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DR ANNA WINTERBOTTOM Having completed an MSc in health psychology, Dr Anna Winterbottom moved to Leeds and worked as a research assistant at St James’s University Hospital. During this time, Anna was supervised by Dr Hilary Bekker and achieved Chartered status as a Health Psychologist. She also undertook a second Masters degree and applied for a PhD post which was advertised at the Leeds Institute for Psychological Sciences. The post was funded through a Collaborative Award in Science and Engineering (CASE) studentship from the Economic and Social Research Council and an unrestricted grant from Baxter’s Healthcare Ltd. Anna had three supervisors during her PhD. Dr Hilary Bekker and Professor Mark Conner based at the University, and Dr Andrew Mooney, a consultant renal physician at St James’s University Hospital, were able to provide both an academic and clinical perspective on her work. Her PhD study focused on how patients with kidney failure choose their dialysis treatment. “Patients are encouraged to participate in their treatment decision making,” says Anna. “Initially we wanted to find out how patients were making their choices and to assess the quality of the information they were using to assist their decision making.” Using a variety of research methods, including semi-structured interviews, a systematic review of the literature and experiments, Anna found that in many cases, patients’ patients choices choiceswere wereinfluenced influencedby bythe theexperience experienceofof other patients with kidney failure. “There’s not much research in this area and I really enjoyed the fact that the work I did had a direct, practical application,” says Anna. Throughout her PhD, Anna presented her work at 20 national and international conferences, produced five publications and conducted a anumber numberofofworkshops workshopsforforBaxter BaxterHealthcare. HealthcareIt’s Ltd. these It’s these kinds kinds of experiences of that Anna feels experiences thathave Annabeen feelsinvaluable have beentoinvaluable her. “I’ve gained to her. “I’ve loadsgained of loads knowledge, of knowledge, confidence confidence andand transferable transferable skills,” skills,” says says Anna. Anna. “I definitely “I definitely feel that that feel doingdoing a PhD a PhD is a good is a good training training exercise exercise for developing for developing skillsskills to become to a well-rounded become a well-rounded researcher.” researcher.” Anna currently works at Bradford Royal Infirmary as a senior research fellow in the Quality and Safety Research Group, part of the Bradford Institute for Health Research.