Representation
Research Staff Liaison Officers (RSLOs)
The Research Staff Liaison Officer (RSLO) role was created in 2017 to provide a link between research staff (postdocs, researchers, fellows) and the central support teams. Role holders liaise with research staff, represent the research staff community and champion issues affecting research staff. They enable the ‘lived experience’ of researchers to cascade into institutional planning and implementation of the Concordat.
Current Research Staff Liaison Officers
Our current Research Staff Liaison Officers, Ana and Chinyereugo, are working with researchers across Faculties and with early career/postdoc associations, to ensure that their needs are represented at the University Research Culture Working Group and within the University's Concordat Action Plan.
Dr Ana Cristina Castro
Ana is a research fellow in the health services and policy group at the Department of Health Sciences, where she works for a fast-response policy research unit delivering responsive analysis for the Department of Health and Social Care.
Ana is interested in improving the experience of Postgraduate Researchers and Early Career Researchers, in particular for those not native to the UK. She has participated in the workshops on how to thrive in your PhD (and enjoy it!), and how to thrive in your viva. Ana also organised the research showcase for two consecutive years in the department of health sciences, and is a member of the Athena Swan steering committee.
Dr Chinyereugo Umemneku-Chikere
Chinyereugo is a research fellow (medical statistician) with the Centre for Review and Dissemination (CRD). Job roles include conducting systematic reviews under the Evidence Synthesis Group (ESG) and Health Technology Appraisal (HTA) for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Chinyereugo has previously worked as a doctoral postgraduate representative at Newcastle University while undertaking her doctoral research study. She did a two-year post-doctoral research role with the University of Leicester before joining the University of York.
She is passionate about providing a safe space for all postgraduate researchers and early career researchers where they can thrive and build amazing networks.
Previous RSLOs
2024/25
- Dr Ana Cristina Castro
- Dr Alyssa Cull
- Dr Hannah Rodrick
2023/24
- Dr James Sherwood
- Dr Heather Leggett
2022/23
- Dr James Sherwood
- Dr Heather Leggett
- Dr Kamilla Laidlaw
2021/22
- Dr Jen Chubb
- Dr Heather Leggett
2020/21
- Dr Louise Newbould
- Dr Gae Spedalieri
- Dr Fan Yang
- Dr Rachel Carr
2019/20
- Dr Noortje Uphoff
- Dr Vijay Gc
- Dr Mia Shandell
2018/19
- Dr Francina Clayton
- Dr Namrata Ravichandra Ganneri
The role's main responsibilities are to:
- Actively engage with research staff via Department and School-based Research Staff Associations, gathering input and perspectives from these groups and the wider research staff community.
- Facilitate the transfer of researcher perspectives to both the Research Culture & Researcher Development team and the Research Culture Working Group to enhance research culture and support for researchers at York.
- Contribute to University-level strategic projects to support research culture and the professional development of researchers. For example, contributing to annual events such as the York Researcher Festival and Celebrating Spaces: Connecting Researchers, and other initiatives to make our research environment and culture as inclusive, supportive and productive as possible.
Departments with Research Staff Associations
Below is a list of Research Staff Associations at the University of York. If you are part of a Research Staff Association that isn't listed below, or any of the details need amending, please contact research-culture@york.ac.uk.
| Department | Group name | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Archaeology |
Archaeology postdoctoral Researchers and Research Fellows |
Maite Garcia Collado, maite.garciacollado@york.ac.uk |
| Biology | biol-postdoc-society@york.ac.uk | |
| Centre for Health Economics | CHE Early Career Researcher Forum |
Dina Jankovic, dina.jankovic@york.ac.uk Alfredo Palacios, alfredo.palacios@york.ac.uk |
| Centre for Reviews and Dissemination | CRD Researchers' meeting |
Lucy Beresford, lucy.beresford@york.ac.uk |
| Chemistry | Chemistry Post-Doc Society |
Leonie Jones, leonie.jones@york.ac.uk Mia Shandell, mia.shandell@york.ac.uk Alyssa Avestro, alyssa-jennifer.avestro@york.ac.uk |
| Computer Science |
Nick Pears, nick.pears@york.ac.uk |
|
| Education | Education Early Career Researchers Forum |
Giulia Bovolenta, giulia.bovolenta@york.ac.uk |
| English and Related Literature | Early Career Group |
Ezra Horbury, Ezra.horbury@york.ac.uk |
| Environment and Geography | Environment and Geography Early Career Researchers Forum |
Jessica Slater, jessica.slater@york.ac.uk Michael Cooper, michael.cooper@york.ac.uk |
| Health Sciences | Health Sciences Contract Researchers' Forum | |
| History |
Rachel Delman, rachel.delman@york.ac.uk |
|
| Hull York Medical School | via Health Sciences Contract Researchers' Forum | |
| Institute for Safe Autonomy | Safe Autonomy Network | Fanta Camara, fanta.camara@york.ac.uk |
| Language and Linguistic Science | Early Career Research Forum |
E Jamieson, e.jamieson@york.ac.uk Lauren Harrington, lauren.harrington@york.ac.uk |
| Psychology |
Psychology early Career Researchers Forum Good Practice Example from the Department of Psychology (PDF |
Alex Pike, alex.pike@york.ac.uk
|
| School of Arts and Creative Technologies |
TBC |
|
| School for Business and Society | Early Career Network |
Chair: Caroline Barrett caroline.barrett@york.ac.uk |
| School of Physics, Engineering and Technology | PET Early Career Researcher Forum |
Physics: Alex Payne-Dwyer, alex.payne-dwyer@york.ac.uk |
| Sociology |
Sheila Davitt, sheila.davitt@york.ac.uk Merran Toerien, merran.toerien@york.ac.uk |
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