I am now part of a larger team which is conducting a twelve-month health intervention on a large cohort of lorry drivers around the UK, where I have been conducting a process evaluation of the intervention, and analysing the drivers’ stress reactivity levels. I also initially carried out a systematic literature review to understand the global health status of lorry drivers.
The best thing is that the health intervention is transforming lives. I met with a lorry driver recently that, because of our study, had lost 35 kilos and reversed his diabetes. Moments like that make it feel invaluable.
The PhD is opening doors that I didn't even know existed; in my first few months I attended an international health conference in Prague and was in awe about all the research going on in the world. Since then I have presented my own research at two other conferences and won awards at both.