Claire Eades

Claire's Story

Having achieved her undergraduate and Masters degrees at Stirling, Claire Eades was in no doubt over where she wanted to work towards her PhD.

The 33-year-old was working for the NHS when she applied for the PhD, which focused on the risk of Type 2 diabetes in high risk groups and resulted in five published papers.

She said: “I was drawn by the great experiences I had at Stirling previously – the supportive staff, the beautiful campus and the opportunity to study alongside like-minded people and develop different areas of expertise.”

Claire, who was the first in her family to go to university, registered for her PhD in 2011 and – after taking a year of maternity leave to start a family – submitted in 2018. During this time, she was appointed as a lecturer in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport – and she is grateful to her supervisors, colleagues and family for their support.

“It has been invaluable,” Claire, from Falkirk, continued. “Juggling a PhD, a job, and then starting a family has – without doubt – been stressful, but I have received great guidance.

“My supervisors were very supportive and really understanding about my circumstances. I was given the confidence to believe I could achieve my PhD while maintaining a work-life balance. The support, encouragement and belief has been vital.”

Claire, who describes her time at Stirling as “fun, challenging and happy”, will continue working at the University after graduating.