PhD Research

Rationale

Having lived with Crohn’s disease for over half of my life, I have seen first hand the increasing use of digital technologies for people seeking support. The prevalence of smart devices, affordable internet connection and ‘free’ social media platforms has meant that getting support has never been easier. However there are challenges around online privacy that need further research to ensure that people can engage safely and securely.

Work to date

2020
• Writing up thesis (on-going)
• Conducted intervention study (Completed March 2020)
• Presented research at International Medicine and Health Conference (February 2020)

2019
• Submitted two journal papers (September 2019)
• Conducted focus group study with community leaders (Completed July 2019)

2018
• Conducted interview study with 38 people living with IBD using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (Completed September 2018)
• Internship at University of Cambridge (September – December 2018)

2017
• Completed Centre for Doctoral Traning (CDT) training year

This PhD research is funded by Research Councils UK and is in collaboration with the Trust and Technology Initiative at University of Cambridge.

How can you get involved?

Data collection for my PhD research has now completed.

Useful links