population Health & Wellbeing Research (NCPHWR) and ADR Wales are Centres of Excellence based on Population Data Science at Swansea University.