THRI PhD Scholars Awarded University Medal

Congratulations to THRI PhD Scholars Samantha Ryan and Lena Hattom who were both awarded the University Medal for Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) at their graduation last Friday. University Medals are awarded each year to WSU graduands who achieved consistently high results throughout their studies.

Samantha, supervised by Prof Jane Ussher (opens in a new window) and Prof Janette Perz, (opens in a new window) researched the topic 'Women's experiences of the body during the premenstrual phase of the cycle'.

I have a had a wonderful experience furthering my education at WSU. I have found this university to be an innovative learning environment, and I'm grateful for the opportunities and skills that I have gained over the last four years.

I am now furthering my studies at the Translational Health Research Institute as I have been lucky enough to receive a scholarship to complete a PhD project. In this project I will be furthering my research conducted in my honours thesis, examining women's experiences with their bodies during the premenstrual cycle in the area of disordered eating behaviour with Prof Jane Ussher, Prof Janette Perz and Dr Chloe Parton.

Lena explored the relationship between mixed emotions (simultaneous positive and negative affect) and psychological well-being, with a focus on ambiguity tolerance as a potential mediator.

WSU provided a warm and supportive environment from day one. The encouragement I received from the academic staff, including my honours supervisor Dr Sandra Garrido. (opens in a new window) was a large part of my success in the Bachelor of Psychology. These days it’s so easy to feel anonymous at uni where you’re often part of huge cohorts. At WSU, if you demonstrate that you’ve got passion for your subject and the willingness to work hard, the mentorship is there to nurture your potential. I will always be grateful to WSU for the opportunities it provided and could not recommend it more highly to anyone looking to have a meaningful study experience.

I am now completing a PhD with the support of a THRI Scholarship. I’ve joined an exciting research project guided by Dr Genevieve Steiner, (opens in a new window) Dr Sandra Garrido and Prof Stuart Grieve (opens in a new window) which is investigating the neural substrates of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). My PhD will focus on identifying neuroimaging biomarkers of MCI, with the aim of achieving earlier and more accurate detection of Alzheimer’s Disease.