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Identity Construction Among Higher Education Saudi Students in The UK
No full textThe steady rise in Saudi students attending British universities gives them a unique experience since it exposes them to a new way of life with distinct beliefs, values, and customs. However, they might also have to cope with the contemporary anti-Muslim sentiment known as Islamophobia. This study aims to better understand how Saudi students create and re-create their identities through their experiences while studying in the UK. In particular, the following inquiries are addressed: 1) Which academic and everyday life experiences do Saudi students share during their time studying in the UK? 2) What do their combined experiences reveal about their identity as Saudis?
Twenty Saudi students enrolled in UK higher education institutions participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews as part of a narrative approach used to answer these questions. The approach of interviewing them twice provides an even deeper understanding of their stories and how time affected their attitudes during two periods: before coming to the UK and after spending a while in the UK. With respect to the first query, the results of this study show that Saudi students have a lot of interests in common while they are studying in the UK. These narratives examine how Saudi students viewed British identity before coming to the UK and how their views on race changed over time. The findings also shed light on their accounts of encounters with Islamophobia, discrimination, and equality in their social and academic lives. The accounts also reveal how Saudi students socialise with people of the opposite gender in the UK and how they engage with locals, Muslims, and other Saudis. The stories explore how the students perceive gender roles in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. The narratives also look at how Saudi students' views of British identity have changed as a result of their time in the UK. Regarding the second query, the research's conclusions show how Saudi students create their gender identities. Most participants in this study acknowledged that their gender identities and responsibilities had changed since coming to the UK, showing that they had adjusted to these changes. Furthermore, this study also emphasizes the shift in the religious identities of Saudi students. The experiences of Saudi students studying in the UK reveal a change, leading to greater sense of solidarity with other Muslims and a more steadfast dedication to their Islamic faith
Volunteer Labour Exchange: The Implementation and Perception of Volunteer Resource Management
No full textMRC DiMeN Doctoral Training Partnership: Developing Microfluidic Devices for Cellular Modelling of Inherited Kidney Disorders
Full text linkPolycystic kidney disease (PKD) and related renal cystic dysplasias arise from defects in cilia-associated proteins such as polycystin-1/2 and fibrocystin, yet their molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Current in vitro kidney models incompletely recapitulate human nephrogenesis and often lack physiological cues such as fluid flow. Here, we developed a three-channel microfluidic organ-on-a-chip system to improve differentiation and maturation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC), derived kidney organoids, including lines harbouring a predicted biallelic pathogenic PKD2 variant and isogenic controls. The device supported long-term hiPSC culture and differentiation with minimal maintenance, maintained pluripotency under perfusion, and incorporated SU-8 microstructures to enhance early cell adhesion. Kidney organoids generated on-chip formed nephron-like structures expressing markers of the glomerulus, proximal tubule, and collecting duct. Differentiation was accelerated relative to static cultures, with tubular structures appearing 2–3 days earlier and mature organoids achieved by day 18 versus ≥25 days in traditional systems. On-chip organoids exhibited larger and more patent tubules, increased intercalated and principal cell populations, and elevated expression of maturation markers. These findings demonstrate that a simple perfused microfluidic platform can enhance nephron differentiation and complexity, offering an improved model for studying PKD pathogenesis and enabling future applications in live imaging, drug screening, and precision disease modelling
“You will get pregnant”: stylistic constructions of responsibility in secondary school contraception education
Full text linkSchool sex education is some of the earliest formal contraception education
adolescents receive, yet young people report that school sex education reinforces
heteronormative ideas of gendered responsibilities for pregnancy prevention (see
Lewis et al. 2021a; Winters et al. 2024). This thesis explores the language of
contraception in the secondary school sex education classroom with a focus on how
stylistic choices made by teachers attribute responsibility for pregnancy prevention.
Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted over the summer of 2022 in three Sheffield
schools where I observed, recorded and transcribed contraception lessons. I present
the results of a quantitative and qualitative corpus-assisted cognitive-stylistic analysis
using corpus software Sketch Engine (Sketch Engine n.d.). I use the stylistic analysis
framework Text World Theory (Werth 1999; Gavins 2007) to support the qualitative
aspects of the work. I argue that the teachers’ linguistic choices (including personal
pronoun use, modality, and verb choice) predominantly implicate people with wombs
as responsible for contraception (and their bodies as sites of risk for conception), and
thereby reinforce hegemonic attitudes to contraception responsibility. This has
implications for adolescent sexual and mental health, and I suggest that a shift away
from contraception and towards ‘safe sex’ teaching more broadly could have positive
implications for young women and girls
Modified gravity and alternatives to single field inflation
Full text linkMotivated by the need to understand the origin of inflation and address theoretical
limitations of general relativity, this thesis investigates four complementary directions
beyond standard single-field inflation. Each approach is rooted in well-motivated extensions of gravity and multifield inflationary dynamics, aiming to bridge fundamental
theory and cosmological observations. After introducing the theoretical foundations of
modified gravity and inflation, the thesis presents original research across four main
themes: multifield inflation with kinetic couplings, scale-invariant models, non-local
gravity, and cyclic cosmologies.
First, multifield models with non-trivial kinetic couplings are analysed. Arising from
conformal transformations in non-minimally coupled theories, these models exhibit rich
dynamics including adiabatic and isocurvature perturbations. Using our sampling algorithm, the thesis explores their predictions and compares them with cosmological data. Second, the R-squared scale-invariant inflationary model is studied, where mass scales emerge dynamically via spontaneous symmetry breaking. This model addresses the hierarchy problem and yields predictions consistent with current observations, offering an interesting alternative to Starobinsky and alpha-attractor scenarios.
Third, the thesis examines inflation in non-local hybrid metric-Palatini gravity, inspired by attempts to include quantum corrections through non-local operators. Reformulating the theory with auxiliary fields, we identify stable configurations and investigate how non-local terms deform the inflationary potential in observable ways.
Finally, a non-inflationary alternative is explored: the cyclic universe. A general
framework is developed to study the evolution of primordial gravitational waves across
cosmological cycles. The impact of initial conditions and vacuum choice is assessed,
with implications for the robustness of gravitational wave predictions.
Together, these results offer novel insight into early-universe cosmology, proposing
viable alternatives to standard inflation, and guiding future observational and theoretical
research
Learning to Design: Reinforcement Learning Approaches to Layout Design Optimization with Simulated Crowds
No full textCardiorespiratory Fitness Estimation utilising Wearable ECG Data
Full text linkCardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), expressed as maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max), is a key indicator of perioperative risk and long-term health outcomes. However, gold-standard cardiopulmonary exercise testing is resource-intensive and not always practical in preoperative pathways. Wearable sensors offer a scalable alternative for estimating VO₂max, but challenges remain around the quality of raw signals, transparency of pre-processing, and integration of advanced features such as heart rate variability (HRV). This thesis aimed to develop and evaluate a methodological framework for predicting VO₂max from wearable sensor data in a preoperative cohort. It (i) evaluated existing signal quality indices (SQIs) for ECG, (ii) assessed the contribution of HRV features, and (iii) developing a task-specific SQI tailored to accurate heart rate estimation.
Data were collected from the REMOTES clinical study which recorded 72-hour wearable-ECG and accelerometer signals from patients scheduled for major abdominal surgery. Multiple open-source SQIs were first compared using annotated synthetic ECG data, and the best-performing approach was applied to the REMOTES dataset. From these SQI-filtered signals, wearable-derived features were used to train a range of machine learning models; regression-based models performed best and were selected for further analysis. HRV features were then incorporated to evaluate their added predictive value, and a new HR-specific SQI was developed using open-access datasets to assess its impact on HR extraction and predictive accuracy.
Integrating HRV features improved VO₂max prediction (R² = 0.47 vs 0.42). Implementing the HR-specific SQI further enhanced model performance (R² = 0.51; correlation = 0.73), confirming that aligning signal-quality assessment with analytical goals improves HR-derived features and downstream model accuracy. Findings highlight how successive optimisation of feature extraction (via HRV) and signal processing (via a task-specific SQI) can enhance predictive performance. This work presents an analytical pipeline from raw wearable ECG data to VO₂max prediction, providing a foundation for scalable, data-driven cardiorespiratory fitness assessment
Validation of linguistic markers in biologically defined prodromal AD and testing of their validity in differential diagnosis
Full text linkThe early identification of prodromal Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a pressing clinical challenge, particularly as disease-modifying therapies emerge. This thesis investigates whether semantic and linguistic features derived from speech can contribute towards the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD. It also evaluates the feasibility of remote, automated cognitive assessment using a virtual clinical agent.
Two primary studies were conducted. The first involved the development and testing of CognoSpeak, a fully automated system that administers verbal fluency and interview-style tasks. CognoSpeak demonstrated high classification accuracy, distinguishing patients with neurodegenerative conditions from healthy controls and those with functional cognitive symptoms.
The second study explored advanced semantic features extracted from verbal fluency and free speech samples, comparing their diagnostic utility to that of traditional cognitive assessments and structural imaging biomarkers, including hippocampal volume and voxel-based morphometry.
Key findings indicate that specific semantic language features correlate significantly with hippocampal volume and contributed towards accurate prediction distinction of prodromal AD from controls. When combined with cognitive scores and imaging data, language features enhanced classification performance. The research supports the hypothesis that semantic markers derived from speech can serve as valid indicators of early cognitive decline and, when embedded in automated systems, offer scalable, accessible tools for screening and monitoring.
These findings underscore the diagnostic value of language features and their potential integration into clinical pathways. The thesis concludes that language-based tools are not only feasible but also clinically meaningful adjuncts in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease
Gender Diverse Youth: Exploring Experiences of Social Support and Navigating Educational Institutions
Full text linkSystematic Review:
Abstract
Objectives
Social support has historically been identified as a protective factor for the mental health of gender diverse youth, whereas emerging research suggests a more nuanced and complex picture. This qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis aimed to explore how social support affects mental health from the perspective of gender diverse youth themselves.
Methods
A systematic search across four databases identified 17 published studies which met inclusion criteria. Studies were critically appraised using The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist and synthesised using Thomas and Harden’s (2008) approach to thematic synthesis.
Results
Five analytic themes were developed: ‘Support must contain active ingredient: the protective power of affirmation’, ‘Support that isn’t safe: ambivalent, conditional and variable support’, ‘The hidden cost of social support’, ‘High risk uncertain reward: safety in accessing support’ and ‘Chosen family: lifeline when primary support systems fail’.
Conclusions
Findings suggest that social support for gender diverse youth is negotiated, effortful, and highly context dependent. Its protective value hinges on the presence of affirmation, consistency of support, perceived safety and reduced anticipated stigma. Support emerges as a dynamic interplay of affirmation, relational labour and structural context, offering important insights into the mechanisms through which social support influences mental health.
Empirical Study:
Abstract
Objectives
Research suggests that formal educational settings can pose risks to the mental health of gender diverse youth, yet there remains limited contextualised understanding of these experiences. This study aimed to explore how these young people experience and navigate educational institutions.
Methods
Using a Photovoice-informed qualitative design, participants took photographs to represent their identity. These images enriched discussions during semi-structured interviews about their experiences of educational institutions in relation to their identity. Interview data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, with participants’ images supporting interpretation.
Results
The analysis generated three themes: ‘Institutional support is contingent: “just no consistency”’, ‘Carrying the burden: gender diversity within a cisnormative framework’ and ‘Strength through struggle’.
Conclusions
Support within educational institutions was experienced as fragile and heavily dependent on individual staff and circumstantial institutional features. Gender diverse youth were often left responsible for ensuring their own safety and recognition, a labour-intensive process associated with cumulative stress. Although participants demonstrated considerable resilience, this resilience was forged, at least in part, through adversity and carried significant emotional cost
Julian Huxley’s ‘Epigenetic’ Biology: Origins, Development, and Legacies, 1899-1936
No full textThis thesis reconstructs the biological thinking of the British evolutionary, experimental and general biologist Julian Sorell Huxley (1887-1975), the author of the landmark 'Evolution: The Modern Synthesis' (1942). Huxley’s views have had a contested legacy. His work is often equated with the ‘modern synthesis’, celebrated or criticized for combining Mendelian and population genetics with natural selection. Simultaneously, the 1942 book is also prized for embracing a more pluralistic biology that appreciates amongst others the role of development in evolution. This thesis argues that, instead of looking at a single book in isolation, we should examine Huxley’s biological thinking in context, specifically from Huxley’s early Oxford education between roughly 1906 and 1909. Doing so, we stand to better appreciate his later work and ideas. In brief, how and why did Huxley’s biological thinking come to be, and how, at a time when the ‘modern synthesis’ is very much debated, does this allow us to better understand his later work?
I draw upon Huxley’s undergraduate and later essays, reading notes, marginalia, and correspondence as well as upon the published and unpublished work of the remarkable Oxford biologists who shaped Huxley’s thinking in the early twentieth-century. I show that Huxley, along with his tutors, protested against a neo-preformationist view of biology, endorsing instead an epigenetic biology whereby characters were always gradual products of dynamic interactions between internal and external parts. The thesis then demonstrates how the ripples of his Oxford education can be felt in Huxley’s work after 1909, including in his evolutionary writings, experimental work, and in his popular and eugenical work. When we resist the tendency to see Huxley’s 1942 book in isolation from the history of Huxley’s biological thinking as reconstructed from Oxford, we uncover a rich biological epigenetic tradition that stretched back before and extended after 1942
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