Lienkie Diedericks

Can you tell us about your PhD?

My PhD looked at how colonial apartheid institutions, and that whole context and history, affects tuberculosis (TB) sufferers in South Africa today.

Any epidemiologist in South Africa will tell you that the leading cause of death is TB. But this is the primary cause of death only for Black South Africans, not white South Africans. So really, I was investigating the durable effect of racism in health systems.

And what did you discover?

During my PhD I found that there are very durable myths around TB that cause these health inequalities. These myths relate to, not only how TB is seen as a disease construct in South Africa, but also how it is treated in global health, particularly by the World Health Organisation and the TB partnership.

What did you do before your PhD?

For my undergraduate degree, I studied a mixture of languages and philosophy. Then I started a postgraduate degree at the University of Cape Town, but during this time I got very, very ill. I became disabled and I couldn’t walk.

Although I couldn’t finish my original postgraduate degree, I applied to King's for a different masters and got it. While I was doing my master’s degree a King’s professor approached me and asked if I would like to do a PhD.

What support did you have during your PhD?

I got a mentor through the university mentoring scheme. He is a past professor and he really helped me get through challenges that arose during my PhD, including when I was diagnosed with ADHD. He is in his 80’s now and is still my BFF, we go out for a curry every six weeks or so. I also have a really supportive partner, and a supportive family. 

How have you found being a PhD student with a disability?

One of the reasons I chose King’s was because the Disability Services looked good. That doesn’t mean that everything was easy, and there were some hurdles with my accommodation at the start.

Then I met the Head of Disability Services, and it was his first day at King’s as well. So we learnt a lot about navigating King’s with a disability together. This was so helpful because I was quite a complex case.

If there is someone with a disability considering applying for a PhD, what would be your advice to them?

I would encourage them to go for it, but to choose their PhD wisely.

Start by thinking carefully about your needs and requirements. Often these only become apparent when you start something, but it is better to anticipate them beforehand if you can.

Try to find out more about what it is like doing a PhD at the Institution, from non-disabled people or fellow disabled people. Go and check out the disability services and make sure they have the funding and equipment you need.

This planning will never be perfect, but going in with your eyes wide open is so helpful.

Then start creating a network of support as soon as possible, and get to know your case officer in the Disability Services.

PhDs are challenging for everyone, whether you are disabled or not, so you will need to love the topic, be intensely interested in it, and be clear about your motivation for doing it. Knowing this will help you get through any challenging times.

How easy is it to broaden your skill set while doing a PhD at Kings?

For example, I learned to podcast, which led me to a fantastic job after graduating – creating a podcast with funding and support from the King’s Doctoral College. The podcast, along with other invaluable experience at the King’s Doctoral College and with the EDI central team, meant I got a job at the Royal Institute of British Architects as a Diversity and Inclusion Specialist.

The skills I learnt also helped me secure my current job, as Research Culture Manager back at King’s.

What activities have you done outside of your PhD?

Throughout my PhD, I was also working for the King’s Doctoral College and as a Research Associate and assistant on various different research projects both at King’s and in collaboration with researchers from the Ethox Centre in Oxford.

I was also the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead for the King's Doctoral Students' Association, and I was a Disability Project Officer. My work, and that of my colleagues, has changed college-wide post-graduate research policies to be even more inclusive and we created an online disability hub.

These working experiences really complimented my PhD and allowed me to get work experience outside of academia or adjacent to academia.

I never set out to do EDI work to further my career, I did it because it was the right thing to do. I really wanted other people to have an even better experience than I did, and selfishly, wanted to improve some things for myself as well while I was here. Then it ended up being instrumental in my career.

Are there social activities to get involved with at King’s?

I joined Access King’s, the disability network, and I still have a huge number of friends there. I also joined Proudly King’s, the staff LGBTQ+ network and that was so helpful too.

There are also loads of events going on. I am not particularly religious, but the Chaplaincy has some really cool stuff going on. They do walking tours, I went to an amazing one around St Paul’s Cathedral. That was something I would never have normally done, but you meet such interesting and diverse groups of people. The hobby clubs are also good, I went to the dance school, even with my legs.

It is so important to get out there, have fun and build these wider support networks, even when you feel time-strapped with your PhD. Life is what you make of it.

How much support do King’s give you with building your career?

The career services are a lifeline. You have a careers advisor with you every step of the way and this stays in place for two years after you finish.

My careers advisor helped me find a field I wanted to work in. He asked me, ‘What do you like doing? Do you want to do science writing? Journalism?’ So I looked at job descriptions to see what different roles involved and what sort of experience was needed.

After leaving my PhD my careers advisor read my job applications, and helped me prepare for the interview for the new job I just got.

I would also encourage PhD students to take the courses the careers service offers, like work experience workshops and chances to work on your CV.

Was there anything that surprised you about doing a PhD?

I think I, like a lot of people, didn’t really appreciate what doing a PhD would be like. When you are doing a PhD you are less like a student, you are an apprentice researcher. Your job is to learn the craft of research.

What advice would you give to someone choosing a PhD?

I would stress the importance of how carefully you need to choose your supervisor because a PhD is a long time to work with someone.

It is like getting married to someone - you need to stay together through the good times and the bad. You do ultimately have to take that leap of faith and choose someone, but don’t get married at first sight.

Find out about your future supervisor - read their work, talk to other students that were or are doing a PhD with them, and talk to their colleagues about them.

What advice would you give to someone doing a PhD now?

Make time to do things outside of your PhD itself because you will get a much richer experience and a wider view of the research community.

Doing this might also open up career opportunities you hadn’t thought of. A lot of people doing a PhD don't end up doing research, many of us end up doing jobs adjacent to academia like I am doing now, and we're good at it. These jobs provide an interesting and valuable career.

Finally, any tips for making writing your thesis easier?

The last months where you need to write your thesis can be very stressful. It can be the time that imposter syndrome really creeps in.

My top tip is to read other people’s PhD theses from the beginning of your PhD. By doing this you can really see what you are aiming for. Try also to seek opportunities to share your work with other people, even before your writing is in a polished form. If you can, create a group of colleagues from across the faculty, and meet up with them to present and share your work. I regret not doing more of this.

I had lots of self doubt while I was writing up, despite my supervisor saying it would be ok. It was hard to believe her, but in the end my thesis was nominated as one of the best in the college. This shows how profoundly dysfunctional your views of how you are doing can become, and why it is so important to listen to others and keep everything in perspective.