Katy Schnitzler

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Health & Wellbeing (2020 cohort)

My PhD qualitatively investigates women’s experience of miscarriage within the pro-natal workplace. Specifically considering women’s experience of workplace support (or lack thereof) following early pregnancy loss. The impact of this prevalent, yet often stigmatised and overlooked experience has upon work, including career journeys and aspirations is brought to light. Lastly, the opportunities and barriers organisations, HR professionals and managers face in the provision of effective support strategies are also considered. Research will be collated through innovative means, including body-mapping interviews, analysis of internet forum discussions and an autoethnography.               

Alongside my PhD I run a training company called MIST which enables organisations to better support their employees experiencing pregnancy loss, infertility and/or childlessness through policy writing, training and coaching. This consultancy also facilitates public engagement and dissemination of my PhD research.  

I also lecture at a partner college affiliated with Plymouth University, teaching on Health and Social Care, Psychology and Teaching degrees. I teach, and have taught, various subjects over my 10 year career, including equality, research methods, literature reviewing, psychology and sociology. I also supervise dissertation student projects.

My first Masters degree is in Business Psychology and my thesis (‘Gendered discourse within the workplace: subconscious gender inequality?’) achieved a high distinction and won the student prize, and was also presented at a BPS conference, where it was awarded a prize for research innovation. My first paper, which I wrote during my Research Associate role with St. George’s University, was selected as Editor’s Highlight within IJNS.