What did you study at A-level (or equivalent) and why did you select those subjects?
Psychology, Government and Politics, English Language. I picked the subjects I loved the most. I’d never studied psychology, but I’d always had a great interest in people and what drove their behaviours, so it seemed like a great fit. I also really enjoyed English Language - little did I know it was setting my up for my future career using qualitative research methods!
What degree's and PhD did you study?
BSc Psychology; MSc Investigative and Forensic Psychology; PhD Psychology.
What inspired you to choose and study your degree subject?
I loved psychology at A-level but didn’t really know what I wanted to do in the future. I was always “good at school” so I thought I best just go with where my heart takes me. I never intended to go on and do a PhD – truth be told I didn’t really understand what one was – but my masters supervisor encouraged me to consider one and had access to funding, so I thought why not carry on at school for a bit longer? My PhD explored the socio-cognitive drivers underpinning decision inertia (indecision) in emergency response situations. Being able to do research that is theoretically driven whilst feeding into practice was the dream combination for me.
What key skills did you learn at university?
Time management was a key skill – being able to balance part-time work around studies and leisure time was key.
What jobs have you had during your career?
I’ve always worked since the age of 16 and had a mix of random jobs, including a wallpaper shop assistant, various bars and restaurants, and I worked full-time at a betting office for a year between my master’s and PhD! I always enjoyed working alongside studying as even though it was work, it was nice to have something else outside of university. Once I got my PhD, I did a brief postdoc for 4 months and then got my first permanent Lectureship in Psychology at Lancaster University where I worked for 7 years before moving back to Liverpool.
What is your current job and what do you enjoy about it?
I’m currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology and Research Theme Lead for the Applied Forensic and Conflict Theme. I did my undergraduate, master’s and PhD here, so it was wonderful to come back to the department where it all began and back to my favourite city in the world! Plus, my colleagues at the Psychology Department are the most wonderful and kind-hearted humans I could wish to work with, which makes a huge difference.
Do you have an area of expertise?
I am an applied social psychologist and study the psychology of decision-making and teamwork under pressure.
What has been your most exciting project or career role?
I have just been awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship titled “Beyond Teamwork: The Psychology of Extreme Teams”. This is a prestigious fellowship which buys me out of teaching for the next four years to build my team and develop my research and leadership skills. Specifically, the core research question I will be addressing is “what are the critical factors underlying effective teamwork in extreme environments?”. I will be using a mixed-methods approach built on social psychological theories and my past research to explore and develop solutions to support extreme teams, working with international teams from the emergency services, healthcare sector and space industry.
What are your top tips for working in your sector?
I think it’s important to find out what it is that you specifically love about research and try not to lose that. For me, I love writing and being able to sit down and write is something I never want to stop doing. I also really like working with real people who can provide me with expert insight on my research and put it into practice. It’s also important to find people who you collaborate well with as the job can be stressful, so being able to work in a psychologically safe team where you can engage in open and risk-free communication is key (as I know from my research!)
What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
That there’s a lot of luck involved in research, so try not to compare yourself to others.
Any advice you’d like to share?
Try and find people in your subject area who you can trust and grow with. I met my two best friends (Dr Laura Boulton, Senior Lecturer in Policing at LJMU and Dr Becky Phythian, Reader in Policing at Edge Hill University) when I was studying for my PhD as we all shared an office. Although we’re all working at different universities now, we are an essential support network for each other. It’s important to have people who you trust in academia as you’ll be faced with lots of complex choices during your career, so finding those who know your core values and can be there to listen and guide you is key.
Why are you passionate about your career?
I love doing research that can make a difference. I work mostly with participants from the emergency services, who put their lives on the line to save others every day. If my research can help them to do their jobs even in the tiniest way, then I’ll feel like I’ve made an impact.
More resources:
Nicola's website
Nicola's LinkedIn