The Advisory Group for Researcher Development helps shape the work of the Early Career Researchers Network and the broader Researcher Development Programme.
Comprising four of the Society’s Fellows and eleven researchers, the group brings together a diverse range of perspectives to represent the wide variety of research in Wales. Our members play an essential role in guiding our activities and ensuring the programme meets the needs of researchers across sectors and disciplines.
The Advisory Group will assess the current research landscape in Wales, identify both opportunities and challenges and explore how the Society can expand its efforts to support and develop researchers’ careers.
Professor of Physical Geography, Swansea University
Professor Siwan Davies FLSW has over 20 years experience of researching past climate change using volcanic ash deposits preserved in polar ice cores. Her research has been funded by the European Research Council, NERC, a Philip Leverhulme prize, and a Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Fellowship. She received the Society’s Frances Hoggan medal in 2023 and she served as a REF2021 sub-panel member for the ‘Geography and Environmental Studies’ unit of assessment (UoA 14). Throughout her career she has especially enjoyed mentoring early career researchers and relishes the opportunity to contribute to the Researcher Development Advisory Group.
Professor, Sustainable Transport Lead, Cardiff University
Professor Carol Featherston FLSW is a Chartered mechanical engineer who worked in industry with Airbus, ICI Chemicals and Rolls Royce before returning to academia to complete a DPhil at the University of Oxford and then begin an academic career at Cardiff. She has extensive experience of Researcher development at postgraduate/ECR/MCR stages having held roles including Director of Postgraduate Research and Director of Research and currently leading a research group including ECR/MCR colleagues. Carol realized the first Monitored Professional Development Scheme in academia which was accredited by the Institution of Mechanical engineers and has led to over 20 colleagues gaining Chartered Professional engineering status. She also developed a Fellowship application development programme for a range of other opportunities including Royal Society/Royal Academy of Engineering opportunities. She has mentored colleagues within/external to the university with her first two mentees attaining Professorial status. She is passionate about supporting women in nontraditional career paths being a mentor for the Alta Women in Aviation and Aerospace programme and a member of the Female Researchers Chapter of the International Association of Computational Mechanics (IACM) and looks forward to bringing her experience to support ECRs across Wales.
Professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Bangor University
Professor Martina Feilzer FLSW is a criminologist with extensive experience in research and her interests lie in three main areas – surveillance practices and their impact in democratic states; organisational practices and legitimacy in criminal justice; and the role of pragmatism as a research philosophy. Her passion for the Advisory Group for Researcher Development has built over time – Martina was the Chair of the Researcher Development and Concordat Group at Bangor University between 2018 and 2023 and was involved in setting up the All-Wales Research Leadership Programme. Researcher development across all stages of an academic career and the different organisations that make up the research landscape is key to a sound and resilient research and innovation ecosystem in Wales.
School of Physical Sciences, University of Liverpool
Professor Simon Hands FLSW has experience in theoretical areas of science, where a key skill is organising thoughts, ideas and workload to produce independent (perhaps even single-author) publications. Sometimes it’s hard to recognise longer-term research priorities, especially in a world apparently dominated by REF, bibliometrics, ever-increasing teaching loads, and social media. Simon has also worked closely with younger experimental colleagues and understands all too well the huge difficulties involved in equipping a research laboratory. Simon wants to be able to guide ECRs to make the optimal choices and decisions to advance their careers. The toughest transition any ECR has to overcome, Simon recognises, is acquiring research independence, indicated by both access to resources and publication profile.
Professor of Sociology, University of South Wales
Professor Roiyah Saltus FLSW. I understand the challenges early career researchers (ECRs) face and the impact of not harnessing their enthusiasm within the academic sector. Moreover, I am aware of how factors such as age, gender, class, race, and career breaks can hinder ECRs’ recognition and advancement. I am dedicated to fostering a supportive and inspiring environment for academics, learning from their fresh perspectives, and leveraging my experience to create growth opportunities and advancement pathways. My roles as a PhD supervisor, Principal Investigator, and lead Academic on the RCBC’s ‘Community of Scholars’ pathway have allowed me to provide vocational support and share expertise with many ECRs. I am enthusiastic about continuing to support ECRs within our LSW and welcome this new role.
Faculty of Business and Creative Industries, University of South Wales
Dr Ruth Atherton completed her PhD in early modern History at the University of Birmingham in 2018 and joined the University of South Wales (USW) as a Lecturer in History in 2020 teaching on the BA History and Integrated Foundation programmes. Ruth’s academic journey has been somewhat non-traditional and she completed her PhD part-time whilst working full-time in publishing and raising two small boys. Ruth is committed to widening participation in higher education and in 2022 she was appointed the University’s ECR Network Lead. As a member of the Advisory Group, Ruth wants to utilise her experience to develop creative initiatives to support researcher development across Wales.
School of Chemistry, Swansea University
Dr Helen Chadwick has an MChem and PhD from the University of Oxford and worked as a post-doctoral researcher in Switzerland and The Netherlands before returning to the UK. Helen received a Future Leaders Fellowship in 2024, hosted in the Chemistry Department at Swansea University, where she is currently a Senior Lecturer. Having been the co-chair of the Faculty of Science and Engineering Research Staff Working Group at Swansea University, and through her experience as a researcher, Helen is aware of the barriers facing ECRs and, as a member of the Advisory Group, Helen aims to minimise these barriers.
DECIPHer, Cardiff University
Dr Caitlyn Donaldson is a Research Associate at Cardiff University, working in DECIPHer, a public health research centre, and the Wolfson Centre for Young People’s Mental Health. Her research interests include young people’s mental health and wellbeing, health inequalities and school transition. She currently runs a mentoring group for PhD students within her research centre and is an active member of the Cardiff University Empower gender equality network and the British Academy early career network. As a member of the Advisory Group, Caitlyn is keen to establish pathways for ECRs from different universities to come together and develop research ideas, write funding bids, share expertise and explore interdisciplinary collaboration.
School of Education and Socal Policy, Cardiff Metropolitan University
Dr Edith England is a Senior Lecturer in Social Policy and Practice at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Edith’s research focuses on housing inequalities, with current and recent projects including a large study of the housing experiences of neurodivergent people, and UK-wide survey on housing and homelessness among LGBTQ+ people, and a mixed-methods study on wellbeing and burnout among domestic abuse sector workers. As a member of the Advisory Group, Edith aims to advocate for a supportive, inclusive environment for all researchers in Wales, and to address the specific challenges facing researchers in post-92 universities.
HRC School of Law, Swansea University
Dr Gareth Evans is a Lecturer in Law at the HRC School of Law at Swansea University where he teaches constitutional law and legal systems. He holds an LLB and PhD in Law from Aberystwyth University and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. His research interests lie in public law, political history and the law of devolution in Wales. As a member of the Advisory Group, Gareth wants to shape a more inclusive and supportive environment for researchers in Wales.
Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University
Steffan James is a researcher in sustainable supply chain management who transitioned into academia following a career as an engineer in the manufacturing industry. Passionate about sustainability, Steffan is dedicated to embedding it at the heart of research and innovation. As a member of the Advisory Group Steffan is committed to fostering collaboration across universities and the public and private sectors, drawing on his experience in industry and academia. Steffan views Wales as an ideal testbed for new ideas and technologies and believes early and mid-career researchers should have opportunities to bring their ideas to life.
School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University
Dr Esther Muddiman is a lecturer in the Sociology of Education at Cardiff University’s School of Social Science with a particular interest in youth activism, intergenerational justice, sustainability and civic engagement. Esther is delighted to be joining the Advisory Group at a pivotal time for research in Wales, and bring with her experience of campaigning for job security and enhanced conditions for early career researchers. Esther hopes to contribute to the excellent work that LSW has been doing to develop and enhance inclusive practices and the wider move towards not just accommodating but celebrating diversity in all of its forms.
School of Computer Science and Infomatics, Cardiff University
Dr Yipeng Qin is a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director of Research at the School of Computer Science and Informatics at Cardiff University. His expertise spans artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision, where he leads impactful projects funded by organisations like EPSRC, Royal Society, and Airbus. As Lead of the Computer Vision Research Group, he promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, diversity, and inclusivity in research. Through the Advisory Group for Researcher Development, he aims to address challenges like funding and career progression while fostering industry partnerships and interdisciplinary initiatives.
Department of Computer Science, Aberystwyth University
Dr Yasir Saleem Shaikh is a Lecturer in Computer Science and co-convener of the Early Career Researcher Network at Aberystwyth University. In both roles, he has witnessed the challenges researchers encounter and understands their specific needs. As a member of the Advisory Group, Yasir is keen to address the challenges international researchers face in Wales, especially in navigating the research landscape of Wales and the UK. He aims to help create opportunities for researchers to connect, collaborate, and access the support they need to make meaningful contributions to society.
Public Health Wales
Dr Catherine Sharp is a Principal Public Health Researcher at Public Health Wales. Catherine’s research considers how to prevent and protect both vulnerable individuals and whole populations from harm, and to support positive behaviour change to effectively promote and improve health and well-being across the life-course, whilst also considering the policy landscape. She is currently the project lead for Time to Talk Public Health, a nationally representative population panel in Wales, which regularly surveys members of the public to understand their attitudes, opinions, emotions and interests on a range of public health topics to inform policy and practice.
IBERS, Aberystwyth University
Dr Hannah Vallin is a multi-disciplinary researcher specialising in DNA metabarcoding and eDNA analysis for ecological and biodiversity research. Following Hannah’s PhD on herbivore dietary analysis, she held two postdoctoral research assistant positions at Aberystwyth University, focusing on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Hannah is Chair of the Aberystwyth University ECR Committee and brings insights from addressing ECR challenges, organising impactful events, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, promoting inclusivity in research, supporting mentorship initiatives, and enhancing research impact in areas like ecology, sustainability and biodiversity.
