My mum inspires me to work hard and persevere even when times are tough. She came to the UK from Austria 30 years ago, perfected her English and raised six children. Our family went through some difficult times around 10 years ago which could have broken her, but she bounced back stronger than ever and got a job to provide for me and my younger brother. Her job is not the most prestigious, but she is dedicated to it and is kind and respectful to everyone she works with. Her work ethic and attitude have been an inspiration to me and I owe it to her to be doing this PhD.
I have always been interested in why people think and behave the way they do, so I did my degree in Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London. I worked a few years in mental health services and research before doing my Masters in Human Cognitive Neuropsychology at the University of Edinburgh. I then decided to do something completely different and spent a year in Japan, working and travelling around the country. I started my PhD in September 2018, focusing on neuroimaging and mental health.