Postgraduate Study Visit Scheme: “I would 100 per cent do it again if I could” 

Where do you currently work and what is your role? 

I'm currently a third year PhD student in psychology at the University of York. I'm studying the experience of bodily sensations during pregnancy and how to measure them. I'm developing a scale for this so we can accurately measure bodily sensations in pregnancy and how they're perceived.  

 
Where did you apply to visit with the Postgraduate Study Visit Scheme?  

I applied to visit Queen's University, Kingston in Ontario, Canada. There was a Professor called Jonathan Smallwood who was working in York and then moved to Queen's University. 

He studied mind wandering, which is about what our minds drift to when we're not focusing on a particular task. There's some indication from early research that the level of mind wandering is inversely related to how much we process our body sensations.  

As there was a link between his research and our research, we thought it'd be ideal to combine them to see whether they are related, particularly in a pregnant population where both of those things are likely to be different to the general population. 

The idea we had was that I would visit him at Queen's University, and he would train me in very specific statistical techniques related to analysing a specific type of data. 

Can you tell us what you got up to while you were at Queen's University? 
It was brilliant! I learned so much around analysing specific statistics and processing the data, which I've then been able to use in my PhD since. 

I also learned general data analysis techniques that I've been able to use since then and will be able to carry on using. As well as picking up new research skills, it was also really useful to work in a different lab and see how different groups work together and share ideas. 

Visiting a prestigious university in a different country was amazing. I worked in their library, which is known as the Harry Potter Library, as it's a beautiful, tall room with stained glass windows. As well as having really positive academic experiences, I also got to explore a new area. The city was friendly and welcoming, and I visited some local places, including Niagara Falls! 

 
The visit sounds amazing - is there anything that sticks out as a highlight? 
My confidence in my data analysis increased massively and I have skills that I can use in different ways to help me progress with my PhD and any other research I do in the future. I also really enjoyed living in a different place, experiencing local culture and being engrossed in living and experiencing a new city. 
 

How did you fit and plan the visit around your PhD? 

My PhD funder allowed me to pause my studies while I was away and extended my deadline. As the purpose of the visit was to analyse my own data, I had to collect it before I went, so I had already fitted the data collection in on-top of my regular PhD work.  

However, the motivation for being on top of the data collection was knowing that I had this visit and that kept me going when I had additional work. 

 
Is there any advice you would give to someone considering applying for the scheme? 
Just apply! It sounds really corny, but personally and professionally, it was life changing. It also looks great on an academic CV to have worked at an international institution and to have had a financial grant. I would 100 per cent do it again if I could and it was definitely worth the time it took to apply. 

Postgraduate Study Visit Scheme 2025  

Anna's visit was made possible thanks to the BPS Postgraduate Visit Scheme, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Turing Scheme. Visit Postgraduate Study Visit Scheme to find out more about applying for this year's Scheme.  

Deadline for the Postgraduate Study Visit Scheme 2025 is 8 June.