With this year’s theme being ‘Creativity in Research,’ students from across the University’s research institutes showed how their research can impact policy and practice in areas like education, health, computing and media.

A keynote address by Dr Libby Bishop from the University of Essex highlighted how researchers could creatively incorporate existing research data into their own enquiries.

John Smith’s Bookshops also awarded prizes to the following students:

• Heliza Abdul Hami – “Factors that influence millennial generation entrepreneurs in identifying entrepreneurial opportunity in Malaysia was voted the best overall presentation”
• David Appleby – “'Exploring Liminality' received the award for the presentation that best addressed the theme of creativity in research.”

David said: “I really enjoyed the conference. There were so many presentations and they were all so different. It really showed what a huge range of research is being done at the University. From robots to sexual health, from Luton fathers to Indian executives, the variety of research topics was enormous.”

One of the students presenting her research was Catrin Pedder Jones (pictured below), a PhD student examining how GPs may be able to help improve organ donor registration rates, a project funded by NHS Blood & Transplant. She said: “The conference was really inspiring. We heard from students who were nearing the end of their studies and it was really insightful to hear of their experiences and tips for success.”

Annemarie Lodder, another PhD student is looking at developing stigma protection intervention for caregivers of children with autism, a project funded by charity Autistica UK. She said: “The conference was a great experience to share my work with fellow students and staff. I was asked lots of questions about my work, which was amazing.”

Professor in Diversity in Public Health and Director of the University’s Institute of Health Research, Gurch Randhawa said: “We are fortunate to have some fantastic students who are committed not only to their PhD studies but also in seeking to make a real impact upon improving people’s lives through their research. The annual conference is a great opportunity to share knowledge and expertise among students and staff.”