Spotlight: Joana Morrison

This month IEHC talks to Joana Morrsion who is a Research Associate within the Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH).

Joana helps organise the hugely popular EPH guest speaker seminars and explains why the seminars are so important to everyone in IEHC and across UCL.

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What attracted you to UCL?

I started working at UCL five years ago and what attracted me most was working in a department with many renowned researchers.  Many of the articles I had read were published by researchers working at UCL in our EPH department and I thought it would be a good opportunity to collaborate with them and learn.

You are currently helping to organise the guest speaker seminars with other members of the department. Why do you think the seminars are important?

I think guest speaker seminars, in addition to the other great series of seminars organised within the Research Department and the Institute, are a great opportunity for researchers from all career stages to learn about research being carried out in other research institutions. It fosters networking and provides an arena for guest researchers to discuss and find out more, first-hand, about the research being carried out in the Department.

What did you do before you started your role here?

I worked in the Department of Health Information Systems within the Public Health Agency of Barcelona, Spain. It was a different type of role as we worked in a research only department and it was a smaller institution. Working in a university has given me the chance to teach and supervise students' work which has been a very educational experience for me.

What piece of advice would you give to new starters?

Especially for early career researchers I would recommend they take this opportunity to try and carry out studies which will help them in their career development and publish these. To take some time when they first arrive to establish career development and research priorities and to monitor themselves every six months to see if they are able to accomplish the majority of these. I would also recommend getting involved in face to face teaching and masters or undergraduate thesis supervision.  

Tell us something that surprised you about London?

There are many things as I am sure many other people who have moved here from other countries would agree with. For example, the ability to form an orderly queue and respect it without trying to push in, or how extremely busy the tube is during rush hour but it doesn't become as chaotic as in other places I have lived in. Another very surprising thing is that dogs are allowed in pubs and most establishments, which as a dog owner is a very nice custom. But I must say that what surprised me most is that even in the worst weather conditions that back in Barcelona or Sydney would have been deemed as horrendous and kept people indoors, in London, the streets are still bustling with people going about their day and keeping busy. I was very amazed and impressed!

What are you most proud of?

I guess about having moved to London in my mid-thirties for two only years in principle and then having made this complex and amazing city my own. After overcoming many challenges and uncertainties, I have lived here for five years and intend to stay on a more permanent basis, at least during the foreseeable future.

Where do you identify as home?

I used to have two homes: Barcelona, Spain and a coastal town north of Sydney called Avoca Beach. However, having lived in London for half a decade, this might have slightly changed and I would say we make our home. So, home can be anywhere where my partner and I settle down and feel welcome. 

View more information about Dr Joana Morrison via Research Gate

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