My supervisors at Lancaster, Professors Karen Broadhurst and Yang Hu provided a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment. I benefited greatly from generous supervision, close engagement with a diverse doctoral community, and opportunities to develop my teaching and research profile. I gained valuable teaching experience as a graduate teaching assistant on undergraduate sociology modules and attended my first academic conferences—both of which were instrumental in my transition to an academic career.

After completing my PhD in 2021, I joined the Centre for Child and Family Justice Research at Lancaster University, where I expanded my research beyond my doctoral focus and developed expertise in administrative data. Working with colleagues on a wide range of projects - including studies of child protection and family court outcomes, was a significant period of professional development. During this time, I successfully secured a highly prestigious Administrative Data Research UK fellowship examining the long-term pathways of teenage mothers through the family justice system and experiences of child removal.

This combination of training, mentorship, and research opportunities at Lancaster directly supported my move into my first permanent academic role. I am now based in the School of Education, Communication and Society at King’s College London, where I continue to build on the foundations established during my PhD and postdoctoral work at Lancaster.