Final Reflections: What Happens When You Give Your Brain Space to Breathe?

This summer, through my UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, I spent four weeks on secondment at the John A. Shepherd Research Laboratory, University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center.

Over the course of this blog series, I’ve written about why I went, what it took to get there, the practical realities of relocating a family halfway around the world, and the professional experiences and observations that emerged week by week. Now that I’m back in the UK, with some distance from the experience, I’ve found myself reflecting on what I actually gained from it.

The surprising thing is that many of my biggest takeaways have very little to do with specific projects, papers or methods. Instead, they are about perspective.

Returning Home

As I write this, I’ve just returned from driving through the Peak District. Normally, I’d describe it as dramatic, beautiful and rugged. Instead, I find myself comparing it to Hawaiʻi. The hills feel flatter than I remember. The grass feels less vibrant. The air feels cooler. The leaves are already turning, and there is a definite sense that autumn has arrived.

After weeks of volcanic landscapes, tropical vegetation, warm seas and endless horizons, my frame of reference has shifted. I find myself missing the ocean – which really isn’t something I thought I would ever say … being quiet scared of deep water.

I miss being able to float in warm water at the end of the day. I miss seeing wildlife on every snorkelling trip. I miss the fruit, the rice, the pineapple and the watermelon. I’m even missing Spam musubi. That probably says more about how much I enjoyed the experience than anything else.

At the same time, it’s also reminded me how fortunate I am at home. Jet lag has meant I’ve spent several early mornings awake in the garden listening to tawny owls, watching squirrels and hearing foxes in the distance. The wildlife may be different, but there is still plenty to appreciate. What has changed is my perspective.

Professional Reflections

The biggest professional benefit of the secondment wasn’t learning a new technique. It was having time to think. Space to think is probably the most valuable thing the fellowship gave me.

Not conference thinking.

Not meeting thinking.

Not trying-to-answer-emails-while-thinking thinking.

Actual uninterrupted thinking.

For the first time in a long time, I felt as though my brain had room to breathe.

Stepping away from the normal pressures of university life gave me the opportunity to reflect on my research, my leadership, my priorities and the direction I want to take my work.

 

Over the last year, particularly since returning from maternity leave, I think I had allowed myself to become consumed by the day-to-day challenges of academia. Like many people working in universities, I had become increasingly focused on deadlines, pressures and uncertainty.

Without realising it, some of my enthusiasm had become buried underneath all of that.

This secondment reminded me why I enjoy research in the first place.

It reminded me how much I enjoy ideas.

How much I enjoy solving problems.

How much I enjoy talking to people who care deeply about similar questions. And how much I still want to build things, create opportunities and contribute to my field. Perhaps most importantly, it reminded me that the world is much bigger than my institution.

Working alongside researchers on the other side of the world made me realise how isolated I sometimes feel academically. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with wonderful people over the years, but being immersed in an environment where everyone is working on related topics was incredibly energising.

It was refreshing to discover that researchers in Hawaiʻi face many of the same problems we face in the UK. The contexts may be different. The systems may be different. The solutions may be different. But the underlying challenges often look remarkably similar.

Leadership Reflections

One theme that emerged repeatedly throughout the secondment was leadership. Not leadership as a title. Leadership as a series of daily choices.

I spent a lot of time observing how people interacted with students, researchers and colleagues. Some approaches resonated strongly with me. Others prompted me to think carefully about the sort of leader I want to become. One conclusion I’ve returned to repeatedly is that how we make people feel matters.

The most effective leaders I have encountered create clarity, provide support and make people feel valued. That doesn’t mean they avoid difficult conversations. It means they approach those conversations thoughtfully.

The secondment reinforced how determined I am to ensure my actions align more closely with my intentions. I’ve always wanted to create supportive, positive environments for students and colleagues. The challenge now is making sure people experience those intentions in practice rather than simply hearing me talk about them. I want people to see my values through my behaviour. Not just through my ambitions.

Personal Reflections

One of the reasons I wanted this blog series to include personal reflections is because experiences like this do not happen in isolation. Researchers don’t arrive at airports as researchers and leave their identities as parents, partners or people behind. We bring all of those parts of ourselves with us.

 

Recently, I read an excellent article in Nature discussing the realities of travelling internationally with families. It resonated strongly because it captured something I had experienced throughout this trip: family travel is rewarding, but it is also considerably more complex than academic travel alone.

Our children were outstanding. They embraced new foods. They adapted to disrupted sleep. They tolerated long flights. They climbed volcanoes, explored beaches, visited laboratories, waited patiently while I worked, and approached every experience with curiosity and enthusiasm. Watching them experience a different culture and environment was one of the highlights of the entire trip.

The secondment would have been valuable if I had travelled alone. The fact that my family could experience it alongside me made it far more meaningful. It also made me think differently about future opportunities.

As my children get older, I want to find more ways of bringing them into these experiences where possible. Not because they need to become academics, but because I want them to see the world, meet different people and realise how much opportunity exists beyond the places they know today.

People Reading the Blogs

One thing that genuinely surprised me was how many people read these blogs. When I started writing them, I assumed the audience would largely consist of close friends, family and perhaps a handful of colleagues.

Instead, people began mentioning them in meetings. Potential collaborators referenced them. Colleagues discussed them. People reached out because they had followed the journey. That was completely unexpected.

The blogs achieved exactly what I had hoped they might: they created a record of the experience while also opening conversations that would probably never have happened otherwise. For that reason alone, I suspect I will continue using reflective writing as part of future projects.

So Was It Worth It?

Absolutely.

Professionally, it gave me new skills, new ideas, new connections and new perspectives. Personally, it gave me experiences and memories that my family and I will carry for a long time.

It reminded me why I love research. It reminded me why international collaboration matters. It showed me that stepping away from your normal environment can sometimes be the most productive thing you do.

Most importantly, it reminded me that opportunities like this should not simply be appreciated after they happen. They should be pursued. Throughout the trip, people kept asking whether I would do something similar again. The answer is simple. Yes. Without hesitation.

In fact, rather than mourning that the experience is over, my focus now is figuring out how to create another opportunity like it. Because that may be the biggest lesson of all. Sometimes the best response to an extraordinary experience is not to look backwards and wish it hadn’t ended. It’s to look forwards and start planning the next adventure.

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Mahalo Hawaiʻi. Thank you to everyone who welcomed me, supported me and shared their expertise throughout the secondment. The experience has left a lasting impact on both me and my family, and I hope this is the beginning of many future collaborations rather than the end of a single visit.

As I move into the second week of my secondment in Hawaiʻi, I am becoming increasingly aware that the most valuable aspects of the experience extend well beyond learning specific measurement techniques or research methods. While those elements remain important, this week has highlighted the value of stepping outside familiar environments and viewing established ways of working through a different lens.

One of the highlights of the week was spending time in the laboratory observing participant testing and data collection. It was fascinating to see a range of technologies being used together to explore human health, body composition and physiological characteristics. Watching different approaches in practice encouraged me to think more broadly about how various measurement methods can complement one another and contribute to answering complex research questions.

Experiences like these are particularly valuable because they provide opportunities to compare approaches, explore alternative perspectives and reflect on the reasoning that underpins different methodologies. In research, there is often more than one way to tackle a challenge, and seeing those variations first-hand helps broaden our understanding of both the strengths and limitations of our own practices.

Alongside laboratory observations, much of the week was devoted to developing existing research projects and exploring new ideas. A conversation about anthropometric measurement challenges led me down an unexpected path, eventually developing into a draft protocol for a Delphi study. What began as a relatively small methodological question quickly revealed larger issues around consistency, guidance and consensus within practice.

These moments have reminded me how often research opportunities emerge from everyday conversations. Some of the most interesting projects do not begin with a grand proposal. Instead, they grow from practical questions that researchers encounter while working in the field or the laboratory.

The secondment has also provided dedicated space to make progress on several manuscripts and ongoing projects. Time away from normal routines can create valuable opportunities to revisit work that has been sitting on a to-do list for months. During the week I was able to advance a number of writing projects and continue exploring questions around anthropometric databases, digital human modelling and body shape research.

A recurring theme has been the growing role of artificial intelligence within academic workflows. Using AI tools to support editing, organisation and manuscript development has reinforced my view that these technologies can be powerful research assistants when combined with subject expertise and critical thinking. They can accelerate tasks and reduce administrative burden, but they work best when guided by strong domain knowledge and careful judgement.

The week has also encouraged me to reflect on research culture, collaboration and leadership. Spending time in a different institution naturally prompts comparisons, not in terms of identifying what is better or worse, but in understanding how different environments support researchers, organise activities and build collaborative relationships. These observations have given me plenty of ideas to bring back to Sheffield and consider within my own practice.

One lesson I continue to relearn is the importance of focus. Being surrounded by new ideas, people and opportunities is energising, but it also creates a temptation to pursue everything at once. Some of my most productive moments this week came when I identified a clear priority and concentrated on moving it forward rather than switching continually between tasks.

Outside work, I am gradually becoming more familiar with life in Hawaiʻi itself. Even simple routines such as travelling to work, exploring the local area and experiencing a different pace of life contribute to the overall secondment experience. They provide useful context for understanding the environment in which colleagues live and work, and they have helped make the experience feel increasingly immersive.

As I look ahead to the coming weeks, I am hoping to build on the connections I have started to develop, gain further insight into ongoing research activities and continue progressing several key outputs. Most importantly, I want to make the most of the opportunity to learn from talented researchers whose perspectives and experiences differ from my own.

One of the greatest benefits of any secondment is that it creates space to step back from established routines and see familiar challenges from a fresh perspective. This week has been a reminder that professional development often comes not only from what we learn, but from how we learn it, who we learn it from, and the questions we ask along the way.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the week has been meeting colleagues from a wide range of professional backgrounds. Conversations have ranged from clinical practice and medical imaging to nutrition, body composition and public health. Spending time with researchers whose expertise differs from my own has provided new perspectives on many of the questions that we face in anthropometry and body composition research.

A particular highlight was visiting the body composition laboratory and learning more about the technologies used to assess infants, children and adults. Seeing their approaches first-hand prompted numerous discussions about data collection, participant experience and the practical realities of working with different populations. It was striking how many of the methodological challenges we encounter in the UK are also being addressed here. Whether the topic was 3D scanning, body composition assessment or the development of prediction models, many of the same questions arose.

One lesson that has emerged repeatedly is the value of collaboration. The research landscape can sometimes feel highly specialised, but spending time with colleagues here has reinforced how much progress depends on sharing experiences, comparing approaches and learning from one another. Several discussions this week generated ideas that I would not have reached independently and highlighted opportunities for future collaboration.

Alongside these conversations, I have begun work on a project exploring anthropometry guidance and training materials. Reviewing existing resources has helped me think more broadly about how we support researchers and practitioners who are either new to anthropometry or looking to apply it in different settings. The process has already generated ideas that could have value well beyond the specific aims of the secondment.

The week also provided a useful reminder of the importance of communication and knowledge exchange. Attending student presentations and speaking with researchers across different disciplines highlighted the breadth of work taking place within the institution. It has encouraged me to think more creatively about how we communicate anthropometry research and how we make specialist knowledge more accessible to wider audiences.

Away from the specific projects, one of the benefits of spending time in a different research environment is the opportunity to reflect on my own practice. Observing different organisational structures, research priorities and working approaches inevitably prompts comparisons with home. Rather than identifying a single best way of doing things, the experience has reinforced that strong research is often built upon diverse skills, perspectives and experiences.

I am particularly conscious that this opportunity has only been possible because of my UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. The fellowship was designed to support ambitious research and leadership development, and this secondment is providing exactly that. Having the opportunity to spend time in a world-leading research environment, learn from colleagues with different expertise, and build international connections is a genuine privilege. I am extremely grateful for the support that has made this possible and determined to make the most of every opportunity during my time here. My aim is not only to strengthen my own knowledge and skills, but also to bring lessons, collaborations and ideas back to benefit colleagues, students and research activities in the UK.

Looking ahead, I am keen to build on the connections made during this first week, continue developing the anthropometry guidance work and explore additional opportunities for collaboration. I am particularly interested in learning more about infant body composition assessment and understanding how emerging technologies might strengthen anthropometric practice in the future.

Week one has been a week of listening, learning and making connections. Although there is still much to explore, it has already demonstrated the value of stepping outside familiar surroundings and engaging with a different research community. I am looking forward to seeing where the next few weeks lead.