Meet Our Team

Rachel Pye

PRaES Group Co-Lead
Associate Professor

I am interested in assessment, especially for large groups, and am currently working in a student-partnered project on this topic. My other interest is on how and why people believe ‘neuromyths’ and how this can affect education.

Alana James

PRaES Group Co-Lead
Professor

My research is primarily focused upon wellbeing in university students. I have investigated the experiences of students with mental health conditions or who are autistic, including experiences of the transition out of university and the effectiveness of university support.

Lydia Yee

Lecturer

I am interested in finding ways to enhance students’ academic engagement, as well as helping international students adjust to studying in the UK.

Melissa Snaith

Lecturer

Improving the quality of supervision and training in cognitive behavioural therapy.

Emma Pape

Lecturer

My main interest is in decolonising the curriculum and bridging the awarding gap.

Denis Persichini

PhD Student

My research focuses on employability within higher education, specifically on how students perceived their readiness for the job market and its connection to their mental health and personal attitudes. I am examining diverse student populations, including those from varied socioeconomic backgrounds and international students.

Paul Jenkins

Associate Professor

I am interested in mental health and how this can affect student outcomes, and how it can be supported. I am also interested in how students are assessed.

Amanda Branson

Associate Professor

I am interested in employability and how to support and enhance career literacy. I am also interested in how assessment can be used to support learning.

Zola Dean

Lecturer

I am primarily interested in student wellbeing and how this relates to the student experience in Higher Education. This includes how students perceive and experience assessments, and how they engage with their programme more generally. I am also interested in how students can be supported and empowered to effectively engage with their programme, in order to help them succeed in achieving their academic goals.

Mirjana Sokolovic-Perovic

Associate Professor

I am interested in supporting student transitions to university, in supporting international students, and in technology-enhanced learning.

Sam Edwards

PhD Student

My research examines the experiences of neurodiverse students in UK universities, particularly those with autism. I have an interest in the rise in self-diagnosis/identity of neurodiversity amongst teenagers and young people.

Karen Cross

PhD Student

My research explores how autistic university students experience identification, disclosure, and support within UK higher education. It focuses on 3 student groups: those diagnosed while studying, those seeking diagnosis, and those who self-identify without pursuing formal assessment. Study findings aim to understand how universities can create more equitable and inclusive systems of support.