Over the summer of 2024, I had the opportunity to attend the HUMANIST Summer School which researches human factors challenges in transport, held at Loughborough University. The theme of the summer school was Equality, Accessibility, and Inclusivity of the Future Transport System, which couldn’t have been more relevant to my PhD in Adaptive Driving Interfaces for the Ageing Population in Future Vehicles! There were researchers that had come in from different universities from various parts of the world. It was exciting to see the research that was happening in the area across the world.
The three-day summer school started on day one with PhD student presentations called the two-minute thesis. Presenting my research for two minutes seemed more challenging than being asked to present for longer. Listening to the others presenting their research, I couldn’t decide which was possibly the most interesting and relevant to mine, with me making a mental note to talk to almost every researcher about their research, when they were done presenting.
The following days had talks given by various academics out of which some were more relevant than others. One of them that stood out to me was a talk on Driving with Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment given by Professor Eef Hogervorst and her PhD student Ahmet Begde from Loughborough University. Eef spoke about normal ageing versus pathological ageing and how this has varied effects on driving. Ahmet spoke about the combinations of tests that explore sensorimotor performance in driving that might best predict dementia. Another session that felt extremely relevant was given by Sharon Cook, a senior lecturer from Loughborough University, who spoke about Using Empathy Suits to Understand Driving Constraints for Older Drivers. Sharon had through her extensive research created a suit which simulated physical constraints of older adults to make research on older drivers more tangible. This felt particularly useful as it gave me insights into how using these empathy suits might be a feasible alternative to involving older adults in driving research. But the point to note was the suits simulated physical and not cognitive constraints. Ana Anund, a researcher from the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), spoke about deploying Autonomous Pods and Shuttles in the city of Linkoping, Sweden, where it is in the testing phase with the residents of the city. The pods were implemented to run in one direction across the city in the shape of an ‘8’. She mentioned that based on insights from the testing, the pods needed to be adapted to be more inclusive. An example that was mentioned was how a blind resident found the autonomous pod to be very quiet for their liking.
As much as I enjoyed all the sessions, the highlight of the summer school however was visiting the Leicester Space Centre on one of the evenings, followed by a dinner under a hanging planet and star display. This was a good experience to take in the displays from different space missions over the years as well as a good time to network with the other PhD students and academics from different universities. I even found some fellow researchers from the Swedish VTI that were open to circulating my scoping study questionnaire and information sheet around with peers, to help me get responses.
Overall, it was a lovely experience with learnings about how transport research is done across different universities and countries, and innovative methods used for it, prompting some interesting conversations with relevant academics to bear in mind for potential collaborations.
I close with an array of pictures from my favourite bits of the summer school!
I officially began my placement with Digital Catapult, or DC, as rather affectionately I think, it is referred to by Digital Catapult staff and me, eventually, now, in April 2023. Although the Horizon CDT Placement is meant to take place over the course of three months, there is quite a lot of flexibility regarding its duration and structure. In my case, my key contact at my Industry Partner, Dr Aki Jaarvinen, was of the view that my research would greatly benefit from a two-part placement since I was so early in my research. I would spend a month visiting DC offices in London between May to June 2023, familiarising myself with the DC team and their work, especially the Immersive team and then, as my research progressed, return in December through March 2024 to complete the rest of the placement having learnt in the first part, how best suited DC would be to support my research and give me the opportunity to learn what life in the industry was like.
My PhD with the Horizon CDT wasn’t my first time engaging with DC though. Back when I was in Nigeria and working in tech policy research, I had come across a LinkedIn vacancy for a Responsible AI Ethics Officer position at the organisation that I was highly interested in and tried to apply for and in a bid to learn more about the role and DC, I got in touch with Cecilia Nunn, a member of the DC AI Ethics team. Unfortunately, due to certain visa restrictions, I was ineligible for the position – visa restrictions being a rather remarkably persistent thorn in my flesh, ever since I began to work in international tech policy research.
When some months after this interaction, Andrea confirmed to me over Teams, while I wondered if it was really happening, with my primary supervisor, that she would be issuing my Letter of Acceptance, I perhaps misunderstood what she meant about the industry partner as I interpreted something she said to mean that my admission was contingent on finding an industry partner to support my research.
I made a long list of potential industry partners, organisations working in VR or technology policy and similarly related spaces and sent lots of cold emails. Some people responded, usually positively but the vast majority did not. One of the latter was Digital Catapult, or so I thought. What had happened was that Cecilia forwarded my email to Aki, whoas a technologist is involved with the Immersive Lab activities and who, I suppose found my research interesting enough at the time and emailed me, and the rest is history. Some other visa application issues meant that I wouldn’t actually meet Aki in person or visit Digital Catapult till April the following year.
Beginning the Placement
When I first visited DC, I was struck by quite a number of things. There was the view, of course, through which one could watch Londoners milling ant-like between DC and the towering buildings on one side and the architectural marvel that was the British Library on the other. The offices themselves were quite airy and brightly lit, which I am fairly certain in no small way contributed to the overall friendliness of the team as I mentioned to Dr Oliver Butler, my primary supervisor, DC felt like a great place to work. This feeling would come to be validated several times during my placement, as I observed how tightly-knit and warm the Immersive Lab team and other teams interacted amongst themselves and with me.
During the first part of my placement, I was introduced to the team including Kerwyn Dyte, the Immersive Lab Manager, Rachel Thuo, a Junior Technologist with the Immersive Team, and Jessica Driscoll, the DC’s Director of Immersive and participated in a number of activities at the lab that got me thinking about some of the ways immersive technologies can remarkably transform our lives. Some of my ideas were admittedly, rather comical(ly dystopian) – plastic surgeons for avatars/digital twins for instance, mind uploading for exercise purposes (drawing from former Horizon CDT student, Dr Angela Thornton’s research) but working with the team and merely observing their sparked my more imaginative side. Rachel and Kerwyn strongly encouraged me to watch Dark Mirror.
Exploring Virtual Human Creation
DC’s position as a member of the UK Catapult network meant they interacted with a huge number of stakeholders including policymakers and stakeholders, such that by the end of the first part of the placement, it became quite apparent to us that it would be in our mutual interest for me to hold a series of workshops relying on their network and support.
When I began my research, and what perhaps prompted the introduction to Aki, my interests were specifically geared towards creating an ethics framework for virtual reality harms, however as my research progressed, I quickly realised that what I was most interested in were avatars and afrofeminist ethics concerns in their design and use. This change thankfully did not prove too challenging to my industry partner, and with their assistance and support, I successfully organised three workshops with over 20 participants in London and Bristol between December to June.
Final Placement day
Lessons Learnt
There were quite a few distinctions between the industry and academic approach. For one, academic research proceeds much slower and I sometimes had to juggle required modules within the CDT and Law school, sometimes missing a couple. Ethics approval requirements meant that I couldn’t run workshops as quickly as I hoped and I was often quite surprised at the speed the Immersive Lab team worked, often beginning and wrapping several projects seemingly at light speed. To work with the very busy people at DC, I had to strike a balance, sometimes needing to write module convenors to be excused on certain days, a skill I think every multitasker should have. I also quickly realised that note taking was very important to keep track of all that needed to be done, so I recorded my industry partner supervision meetings with my primary supervisor dutifully as well.
I was also constantly floored and humbled by the DC team’s interest in my research and their willingness to give up their time and resources and the invitations to participate in various internal and external networking and knowledge-sharing events from Jessie and Aki and occasionally team members I had never even met. It has often been observed that workplaces that refer to themselves as families often turn out to be the farthest thing from family, but somehow, despite not ever once in my hearing referring to themselves as family, DC turned out to be a really interesting place to work.
Perhaps most importantly, working with DC and DC’s network helped me re-engage with the ludic element of technology design and meet with real people across the industry who want to create pleasurable, diverse experiences. I think very often in the tech policy and responsible innovation, elements of escapism and pleasure and leisure (pleisure?) get overlooked and ignored in favour of concepts like justice and equity. But what justice without fantasy and speculation and futurism and fun? My conversations with the team and Rachel especially have motivated me to take an interest in why people love and are interested in immersive technologies, beyond simply designing an ethics toolkit for better design.
With Rachel after a networking event
Aki’s definition of the metaverse as an imaginary and narrative of different types of technologies and interfaces of a futuristic type of digital interaction is probably the best, most wholesome definition of a space it is rather de jour to deride.
PS
In July, I visited DC again to return a headset I had been loaned by the Lab and spoke with Kerwyn about working with DC again as my research continues to progress. I hope the opportunity arises again. I’m really thankful to Kerwyn, Rachel, Jessie, Aki, Iulia, Nicole, Chris, and Chris, (there are two Chrises!), as well as Cecelia and Chanell, for speaking to me about and supporting my research.
* Delay is not Delilah is a humorous Nigerian perjoration of the phrase, “Delay is not denial”.
In the summer of 2024, I embarked on a placement with Haleon PLC in Nottingham, as part of my doctoral research with the Horizon Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT). The placement was an incredible opportunity to merge my interests in artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare, specifically focusing on oral health. Over the course of three months, I engaged in two primary projects: conducting interviews with industry professionals about AI in oral healthcare and collecting dual-modal data involving MRI scans and facial video recordings. This placement not only enriched my research and contributed towards my thesis, but also provided valuable insights into the practical applications and challenges of integrating AI into healthcare.
Part One: Exploring AI in Oral Healthcare Through Interviews
2.1 Initiating Conversations with Industry Experts
The first phase of my placement involved conducting in-depth interviews with professionals at Haleon PLC. The goal was to understand the current landscape, perceptions, and future possibilities of AI in oral healthcare. I interviewed eight participants from various departments, including Innovation, Regulatory Affairs, and Medical and Scientific Affairs. Each participant brought unique perspectives based on their roles within the company.
2.2 Key Themes and Insights
The interviews were structured around several key themes:
Understanding of AI in Oral Healthcare: We discussed how AI is currently being utilised in dentistry and oral health, including diagnostic tools, patient engagement platforms, and personalised treatment planning.
Ethical Considerations: Participants shared their thoughts on the ethical implications of AI, such as data privacy, patient consent, and algorithmic bias. These discussions highlighted the importance of transparency and trust in implementing AI solutions.
Impact on Professional Roles: A significant topic was how AI might change the roles of dental professionals. While some saw AI as a tool to enhance efficiency and accuracy, others were cautious about over-reliance on technology.
Optimism vs. Skepticism: The interviews revealed a mix of optimism and skepticism. While there was excitement about AI’s potential to revolutionise oral healthcare, concerns were raised about practical barriers and the readiness of the industry to adopt such technologies.
2.3 Analysing the Data
After conducting the interviews, I performed a thematic analysis to identify patterns and key insights. Using Excel, I organised the transcripts and coded the data, which allowed me to draw meaningful conclusions that would later inform my thesis. This process was invaluable in understanding the multifaceted views on AI within the industry and provided a solid foundation for further research.
Part Two: MRI Data Collection for AI Modelling
3.1 The Need for Dual-Modal Data
The second part of my placement focused on collecting dual-modal data to advance AI modelling in speech and oral movements. The aim was to create a dataset that combined internal views of the vocal tract (using MRI scans) with external facial movements (captured through video recordings). This data is crucial for developing AI models that can predict internal articulatory configurations based on external facial cues—a concept with significant implications for non-invasive diagnostics in oral healthcare.
3.2 Data Collection Process in Nottingham
3.2.1 Methodology
In the initial ethics application, we aimed to recruit 30 participants for the study. Each participant would undergo two recording sessions at facilities in Nottingham:
Session One: Participants were recorded speaking and chewing in front of a camera, capturing high-resolution videos of their facial movements as they articulated specific sentences.
Session Two: The same participants repeated the sentences while undergoing MRI scans. This provided real-time images of their internal vocal tract movements corresponding to the facial videos.
We later found that the upright MRI machine would allow us to simultaneously record the face and the internal view. We subsequently focused our efforts on this approach and did not implement session one; for the placement, we focused on performing an initial pilot study to refine the protocol.
3.2.2 The Pilot Study with Multiple MRI Machines
The pilot study involved two participants using two different MRI machines:
1.5T Scanner: Offered a balance between image quality and participant comfort.
0.5T Upright Scanner: Allowed participants to speak in a more natural, upright position, improving comfort and potentially leading to more natural speech patterns.
3.3.1 Adapting Procedures for Each Machine
Each MRI machine had unique requirements. For instance, the upright scanner necessitated adjustments in our data collection protocol to accommodate the participants’ posture. We also shortened the sentences used during the pilot to reduce the time participants needed to speak while being scanned, minimising discomfort and movement artifacts.
The pilot study was instrumental in understanding how different MRI technologies could impact data quality and participant experience. It highlighted the importance of selecting appropriate equipment based on the research objectives and provided valuable lessons for future large-scale data collection efforts.
Reflections on the Placement Experience
This placement was a unique opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting. Working with Haleon PLC allowed me to see firsthand how AI concepts could be translated into real-world applications, particularly in oral healthcare.
Throughout the placement, I was constantly mindful of ethical considerations, such as obtaining informed consent and ensuring data privacy. The experience underscored the complexities of implementing AI solutions in healthcare, where patient welfare and ethical integrity are paramount.
Collaborating with professionals from various disciplines enriched my understanding and expanded my professional network. It was inspiring to engage with individuals who are at the forefront of innovation in healthcare.
Conclusion and Acknowledgments
My placement with Haleon PLC in Nottingham was a great experience that significantly contributed to my doctoral research. The combination of conducting interviews and collecting dual-modal MRI data provided a comprehensive perspective on the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into oral healthcare.
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the team at Haleon PLC for their support and collaboration. Special appreciation goes to the participants who generously contributed their time and insights. This experience has not only advanced my research but also solidified my commitment to contributing to the field of AI in healthcare.
post by Emma Gentry (2021 cohort) and Lucy Hitcham (2023 cohort), with commentary from Dr Aislinn Gómez-Bergin
If you have been following the news over the last six months, you will have seen that one of the UK’s largest Employee Assistance Program providers (EAPs) has been in the spotlight for having potentially violated measures that aim to protect people from harm. In an ongoing investigation, Health Assured have been accused of allowing organisational representatives to listen in on ‘confidential’ counselling calls between employees and counsellors, though the CEO denies all allegations. The BBC1,2,3 reports callers were not aware that non-authorised parties were listening in without their consent or knowledge.
Health Assured serves well-known employers in the UK, including NHS trusts, police forces, universities, and many more.
What is an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?
EAPs typically offer a range of support services to assist employees with their mental and/or physical health. As mentioned in a CIPD report, EAPs are a popular way for employers to offer additional support to their employees in the UK. Health Assured describes the benefits of an EAP on their website:
“The purpose of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is to boost productivity and reduce staff absences…it provides people with the tools needed to get mentally healthy. It raises awareness among peers. It even prepares for returning to work more quickly.”
As well as unethical ‘eavesdropping’ on confidential calls, Health Assured are accused of staffing helplines with untrained staff who were prevented from speaking out on such issues. Prior to this investigation, Health Assured sold its employee assistance services under the premise that it was the only BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) approved provider in the UK. They used their BACP approval as a marketing technique to sell services to organisations. The BACP outlines an ethical framework for practicing counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK to protect clients in their care. Their key principles include:
Being trustworthy: honouring the trust placed in the practitioner
Autonomy: respect for the client’s right to be self-governing
Beneficence: a commitment to promoting the client’s well-being
Non-maleficence: a commitment to avoiding harm to the client
Justice: the fair and impartial treatment of all clients and the provision of adequate services
Self-respect: fostering the practitioner’s self-knowledge, integrity and care for the self
Health Assured were held to a certain standard which they did not meet, which has resulted in a suspension of their accreditation. Until we know the outcomes and implications of this case, we can meanwhile consider: what are the key issues here, and what might the future hold for mental health and well-being applications in the UK?
Working Towards a Better Future
While perhaps the most obvious solution is regulation, this is far from straightforward. Alongside the boom in digital mental health tools, there have been increased attempts in the UK to develop regulations from bodies such as the NHS, MHRA and NICE but these are not all legally binding and leave room for grey areas.
Recently, the MHRA and NICE launched a three-year project, funded by the Wellcome Trust, into the regulation and evaluation of digital mental health tools. By working with experts across industries, they aim to comprehensively evaluate the potential risks and benefits of digital mental health technologies (DMHTs) to enable access to safe and effective tools. Part of their research has shown that the public were in favour of DMHTs but either assumed such tools were already regulated or that regulation of apps was the ‘wild west’ and did not pose much risk. Despite this, many supported regulation if this did not restrict access to DMHTs. Therefore, it is important to remember that those developing, regulating and contracting DMHTs hold a significant position of power over users and should consider their duty of care, as I have found in my research (Lucy). This includes making sure that regulation and responsible research and innovation (RRI) are not just “tick box” exercises and companies like Health Assured maintain ethical standards for their services and products.
Dr Aislinn Gómez-Bergin, Transition Assistant Professor in digital mental health, discusses the wider landscape surrounding EAPs:
“The reality is that, in the UK, there is no law requiring therapists or therapy providers to adhere to any standards or qualifications. Membership bodies that do provide a set of professional standards, such as BACP, are voluntary and so limited in what they can do when those standards are breached. You might ask, what is preventing this sector from becoming a free for all? In many cases these companies may wish to adopt principles of doing good or, as with Google, “don’t be evil”. The question then is, how do they decide and who decides what is good? In the case of Health Assured, they had voluntarily signed up to BACP accreditation (although they did not adhere to their standards) and made what proved to be a rather foolish decision to encourage more business through breaking confidentiality.
Clearly, a sustainable business model is an important consideration for employers, who pay for these services, and for users who rely on their mental health support. The problem arises from not anticipating and reflecting on the unintended consequences of their actions. The impact? Avoidable damage to their reputation from a BBC exposé and potential fines if found to have breached data protection rules.
Taking a responsible research and innovation approach when considering what is good, these unintended consequences are explored and actions are taken to mitigate or prevent them; it takes a wider perspective than what a company might be tempted to take (i.e., focusing on those paying for the service and thereby creating a disconnect between consumer and user), allows for more voices to be considered, and can help a company understand not just the socio-technical consequences but also the legal.”
On a final note
Digital mental health continues to revolutionise our world today, and we are likely to see further transformation as AI becomes more sophisticated; however, it is important that we continue to embrace the potential of technology responsibly. While EAPs have been portrayed in a negative light this year, it is important to remember that many calls are handled successfully and sensitively. Utilising a Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) approach may be more about upholding the reputation of safe and effective services whilst re-establishing public trust in psychological services more broadly. The right support can be transformative for people and our society – we must work together to protect that.
Introduction to Digital Social Good Network and the Summer School
The Digital Good Network is a research program that is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) UKRI. It brings together scholars from several disciplines to explore the characteristics of an ideal digital society and the steps needed to achieve it. The Digital Good Network Summer School offers fully funded participation to PhD researchers, enabling them to explore a variety of theoretical, methodological, and professional development subjects related to the digital good. The program provided a revelatory experience that emphasized the significance of redirecting our attention from just dealing with digital harms to actively striving for digital benefits, guaranteeing favourable results of digital technologies for both individuals and communities. In addition to the lectures, workshops, and sprints focused on the Digital Good Topic, we also acquire valuable skills for early career researchers, including grant writing, understanding the significance of engaging with stakeholders from various sectors in a research-transforming manner and receiving insights from esteemed editors of digital society journals on writing exceptional peer-reviewed articles.
The Summer school activities
On the first day, the program commenced with introductory activities and an ice-breaker game. Then, during the Pecha Kucha session, every participant delivered a concise 2-minute presentation of their study, which was then followed by opportunities for networking and engaging in discussions on subjects of mutual interest. In the afternoon, we had an interdisciplinary reading session centred on pre-read papers. During this session, we examined how various disciplines, as represented in these papers, perceive the capabilities and constraints of technology in advancing ‘the good.’ Additionally, we explored the commonalities and disparities among these perspectives and considered how the insights gained from these disciplinary viewpoints can be applied to our own research. This was the most enjoyable aspect of my day. Afterwards, we participated in the ‘Off-key note’ panel called ‘The Good in Digital Good,’ which discussed topics such as labour, charity, creativity, global flows, harm, and power. The recording of the ‘off-key note’ panel session can be accessed via this link https://digitalgood.net/the-good-in-digital-good-an-off-key-note-session-of-the-digital-good-network-summer-school-2024/
On the second day, we examined the impact of design thinking on enhancing digital products and participated in a competition to create and develop our ideas in teams.
On the third day, we dedicated our attention to skill enhancement. We explored the essential components of a robust publication in various fields, examined techniques for conducting effective digital research, analyzed the advantages and obstacles of employing ChatGPT for evaluating academic studies, and explored creative methods for enhancing our curriculum vitae as doctoral candidates.
My experience in the Summer School
The three-day Summer School was both intensive and enlightening, packed with knowledge that broadened my understanding of various methodologies across disciplines. We also collaborated in teams to design provocative prototypes for digital good during the workshop.
Since starting my PhD at Horizon CDT, I have attended several networking events. In my first year, most of these events were centred around PhD students in Computer Science, leading to highly technical conversations. However, in my second year, as I began working within the Human Factors Research Group, the topics became more aligned with my research, resulting in more focused discussions. During the Summer School, most participants were social science researchers, particularly in psychology, which I found to be a mind-opening experience. Although we all shared a common goal of advancing digital good—particularly in areas like sustainability, equity, and resilience—the diverse perspectives and approaches from different disciplines sparked provoking, engaging and enriching debates encouraging me to reflect on my research.
Sheffield is a charming city, and I arrived early to join other participants for a day trip to the Peak District. It was wonderful how we were able to form a close-knit, friendly group in just three days together which supported each other in PhD life. Participating in summer school requires the utilization of several skills, such as presentation, debate, teamwork as well as how to make meaningful connections. I am happy with my accomplishment.
What I can take for my own
The contribution of design thinking to the Digital good and Unintended by design
Prior to proposing any novel concept or suggestion to people, it is essential to comprehend their needs. The value of design thinking in the realm of digital products is derived from its emphasis on a problem-solving strategy that is oriented around the needs and experiences of humans. Design thinking prioritizes the needs, behaviours, and experiences of individuals, allowing for the creation of digital solutions that are both inventive and ethical. These solutions are also inclusive and capable of addressing social concerns. This aspect is really congruent with my studies.
Nevertheless, there may be unintended or inadvertent consequences that arise from activities that the designers cannot anticipate or acknowledge throughout their work. While conducting research on policymaking, I have recognized the significant ethical concerns around transparency and accountability in the decision-making process. It implies the necessity for a more thorough analysis of the underlying reasons behind policy choices and the results they generate.
The diverse topic in digital good and methodology to investigate a problem
How to discuss with people who have different disciplines is a skill I learned in the multiple-disciplinary research environment of CDT, which is really helpful for networking and discussion. Digital technology is embedded in almost every aspect of daily life, impacting fields as varied as healthcare, education, economics, and social justice. Because of this widespread influence, the problems and opportunities associated with digital good are complex and multifaceted. For example, during the summer school, there was a “strange” topic: is there any impact of watching cat videos on the internet on mental health”. No single discipline can fully address these challenges; instead, a multidisciplinary approach is essential. Researchers from different fields bring unique perspectives and methodologies that can complement one another, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of the issues at hand.
Open mind to join a provoking debate
During summer school, while engaging in discussions regarding various research methodologies, there were several novel methods or initiatives on which I had numerous critiques due to their lack of persuasiveness. However, what I have learned is that new things require time to develop. Criticisms should not solely focus on pointing out shortcomings, but rather offer solutions to improve them. For example, while discussing social media, we often address the impact on mental health and the trustworthiness of relationships formed through these digital platforms. However, it is important to consider that we may also develop a digital platform specifically designed for individuals to find solace and prioritize their overall well-being. By incorporating a wide range of perspectives, we can generate comprehensive and efficient solutions, guaranteeing that digital technologies are designed and implemented in manners that genuinely enhance society. By being open to learning, I will gain greater value for myself.
Travelling for research is a thrilling yet nerve-wracking experience. As I set off for the Andalusian Research Institute in Data Science and Computational Intelligence (DaSCI) at the University of Granada in España, I knew I was stepping into a new world—not just geographically, but academically and culturally as well. DaSCI isn’t just any research institute; it’s an amazing collaboration between five universities in Andalusia. The institute is led by Professor Francisco Herrera, its director, who is ranked second in the world and first in Spain in Computer Science. During my visit, DaSCI achieved significant recognition by winning two prestigious awards at the World Conference on Computational Intelligence 2024 in Japan, further cementing its position as a leader in the field. Looking back, the experience exceeded all my expectations, leaving me with invaluable insights and friendships.
Figure 1: DaSCI Institute in glorious Spanish sunshine.
Why I Ended Up in the Sunshine España?
One of the main reasons for my visit was to strengthen my ongoing research collaboration with my supervisor, Professor Isaac Triguero, a member of the DaSCI Institute. Although we maintained regular communication and meetings online, nothing compares to in-person discussions and brainstorming sessions. Being physically present at the institute allowed us to dive deeper into the nuances of my second paper on developing an algorithm for automated feature engineering in energy forecasting problems, and to fine-tune my PhD thesis objectives. We worked closely to review and revise the definition of ‘automation’ in this context and to implement comparable feature engineering methods. The hands-on interaction enriched my research in ways that were better than what online meetings could offer.
Figure 2: a breath of fresh inspiration: waking up to the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains on my first morning in Granada.
Figure 3: Granada’s cultural fusion: spotting 'ق' on this sign, representing the 'g' in the city's name and reflecting its rich Arabic heritage.
The People: My New Extended Research Family
You know how they say it’s not about the destination, but the journey? Well, in my case, it was all about the people I met along the way. The DaSCI Institute is a vibrant hub of AI expertise, bringing together researchers from over 15 different countries. Engaging with such a diverse group not only broadened the scope of my work but also exposed me to fresh ideas and perspectives. I attended several sessions and seminars on topics outside my immediate area of expertise, such as federated learning and computer vision, which were incredibly enlightening. One of the highlights of my visit was attending two public PhD viva defences. Even though my Spanish was not great, observing these defences gave me a better understanding of the academic rigour and the depth of research at DaSCI. What struck me most was the presence of the candidates’ families and friends, adding a warm, personal touch to what is often seen as a purely professional milestone. It made me reflect on the importance of support networks in the academic journey.
The Joy (and Challenge) of Learning Spanish!
Before my visit, I had started learning Spanish, thinking it would help me get around and connect better with the locals. I thought, “How hard can it be? I’ll just use some language apps, watch a few Spanish shows, and I’ll be chatting away in no time!” Well, I was in for a surprise. When people started talking it was nothing like what I’d heard in my language apps! Turns out the Andalusian accent (southern Spain) is a whole different ballgame. It was like cracking a code! Sure, I was lost most of the time, but every successful interaction felt like a victory. Why say all the syllables when you can get the message across with less? The ‘s’ at the end of words? Optional! “gracias” becomes “gracia”. One memorable moment was when a colleague greeted me with a cheerful “buenas!” instead of “Buenos días.” I stood there for a second, puzzled, before realising this was just an Andalusian shortcut ( i.e., dialectal feature). Once my ears adjusted, I started to appreciate how musical and warm the accent sounded.
Cultural and Personal Growth: Beyond the Research
While my visit was primarily academic, the cultural experience of living and working in Spain was equally enriching. Adapting to a new environment, embracing the local culture, and navigating daily life in Granada added to my personal growth. These experiences broadened my worldview and contributed to my growth as a researcher. It’s hard to put into words, but this blend of professional and personal learning made the visit truly invaluable.
Figure 4: A timeless view: the majestic Alhambra Palace as seen from Mirador de San Nicolás in the heart of the Albaicin neighbourhood.
Figure 5: The splendour within: exploring the Alhambra Palace’s intricate beauty, showcasing exquisite Arabic Calligraphy in Kufic, Naskh, and Thuluth Styles from the Nasrid Dynasty of the 13th Century. I was lucky enough to be able to read the classic Arabic inscriptions and appreciate their timeless elegance.
1. Placement at the Virtual and Immersive Production Studio
I started my placement back in July 2023, working with my industry partner AlbinoMosquito Productions Ltd run by Richard and Rachel Ramchurn based at the Virtual and Immersive Production (VIP) Studio at King’s Meadow Campus. The VIP studio houses a series of high-end technologies for artists and developers to use in creating projects and artwork. Technologies include motion capture, volumetric capture, pepper’s ghost holograms, tesla suits, and virtual reality (VR) headsets. Being one of the only studios to allow this range within the midlands, this was a great opportunity for me to work alongside other creators to gain experience into design and creation using a variety of technologies.
Throughout the first month of the placement, I worked alongside Richard on a series of different development projects, including working with artists to capture their performances. These performances ranged from tightrope artists to dancers with disabilities. It was incredible to see the range of diversity that these technologies allowed artists to express themselves.
2. Filming a Virtual Reality Experience
As the placement progressed into the second month, I began working with Richard to develop a virtual reality experience using volumetric capture. This project, funded by Arts Council England, aimed to produce an experience that took an audience through a futuristic Nottingham engulfed in a climate crisis, raising discourse with the audience around the current situation of the climate that we live in today. Planning for this project had begun in the previous year when Richard, Rachel, and myself looked into potential applications of a VR experience that was adaptive using brain data as a real-time input. Having decided on a climate crisis experience and the basis for this, we used the placement as an opportunity to bring this to life.
Working alongside AlbinoMosquito for the creation of a VR climate experience presents a series of challenges and opportunities, including moving from 2D to 3D space, digital environments, presentation of actors, and user interaction. Going beyond 2D film into a 3D space requires an awareness of visual surroundings. Users within the experience will have a 360-degree view of the environment, and therefore capturing actors and environments within a single camera viewpoint alone is not enough.
We decided to split the experience into a series of different scenes that would allow you to embody an individual from their perspective and witness different events unfold over time. The journey of the experience begins with a series of refugees moving to a camp within Nottingham, before engaging in a series of dialogue around concerns for their safety before tragedy befalls the group. I worked loosely with the writers for this, helping shape the direction toward more fearful aspects, in hopes of using this experience as part of my PhD.
Once the scripts were complete, we began casting for the experience, focusing on local actors to support the growth of the industry within Nottingham and surrounding areas. Casting involved potential actors sending in short demo tapes of themselves playing the role of a particular character they had been selected to act. From there, we made final decisions on who would be cast in the experience and were ready to move on to filming.
2.1 FilmingwithVolumetricCapture
Through testing, it was shown that fewer cameras used for each render produced a smaller workload and storage space requirement for the use of the captures. Therefore, Richard and I settled on ensuring that each scene used the fewest amount of cameras possible for each capture. The fewest cameras were decided on a trial and error approach that tested each scene setup and would determine the minimum amount of cameras necessary to capture all actors within the scene. This approach involved placing cameras that captured actors from the viewpoint of the user as shown in Figure 1. As the experience embodies the viewer in a point-of-view (POV) position, actors needed to be aware of where this virtual camera would be throughout filming. Therefore, we placed an ambisonic microphone in the position of the POV, allowing the actors to work around the space with awareness of the viewer’s location.
However, this presented an issue with calibration, as to set up the 3D space to be captured, cameras are required to be calibrated with each other which involves the need for overlapping space between cameras. To overcome this, pairing cameras were used so that calibration could be done. This allowed the calibration to work but now with the requirement of more cameras within a scene. Having returned to our previous predicament of too many cameras, I developed a program within Unity that would allow the removal of any chosen cameras from a recording. This took the metadata of a volumetric capture as input, calculated which cameras were used, and displayed them to the user. This then allowed us to remove any pairing cameras not needed for the final render and would output a new metadata file that stored this altered capture as a new capture that could be rendered with the new camera setup.
Filming took place over a week. Using the limited budget we had to ensure that we minimised travel and accommodation for actors where possible, utilising every day to capture all scenes for when actors were in. This meant planning which scenes were filmed each day and how we could split scenes up based on separate dialogues. After finishing filming, we were able to work on bringing the volumetric captures into a virtual world and building the environments around the actors.
Figure 1: An example setup for volumetric capture from the point of view of the viewer. POV is the experience viewer’s position. C1, C2, and C3 are the cameras used for capture. P1 and P2 are the cameras used for pairing. A1, A2, A3, and A4 are the actors within the scene.
3. Post-production of the Virtual Reality Experience
The final month of my placement involved bringing all the captures into Unity and working alongside a 3D graphics artist, Sumit Sarkar, and a sound artist, Gary Naylor, to bring the experience to life. Although we are still adding to and refining the experience, we have a complete draft and have begun screening this experience for audiences. The screenshots below show examples of the experience using the captures. We are now in the process of preparing this experience to be screened at film festivals in the summer.
Figure 2: A screenshot taken from one of the scenes known as Refugee.Figure 3: A screenshot taken from one of the scenes known as Raid.
The placement allowed me to work in situations and on projects I’ve never had the chance to work with and has been invaluable to my PhD experience. I want to give a huge thank you to Richard and Rachel for their work throughout the placement, as well as all others involved with the projects to help me get the best out of my placement at the VIP studio.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) offer a competitive policy internship scheme for doctoral students to embed themselves in real-world policy organisations for three months. Throughout my PhD I have become increasingly interested in how to integrate policy impact into my work. In February 2023 I participated in the first ever iteration of the Get Engaged with Policy short course hosted by the Researcher Academy at the University of Nottingham. Applying to the UKRI-funded internship scheme was the logical next step for me to develop my skills in producing impactful policy-related research and gaining a better understanding of how this works in practice.
There are lots of organisations to choose from when applying to the policy internship scheme. I selected parliamentary organisations as my first choice because I wanted to be as close to the beating heart of policymaking in the UK as possible. A week after a 40-minute online interview with a panel of three policy researchers from different parliamentary organisations, I received my internship offer from Senedd Research at the Welsh Parliament (Senedd Cymru). Just seven weeks later I was walking through the doors of the Ty Hywel building for the first time to start my placement!
(Picture of me outside the Senedd main entrance on my first day)
My first week
In my opinion, there’s no point in pretending to know things you don’t know. So, during the first meeting with my new line manager at Senedd Research, I decided to get the truth out in the open as soon as possible. I admitted to her that I had no idea what devolution was, and I knew very little about the role of the Welsh Parliament. Risky, I know. But in fact, laying my cards on the table in this way actually really helped with setting their expectations of what I knew (or in my case didn’t know) about policy and the parliament, as well as tailoring induction and training sessions to ensure I got the most out of the experience.
Over the course of the first week in the office, I had lots of induction and training sessions to learn about the role of Senedd Research within the Welsh Parliament. I also started meeting colleagues from the Environment and Transport research team which I was a part of, as well as colleagues from other parts of the service. I was slightly nervous about how I would be received in the team as I know they have quite a few interns coming and going throughout the year, but everyone was so lovely, friendly, and welcoming.
In addition to producing briefing papers, Senedd Research also supports parliamentary committees, writes short research articles for the website, and helps members to support their constituents with a whole range of issues. As a research assistant, I would be supporting the team with all of these tasks. In the spirit of starting as you mean to go on, I was allocated an enquiry to start some research at the end of my first day.
What’s free-range eggs got to do with anything?!
The role of a parliamentary researcher is super varied. One minute you could be preparing a briefing paper for a committee inquiry but then an urgent enquiry comes through from a Member of the Senedd (MS) that needs actioning so you’re suddenly working on something totally different.
Each team within Senedd Research specialise in particular policy areas. My PhD is related to rail transport, so it made perfect sense to be placed in the Environment and Transport team. While I spent a large proportion of my time working on a policy briefing about the Welsh rail network, I also supported the team with answering both transport and environment MS enquiries.
My first enquiry was related to marketing of free-range eggs. At the time this seemed very bizarre to me. Why would anyone be concerned about free-range eggs? Turns out there’s a lot going on with marketing regulations of free-range eggs in the EU, Scotland, and England. But not so much in Wales. Which is where concerns about competition and standards began to arise.
Fast-forward to week eight of my internship, I am sitting in the presence of members of the Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee conducting a general scrutiny session of the Welsh Government Minister having contributed to the briefing paper in my new specialist subject… free-range egg regulations!! I had to condense a lot of information into a maximum of one page and also write some suggested questions the committee might like to ask the Minister in relation to this. Being in the room when Llyr Gruffydd MS asked the Minister about this issue was one of the highlights of the whole internship for me. You can even watch my suggested questions being asked in session by clicking here.
(Picture of me in the committee room during the Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee General Scrutiny session in March 2024)
Getting my research on the agenda
Writing for this audience is a very important skill I developed during my time at Senedd Research. Writing in the Senedd Research ‘style’ was a particular challenge for me as sentences need to be short, direct, and to the point which is not something we do that well in academia if I’m honest. Vast quantities of information, facts, and statistics also need condensing into just one or two sentences.
From the beginning of the internship, I was encouraged by my line manager and the team leader to be proactive with seeking out topics of interest for research articles. I have research interests in transport and accessibility, so naturally I started seeking out opportunities to write about these topics.
Over the course of the twelve weeks, I managed to publish three short articles for the website as well as one long policy briefing paper which is published online and in print format. All of these have direct connections to Welsh Government policies and strategies which are helpful for Senedd members during scrutiny sessions. I am particularly proud of my article about accessible tourism in Wales as this was not necessarily on the agenda of the parliamentarians before and hadn’t really been covered in other work by the team at Senedd Research.
It’s a no-brainer if you’re interested in policy
For me, the internship has probably been the highlight of my PhD to date. Regardless of whether you’re considering a career in academia, industry, or policy I would highly recommend undertaking this internship. I learnt so many valuable skills in such a short time which will be really useful going forward.
Attending a conference. Scary. Attending an international conference. Super scary. Attending an international conference where you are presenting your work that you’ve entered a postgraduate prize, you’ve not been to an international conference before or flown since February of 2020. Extra super scary.
I realised on my way back from the conference that this was the first time I’d done a lot of things. Of course, all conferences are different, but I thought I’d share these in case you’re attending a conference soon and need some reassurance of what to expect.
The First Time I’ve…attended an international conference.
Confession time. I did present at this conference last year with a co-authored paper. However, this is the first time I’ve joined the community in person with my own first-authored paper and travelled to another country to present. So, it’s a first milestone to reflect on.
Now I’m not a big fan of travelling on aeroplanes. It’s not the plane itself that makes me anxious, it’s the bit before, the getting to the airport on time, making sure you have your bag/s sorted for security, finding the gate etc. It just gives me a cold chill. Luckily, my colleague and friend from another university was also attending the conference so we travelled together which helped a lot.
I also just took it one step at a time, tried not to worry too much about the steps ahead, even when my boarding pass refused to scan at every automated point at the airport, I remained calm and before I knew it, we were in Dublin!
My pastel pink suitcase was a certified way of not getting separated from my fellow travellers.
A stunning piece of stained glass in the building on the Dublin City University Campus where the conference was held.
Dublin was a super easy city to navigate, so once we were out of the airport and had purchased a travel card that gave us unlimited trips on public transport for the duration of our visit, the city was ours to explore. So, we went straight to the hotel to eat – travelling is exhausting and really makes you work up an appetite!
We did manage to fit in some city exploring in the evenings after panels and on the Saturday before leaving for our flight back. Something that I now will do at all conferences where I can get to see the city I went to rather than just spending two days at another university’s campus – as nice as DCU was!
The long room at Trinty College Dublin visited as part of the Book of Kells Exhibit.
The font of the Hodges Figgis, the oldest bookstore in Dublin.
The First Time I’ve…submitted my work for a paper prize.
When the call for papers went out for this conference, so did the details of prizes for papers. I’ve never entered any of my work for a prize before, so I thought if I’m going to go in with a paper I might as well go in for it all and see what happens. The process was very straight forward, I entered my abstract via Oxford Abstracts like everyone else and then nearer the conference date and within the deadline given I sent over a copy of my full paper and informed the organisers which prize I’d like to be considered for. Then I waited. The results were revealed on the last day, last session of the conference, so plenty of time to half not think about it and half think about it!
Whilst I was unsuccessful at securing the prize on this occasion, the process of preparing the paper for submission and entering it for consideration afforded me a depth of insight to what I was presenting that I perhaps wouldn’t have had if I had just prepared slides and an abstract. The fellow attendees were really kind in their best wishes of luck when I mentioned that I was entered for the prize and asked lots of questions about my work, so despite not being successful I was still able to talk lots about my work and know that it was of value within the wide BILETA community.
The First Time I’ve…attended a conference dinner.
Questions I had before the conference dinner: What do I wear? What do I talk about? Do I talk about my work? Do I talk about everyone else’s work? How much detail do I go into? What about if I bore people? What about if I don’t know what to talk about? Can I talk about my dog? No that would be unprofessional. How professional is a conference dinner? What is for dinner? Do we all sit at a long table? Do we have allocated seats? What about if I get sat next someone I don’t know? Worse, what about if I get sat next to someone whose work I know? Do I ask them about it for my literature review? Can I do that? What about shoes?
Questions I had after dinner: where can I get more of that carrot cake?
The dessert gets an honourable mention – carrot cake and ice cream!
I was unsure about the dinner on the basis that I’d never been to one before. Turns out, it’s just like a normal dinner really, expect we had a set menu of two choices to pick from. You can sit where you like (I sat with my friend) and you don’t have to talk all about work, you can talk about other things! (I did avoid the dog chat though purely because the law and tech discussions were a bit more interesting!) The dinner gave me a great chance to talk to others in the area, our table ended up being two put together full of discussions and networking over food. I heard lots about other people’s work in the area, events they had coming up, where they had come from, it was a super wholesome discussion with like-minded people who know about similar topics and things that you do. Nothing to be scared about really!
The First Time I’ve…been recognised for my previous work (!)
This one was unexpected. As I’ve said, I attended this conference virtually last year and presented a work in progress paper, so when an attendee walked up to me and said “I remember your presentation from last year” I was a tad stunned given it’s not been published yet. After my initial shocked reaction and my excited message to my co-author that we had been remembered, I reflected on how much of a community the organisation is. It wasn’t an interrogation, it wasn’t a critique, it was a “I remember you presenting last year, it’s great to see you back.” And that was lovely.
It was also an opportunity for me to reflect on my progress in the last year and how my work has developed. Whilst the paper I was recognised for is still a work in progress, other papers and outputs are now published and been presented which felt like an age away last time I was at BILETA. I’ve learnt that if you keep going, you’ll get there with things and being recognised was a reminder for that. It also showed me that despite my own thoughts that my PhD is just me at my desk with my laptop, my work is out there and contributing which is a nice motivator going into writing my thesis up.
The First Time I’ve…met other researchers in the area whose work I am familiar.
Networking. A word that scares me to my core as I think I’m not very good at it. You can’t take a class in networking, but it turns out networking is just talking to people, and I can do that. I hadn’t made a list of people I wanted to talk to really despite it being always recommended. But I did have a rough idea of who I should probably talk to as they were either doing work interesting to me or working in a similar area to me.
So, on the coffee breaks and lunches I made a point of going up to them and introducing myself, the first couple of times it felt awkward, but I’d join conversations with others rather than marching directly up to people and sticking out my hand with a business card. The more I did it, the more conversation I had, the easier it got, and people were super kind! A few even came to my presentation after meeting me. BILETA has such a welcoming community which values its PGR members, so people are open to sitting down and having discussions with you when you’re there and connecting with you afterwards. From now on at conferences, I’m going to try and network with people more following this as it is just talking to people about your work, and we can all do that!
The First Time I’ve…sat down and thought about my trip.
It’s hard to sum up such a great trip in a blog post (if you’ve got this far, bravo!) but I think the main thing I’m taking away with me is the value of going to things in person, meeting people face to face, chatting to them and joining communities where you can. These sort of events and experiences can make what can be a lonely experience doing a PhD far from that and reminds you that you’re not just working on your own in an office somewhere and like the CDT, there are groups and organisations you can join and be a part of.
Entering a community of academics can be daunting, travelling across the world for a conference can be daunting, and presenting your work with others can also be daunting. But, as I found this year, sometimes you must go out of your comfort zone to make gains in your PhD journey. I found the BILETA community and conference to be one of great enjoyment, Dublin a stunning city, neither of which I would’ve found if I hadn’t of taken a chance on my work. To both, I’ll be back.
Are you worried about what your child sees online?
Third-year CDT student Ellie Colegate is looking for participants aged 12 to 20 for her study on the online harms bill and similar laws. Ellie wants to learn what young people find harmful in their online interactions.
