In this extra post, Anna Pilz discusses her participation in the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PgCAP). Her assessment task for the option course on ‘Working with PGRs’ led her to develop a project for the Principal’s Teaching Award Scheme (PTAS) on ‘Co-Creating a New Development Needs Analysis for PGRs’ (January 2024-July 2025). Anna is an Academic Developer and Trainer in the Institute for Academic Development.

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Soon after I had taken on a new role as Academic Developer at the Institute for Academic Development in autumn 2022, I enrolled on the PgCAP programme. I was motivated not only to gain professional accreditation via a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, but also to reflect on my teaching practice and pedagogical approaches within the context of my new role that involved designing and delivering training for postgraduate researchers and research staff across career stages.

One of my responsibilities in the role is to convene a three-week online course on “Getting Started with Postgraduate Research” for Master by Research and PhD students who are just at the beginning of their research degree journey. The PgCAP option course on ‘Working with PGRs’ therefore appealed to me. For the assessment, I chose to write a review report of the current use of Training Needs Analysis (TNA) at the University of Edinburgh to gain an understanding of current institutional practices within the context of sector-developments and scholarship on doctoral education.

Reviewing the use of Training Needs Analysis

One of the key elements of doctoral education is an emphasis on postgraduate researchers’ training and development. Within the Researcher Development Team, we had already identified the need to revisit the existing TNA. A TNA is a person-centred, reflective activity in form of a self-assessment, described by scholars as a key ‘pedagogical tool designed to assess doctoral researchers’ strengths as well as weaknesses’ (Elliot et al 2020, 149). Therefore, it is relevant right from the start and throughout the researcher degree journey by reflecting on strengths, development needs, intentions, and opportunities.

To understand current practices at Edinburgh and students’ experiences, I looked at the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) from 2023. Although satisfaction with supervision was at 86.5% at the University of Edinburgh in the 2023 Postgraduate Research Experience Survey, the question regarding the extent to which the ‘Supervisor helps identifying training’ reached the lowest satisfaction rate (76.3%) out of the four questions put to PGRs. The PRES survey highlights the need to involve both PGRs and supervisors in the process of engaging in training, development, and career conversations.

This is also reflected in wider sector conversations, including in UKRI’s Economic and Social Research Council’s 2022 review on “Strengthening the Role of Training Needs Analysis in Doctoral Training”, which signals supervisors’ crucial role in enabling effective use of TNAs as a tool. For any Training Needs Analysis, then, resources and training needs to be considered for supervisors, too. As Adams et al (2022) recommend, it’s important to ‘set clear expectations for supervisory input’ and offer ‘training to support supervisors in navigating DNA conversations’. This may involve addressing unconscious biases about career goals as well as emphasising that development needs ought to be integrated throughout and not only at the start or the end of a research degree journey. My review thus concluded that any revised TNA and associated processes and resources needs to engage and focus on both user groups: PGRS and supervisors.

Shifting to a Development Needs Analysis

Postgraduate research students arrive at the University of Edinburgh with their own personal set of skills and aptitudes, cultural attitudes to learning, understandings of the Higher Education and research landscape, professional experiences, and have a variety of career aspirations. Scholars have proposed the productive concept of a ‘doctoral learning ecology’, which is based on the understanding that ‘the doctoral journey takes place simultaneously within and across several domains of learning, namely, discipline, institution, workplace, and the person’s lifeworld.’ (Elliot et al 2020, 148)

The ‘doctoral learning ecology’ invites a wider conceptualisation of development than the term ‘Training Needs Analysis’ allows. My review thus followed UKRI’s ESRC recommendation to adopt the term Development Needs Analysis (DNA) (Adams et al 2022). A good DNA equips PGRs for whatever direction they want to take during and after their research degree. Successful engagement with a DNA – both through reflective self-assessment and through conversations with supervisor(s) – can affect a sense of control, ownership, and empowerment for their career trajectories.

From report to cross-university PTAS project

Having shared the report with Fiona Philippi, Head of Researcher Development at the IAD, and – on her suggestion – with the Doctoral College Forum, I started to develop an application to the Principal’s Teaching Award Scheme. To improve PGRs’ satisfaction, enhance the student experience, and ensure the quality of doctoral education in line with sector developments, I wanted to co-create a new Development Needs Analysis for the University. With its wider professional and career emphasis, the new DNA would benefit from collaboration with the Careers Service, and Sharon Maguire (Assistant Director, Careers Service) was soon on board. To connect the DNA with institutional priorities, we also recruited Laura Bradley, Dean for Postgraduate Research in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

Our new DNA must be applicable across disciplines. It’s been important to identify pilot communities that would allow us to test and evaluate the use of our new DNA by both students and supervisors. Tom MacGillivray, Co-Director of the Precision Medicine Doctoral Training Programme, and Kimberley Czajkowski, Graduate Officer in Classics in the School of History, Classics, and Archaeology, joined the project to pilot our DNA and resources in their respective contexts. With the team assembled, we drafted and submitted our PTAS application. The project was timely as it aligns with the University’s strategic priorities as set out in the 2024 Postgraduate Research Cultures Plan.

Following the successful outcome of the application, we recruited Majdouline El hichou, a PhD student in GeoSciences, as our Research Assistant. So, what all started as part of my own professional development, resulted in a project all about professional development, and created a professional development opportunity. You can read about how we established learning needs among both the PGR and supervisor communities, and why and how we co-created a draft of a new Development Needs Analysis in Maj’s blog, out next week.

References

Adams, Elizabeth, Scafell Coaching and Joanne Neary, Strengthening the Role of Training Needs Analysis in Doctoral Training (UKRI, Economic and Social Research Council, 2022). https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Strengthening-the-role-of-TNA-Report-April-2022.pdf.

Elliot, Dely L., Søren S.E. Bengtsen, Kay Guccione, and Sofie Kobayashi (2020), The Hidden Curriculum in Doctoral Education (Palgrave Macmillan).

The University of Edinburgh (2023), Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES).

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Anna Pilz

Dr Anna Pilz (she/her) is an Academic Developer and Trainer in the Institute for Academic Development at Edinburgh. She designs and delivers training for researchers across career stages ranging from 1:1 support to online resources and workshops. As a first-generation academic, she is passionate about building communities and aims to enable, facilitate, and encourage conversations about research processes in all their shapes, sizes, and forms. She inaugurated and leads on the University’s Researcher Realities initiative.

In this blog post, Michelle King-Okoye, Lecturer in Nursing Studies and co-director at the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, along with Aigli Raouna, former Clinical Psychology PhD student, Joanna Alexjuk, a Lecturer in Counselling, Psychotherapy and Applied Social Science (CPASS), Mathilde Lotteau, second year PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology, Liam Gilchrist, second year PhD candidate studying Health in Social Science, and Magdalene Effiong, a former undergraduate student at the time of the study, highlight the experiences and challenges faced by student carers through their own personal stories. It introduces and celebrates the newly established Ambassador Scheme aimed at raising awareness and providing necessary support for student carers, showcasing their active involvement and the positive impacts of community engagement efforts. This post belongs to the Oct-Nov Learning & Teaching Enhancement theme: Engaging and Empowering Learning at The University of Edinburgh

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Student carers, as defined by Carers Trust (2024), are students who care, unpaid for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support, alongside their studies.

But what is it like for students who are caring for a loved one? Are there enough support systems in place to help them with their academic journeys?

In a recent research project led by Michelle and Aigli (see our previous blog: Students with caring responsibilities), we sought to explore the experiences of student carers from the School of Health in Social Science, asking these, among others, questions, and gaining their insights into their support needs.

As part of the project, some students volunteered to participate in a support video to increase the visibility of this student group. Through this and other impact activities, students became motivated to get involved in the Ambassador Scheme and Buddy Support Group, conceptualised by Dr Michelle King-Okoye who provided support to Student Carer Ambassadors towards establishing the community group.

In this blog, we are excited to introduce you to the Ambassadors through their own words, representing students from both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the School of Health in Social Science.

Let’s meet the Ambassadors

Mathilde Lotteau shares her experience being a student carer and how she contributed to the awareness video. This experience changed her perceptions of the way she viewed herself, and coupled with the support she received, this encouraged her to step forward as an Ambassador for the Community Group for Student Carers. Mathilde was supported towards applying for a student led Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) grant, which was successful enabling her and the other ambassadors to move forward with this initiative.

I became a carer unexpectedly, when my brother started showing signs of a psychiatric condition. It may seem surprising, but at first it is not my brother whom I supported the most, it was our parents. No one in our family ever suffered from a psychiatric disorder, so the situation took us by surprise, and we had to adapt fast, with almost no information on what was going on with my brother. I was doing my master’s degree in clinical psychology back then, so I tried my best to use my knowledge to understand what was happening and assess the reliability of the information our parents would find online.

 Read more here

Liam Gilchrist stated that being part of co-producing the student carers’ video inspired him to become an ambassador.

There are many reasons that led me to taking on caring responsibilities while studying for my PhD at the university. It happened partly by chance, when the council housed my granny within the area of Edinburgh which I live in. I am the only family member who still lives in the city, so naturally ended up welcoming and supporting her to settle into a new life back in Scotland. Looking back over this moment in March 2020 I can see that it changed my life, but in the midst of a global pandemic and frequent lockdowns, it felt more like turning a street corner and running into a dear friend.

 Read more here

Magdalene Effiong highlighted that participating in the support video made her first aware that she was a student carer and motivated her to be an ambassador to increase awareness across student communities.

Returning to education as a parent or at an older age, especially in a foreign country without extended family support, presents significant challenges. Balancing caregiving responsibilities with academic pursuits is daunting, particularly when family, work, and school life intersect. Since embarking on my degree, I’ve grappled with feelings of isolation, compounded by caring for my daughter, who requires round-the-clock assistance due to additional support needs. Prioritising her needs often meant sacrificing lectures or missing deadlines, but my daughter’s well-being always took precedence.

 Read more here

A key aspect of the Ambassador Scheme is for ambassadors to engage with EDI committee members and the Director of Teaching and Learning to communicate the ongoing needs of student carers so that their voices can be heard and tailored support provided. We also envisage that continued support and renumeration would be offered to these students with these identified roles. The ambassadors would also act as role models for carers to pursue their educational goals knowing that they will be supported on their journey. Engaging with carers organisations, lobbying for continued resources and identifying incentives are instrumental to maintaining the Community Group for Student Carers.

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Michelle King-okoye

Dr Michelle King-Okoye is a lecturer in Nursing Studies at the School of Health in Social Science, and co-director at the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, The University of Edinburgh (currently on extended leave). Michelle has an interest in widening participation and increasing diversity for students. She also enjoys utilising innovative and novel teaching/learning activities at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

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Aigli Raouna

Dr Aigli Raouna (she/her) is a former Clinical Psychology PhD student at the School of Health in Social Science (HiSS). Her research explored intergenerational pathways of risk and resilience during the perinatal period in the context of clinical and subclinical mood disorder symptoms. She is the founder of Research Bow, a PGR blog at HiSS. Twitter: @AigliR

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E. Joanna Alexjuk

Dr. E. Joanna Alexjuk is a Lecturer in Counselling, Psychotherapy and Applied Social Science (CPASS), within the School of Health in Social Science (HiSS), undertaking numerous roles including Depute Programme Director / Academic Cohort Lead of the MA Health in Social Science Programme; former Co-Lead CPASS Ethics Research, and Integrity Committee; Co-ordinator of Adjustments for HiSS.

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Mathilde Lotteau

Mathilde Lotteau is a second year PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology. She is studying individual adaptation in families after an adolescent obtains a diagnosis of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. She believes a disability affects the individual and their closest relatives and has had personal experience with a disability as she has suffered from migraines since childhood, which has made her studies challenging enough. In her spare time, Mathilde is keen on all sort of crafting and artistic activities, cooking and reading and more than happy to provide 1:1 information about the Student Carer Community Group.
Contact: Mathilde Lotteau: m.j.lotteau@sms.ed.ac.uk

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Liam Gilchrist

Liam Gilchrist is a 2^nd year PhD candidate studying Health in Social Science at The University of Edinburgh. His research looks at how co-creating research together with groups living with health needs can empower communities whose voices have been excluded and challenge health inequalities. He is also a musician & music producer who is currently learning to play the saxophone.

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Magdalene Effiong

Magdalene Effiong is a former undergraduate student at the time of the study. She is also a mother of three wonderful children and serves as a full-time carer for her youngest daughter who has a learning disability. In her spare time, Magdalene enjoys cooking, spending quality time with her family, and taking nature walks. Volunteering is another passion of hers, particularly helping those with additional support needs. By giving back to her community, Magdalene believes she can make a positive impact on the lives of others who may be facing similar challenges.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A special thanks to Vito Vitacca for the video production and editing.

In this extra post, Colette Revadillo, David Geddes, and Anya Tan showcase  APEX 7, an upcoming student-led medical research expedition to Bolivia that seeks to advance the field of high-altitude medicine. Colette, David and Anya are currently undergraduate Medical Students at the Edinburgh Medical School and are all part of the APEX Committee

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What can medical students achieve during their time in medical school? It’s easy to assume that our journey is all about mastering anatomy, perfecting clinical skills, and keeping up with exams. But what if we could go beyond this? What if, during our time as students, we could lead international research expeditions, contribute to groundbreaking discoveries, and push the frontiers of global health—all while balancing our studies?

This is precisely what Altitude Physiology Expeditions (APEX), a Scottish charity founded by University of Edinburgh medical students, has made possible for over two decades. Established in 2001, APEX has organized six successful high-altitude research expeditions, with the seventh—APEX 7—scheduled for the summer of 2025. Each expedition is student-led, giving participants an unparalleled opportunity to engage in research, build leadership skills, and make tangible contributions to science while still in medical school.

APEX: A unique blend of education and innovation

The core mission of APEX is to study the effects of hypoxia—reduced oxygen levels at high altitudes—on the human body. While this may seem relevant only to mountaineers or elite athletes, hypoxia research has far-reaching applications in healthcare, especially for conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure. By understanding how the body adapts to low-oxygen environments, we can develop better treatments for patients suffering from oxygen deprivation.

What makes APEX truly exceptional is its commitment to student leadership. Medical students organise every aspect of the expeditions, from research design and fundraising to logistics and safety management. This level of responsibility gives us the chance to take what we learn in the classroom and apply it in a high-stakes, real-world setting.

APEX 7: The most ambitious expedition yet

APEX 7, planned for June and July 2025, promises to be the largest and most ambitious expedition in APEX’s history. With a team of 80 to 100 volunteers from the University of Edinburgh, we will travel to Bolivia, where we’ll spend 16 days conducting research at high altitudes. The journey will take us to La Paz (3,800 meters) for acclimatisation before moving to the Huayna Potosi Base Camp at 4,700 meters, where most of the research will occur.

One of the most exciting aspects of APEX 7 is its scale – it will be the largest controlled ascent ever conducted in medical research. The expedition is being led by eight senior medical students who previously participated in APEX 6. Balancing their academic commitments with the demanding task of organising this expedition, these students have been working for months to plan research projects, secure funding, and ensure the safety of all participants.

Among the student leaders are:

• Ben Harrison (Head of Funding, Grants, and Sponsorship)
• Ella McElnea (Head of Volunteers and Well-being)
• Cami Maezelle (Head of Funding, Grants, and Sponsorship)
• Anya Tan (Head of Research)
• Cameron Norton (Expedition Leader)
• David Geddes (Expedition Leader)

As part of this team, I can say firsthand that organising APEX 7 has been an incredible learning experience. We’ve gained skills in project management, teamwork, and research that go far beyond traditional medical training.

Research at high altitude: A hands-on learning experience

The heart of APEX lies in its research. Some of the exciting research projects planned for APEX 7 include:

• Gene expression at high altitude: This study will analyse how certain genetic variants regulate gene expression in response to hypoxia. By identifying these genetic markers, we can better understand why some individuals are more susceptible to altitude sickness or hypoxia-related conditions.
• Altitude and eczema: This project will explore whether high-altitude environments can alleviate symptoms of eczema, a condition often worsened by allergens and humidity. We will compare eczema severity in participants at different altitudes to see if there’s a correlation.
• Cortisol variation: Using a novel device to measure cortisol levels in the interstitial fluid over 24 hours, we will study how hypoxia affects the body’s stress response. Understanding this could lead to better management of stress in patients experiencing hypoxia.
• Cognitive performance under hypoxia: We will also assess how cognitive abilities are affected by altitude, testing participants at various points during the expedition to determine how decision-making and problem-solving skills are impacted by reduced oxygen levels.

These projects not only allow us to contribute to cutting-edge medical research but also give us hands-on experience of the scientific process—from study design and data collection to analysis and publication. It’s a rare opportunity to be directly involved in research that could have real-world medical applications, all while still in medical school.

What APEX teaches us: Lessons beyond the classroom

APEX is more than just a research expedition; it’s a powerful learning experience. Organising and leading an expedition of this scale requires skills that we don’t always develop in traditional medical education—leadership, problem-solving, and interdisciplinary collaboration. These are the kinds of skills that will serve us well throughout our medical careers, whether we pursue clinical practice, research, or other paths.

Being part of APEX also reminds us that medical school is about more than just learning from textbooks and lectures. It’s about exploring new areas of interest, taking on challenges, and pushing ourselves to make meaningful contributions to the field of medicine. Through initiatives like APEX, students have the chance to take ownership of their education and create opportunities that will shape their future careers.

Getting involved: A call to action

If you’re a student at the University of Edinburgh interested in medical research, global health, or expedition medicine, APEX is an unparalleled opportunity to get involved. Recruitment for APEX 7 volunteers will begin this autumn, with information sessions and workshops available for those who want to learn more. Whether you’re interested in scientific research, logistics, or volunteer coordination, there’s a role for you in APEX. Please email: apex7@altitude.org to register your interest!

In short, APEX 7 is a testament to what medical students can achieve when given the opportunity to lead, innovate, and explore. We’re not just learning medicine—we’re making discoveries that could change it. And that, I believe, is what makes APEX so special.

Read previous Teaching Matters blog posts on APEX expeditions:

• The APEX 5 Expedition: The Peak of Altitude Research
• APEX 6: Student-led learning in the Andes

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Colette Revadillo

Colette is a 5th Year Medical Student, and Head of Communications of APEX 7.

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David Geddes

David is a 4th Year Medical Student, and Expedition Leader of APEX 7.

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Anya Tan

Anya is a 6th Year Medical Student, and Head of Research of APEX 7.