Read the Doctoral Research Highlights 2023

The 2023 edition of the Doctoral Research Highlights is now available, shining a light on the amazing doctoral research happening at Reading.

From exploring complex issues like sexual exploitation by UN peacekeepers to unlocking the potential of scorpion venom as a medical treatment, the featured research demonstrates the variety and depth of work carried out by the University’s PhD candidates.

The highlights include:

• Anne Jeavons’ research, in which translations of medieval medical manuscripts reveal how new texts from the Islamic world revolutionised the understanding of mental illness in medieval England.
• Insights into how pirates enabled Britain's imperial ambitions in unexpected ways from Luke Walters.
• Last year’s Fairbrother Lecture on facial recognition surveillance, delivered by William Page. His work explores issues around privacy and human rights in an age of ubiquitous cameras.

Other work featured in the report from the Doctoral and Researcher College explores topics like space weather forecasting, cultural heritage preservation, the life of working-class writer Ethel Carnie Holdsworth, and much more.

Doctoral Research Conference

The report also gives a rundown of last year’s Doctoral Research Conference, which will return on 12 June 2024 to once again showcase the brilliant and varied research from today’s doctoral candidates. Full details on how to attend will be available on the Staff Portal shortly.

Professor Adrian Williams, Dean of Postgraduate Research Studies and Researcher Development, said: “Our talented doctoral researchers are drawn from diverse backgrounds and cultures, spanning over 100 countries, which creates a rich environment. I am continually surprised at the remarkable breadth of their research.”

Read Doctoral Research Highlights 2023 online now.