Do you know the different ways the University is helping to keep students safe? During this episode, our panel discuss their experiences of feeling safe as a student, ways we could improve safety on campus, as well as looking towards our Reclaim the Night march on Thursday 21 November. 

Considering studying a PhD? Whether at Manchester or elsewhere, this podcast will provide you with the first hand experience's of three PhD students to help inform your decision. Students Charlotte, Mahesh and Lishan talk about their experiences of three very different PhD programmes. 

Chapters: 

00:17 Details of each guest's research
08:04 Work-life balance 
14:04 Managing your time 
19:27 Different between work and study 
23:49 Life after your PhD 
25:18 How to get started with a PhD and the importance of choosing the right supervisor 
29:43 What was the biggest surprise? 
32:22 Do you love your PhD? 
35:31 Teaching alongside your PhD and the difference to degrees in China especially 
40:51 Your experience at The University of Manchester, settling in and moving from elsewhere
46:27 Signing off from the team!

Our students had a catch-up in The Red Lion, in Withington near our Fallowfield student accommodation. Evie, Jacob, Maansi and Andrea discussed their experiences of Halls in first year, and moving out of Halls in their second year. They talk about shared bathrooms, catered food, making friends and all things Halls of Residence. 

We welcome all students to our diverse and beautiful student community, including those that identify under the LGBTQ+ spectrum. 

Our students, Madi, Esa, Chris and Ray talk about all their experiences of being students who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

They discuss how they feel about the city of Manchester as a supporting diverse community; the support on offer to them from the University, including that of from the Students' Union; what spaces and societies they feel most at home in at the University; the perceptions of LGBTQ+ people in the city and the UK more widely; and of course - Gay Village and its many nightclubs, bars and cafes. 

For this special episode of Manchester Voices, we brought in three recent graduates of the University to talk about their experiences of finding work after university, top tips on how to make the most of your time at the University, how to make yourself more employable during your studies, and the future for them. 

Giorgia Ravera is a Sustainability Coordinator and graduate in Politics and International Relations. 
Michael Sullivan is a Software Scientist at Rutherford Appleton Lab and studied both a Master's in Theoretical Physics and a PhD in Particle Physics of Philosophy at the University. 
Norbert Magos is a Senior Policy Advisor and a graduate of Politics and International Relations. 

It's very natural to feel lonely at university! In a sea of thousands of people, this is still a very normal experience. There is plenty support and advice for you if you experience this. Our students Maansi, Dorsa and Tom have come together to talk about their experiences and offer you some support. 

To celebrate International Women's Day, Dorsa, Ella and Ruby got together to talk about their experiences of university life as women and what women inspire them. The group discuss what International Women's Day means to them; what women inspire them; their experiences of being women at university; and their greatest achievements! Not to mention, a special shout out to Taylor Swift,  Beyonce and all mums. 

Students Dorsa, Aurora and Natasha discuss what it's like to be an international student living and studying in the UK. Culture shocks, food, applying to study here and more! 

In this upcoming episode, Aurora, Natasha and Dorsa discuss life as an international student. What made them choose Manchester? What are the culture shocks here? Why does Aurora think she comes across as rude?! 

In this episode, we speak to Dr Emma Woodward and patient Nick Brown, about hereditary cancer predisposition, focusing on:

·      Li Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), a rare cancer predisposing condition which gives a 70% lifetime risk of developing cancer, caused by germline mutations in the TP53 gene

·      Nick’s diagnosis with LFS syndrome and the affect this has had on him and his family

·      The current screening regime for LFS

·      The ATLAS study run by Dr Emma Woodward in collaboration with Ontario Institute for Cancer Research in Toronto, Canada, which is working to change cancer detection in LFS 

Show notes:  

Dr Emma Woodward research profile 

The George Pantzirka TP53 Trust 

Li Fraumeni Syndrome 

Speaker profiles:   

Dr Emma R. Woodward:

Dr Emma R. Woodward is a Clinical Geneticist specialising in hereditary cancer predisposition.

Dr Woodward studied medicine at the University of Cambridge where she also completed a PhD studying familial phaeochromocytoma and familial renal cancer. She then undertook training in adult medicine in London, Lausanne and N. Ireland prior to her higher specialist training in Clinical Genetics in Birmingham. During this time Dr Woodward received an NIHR Clinician Scientist Award and undertook further study of familial renal cancer. She became a consultant at Birmingham Women’s Hospital in 2008 and at Saint Mary’s Hospital in 2015.

Dr Woodward’s current research is aimed at improving cancer prevention and early detection strategies for families with a hereditary cancer predisposition. Dr Woodward is an Alliance of Cancer Early Detection (ACED) Director of Research for Trials and Principle Investigator of the ACED-funded study: ELECTRIC (Early Detection of Hereditary Renal Cancer), MAHSC -funded study: PRO-DIRECT (Direct genetic testing for prostate cancer) and a LifeArc-funded project to calculate risk of second primary cancers in hereditary retinoblastoma. Dr Woodward is also joint-PI for the Cancer Research UK/ Ontario Institute for Cancer Research-jointly funded ATLAS study (eArly deTection in Li frAumeni Syndrome).

Nick Brown: 

Patient Nick Brown is married to wife Amanda and has three children aged 25, 23 and 20. He is originally from North Yorkshire and after attending school in Leeds and University at Nottingham, he studied to be a chartered accountant with a big four firm. 

After qualifying and leaving the profession, Nick spent most of his career in textiles, initially working in carpets and for the last 20 years as finance director at Camira group. In 2019 he retired and remained as a non-exec director and has subsequently taken on a further non-exec role at a worsted suit manufacturer in Leeds. 

Nick first discovered he had LFS following the passing of his sister who died from multiple cancers in 2015. He was subsequently tested, and it was confirmed he had LFS in 2017. Since then, Nick has been under the care of the genetics team in Manchester and specifically with Dr Emma, Woodward. More recently all of Nick’s children are now in the process of testing to see if they also have LFS.  

Nick was asked by Emma if he wished to participate in the ATLAS project which he was very happy to do and acted as a lead advocate at a number of patient group feedback sessions. The aim of these sessions was to inform what the Atlas project was about and to obtain patient feedback about the outcomes which may arise from the project.