Not Just Lab Coats: Exploring the Realities of a PhD in Gout

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Research.

The Cambridge Dictionary1 defines research as ‘a detailed study of a subject, especially in order to discover (new) information or reach a (new) understanding’. The word ‘research’ may evoke an image of scientists wearing lab coats, using high-tech equipment to conduct complex experiments. If this is what you imagine, then you’d be correct, however, if this wasn’t what you imagined, then you’d also be correct. My name is Rowan, I don’t wear a lab coat nor use high-tech equipment, but I’m going to give you an insight into my day-to-day life as a PhD student.

‘What’s your PhD on?’ someone may ask me. ‘A short answer? Gout.’ I reply.

I often get a little chuckle, or gasp, out of this and use it often as an opener before I detail my project further. It’s interesting to see different people’s gut emotional reaction to hearing the word gout. Though there are many scientists globally researching the genetics of gout, or the molecular mechanisms of inflammation in this debilitating arthritic condition, I am researching how we can optimise the current management of gout at a patient level. I’ve always had much more of an interest in clinical research and public health, rather than fundamental science as I get to visualise the potential direct impact my research will have on shaping health policy, but more importantly improving patients’ lives.

‘So, what do you do on a day-to-day basis?’ you might ask.

One of the best things about this PhD so far is that my days and weeks are so varied. I can’t really describe a typical day because they are all different. The proverb, variety is the spice of life, has never been truer. Optimising management of gout is multi-faceted, and my PhD plans to cover results of a clinical trial looking at a novel management strategy for gout, explore what patients think about management strategies for gout, and assess the economics of gout. On one day, I may be having meetings with my PhD supervisor and research collaborators, on another I will be sinking my teeth into some research papers to keep up to date with what is new and emerging in the gout field. I may be engaging in courses to learn new skills such as health economic evaluation or interviewing patients, or you might find me slowly but surely making my way through paperwork and ethics applications for the clinical trial.

Isn’t it crazy that writing 500 words can allow you to hop on a paid-for flight and hotel abroad?

Recently I have been working on writing some short abstracts to submit to a conference that I will be attending in Paris soon! Isn’t it crazy that writing 500 words can allow you to hop on a paid-for flight and hotel abroad? Engaging in research overall has allowed me to make connections with people I otherwise wouldn’t have made, and travel to new (and old) places, distributing my research. This is definitely one of my favourite parts about research. I feel like a professional plate juggler sometimes with all the timelines and different elements of my research that I must balance, but I do enjoy this professional research circus, if you could call it that. This time next year, I may have similar plates to balance, or completely different, who knows… but that’s research for you! I hope I’ve shown in this short blog that research may be wearing a lab coat and using super fancy equipment, but it’s also what you want to make out of it if you have the passion and interest for a certain field!

Cambridge Dictionary. RESEARCH | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary [Internet]. Cambridge.org. 2019 [cited 2025 Jan 16]. Available from: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/research