• Professor Rachel Shaw is associate dean for research and enterprise at Aston University School of Psychology
• Her inaugural lecture is entitled ‘The Will to Meaning: making sense of life’s challenges’
• Professor Shaw is an expert in qualitative research methods and specialises in workplace wellbeing.

Professor Rachel Shaw, associate dean for research and enterprise in the School of Psychology at Aston University, will give a public lecture about her life’s work on 8 April 2025.

While much of science is based on quantitative methods – things that can be counted or quantified – Professor Shaw has developed significant expertise in qualitative methods – listening to people – and being guided by people’s stories to make sense of their experience. She uses this information, where possible, to improve their quality of life, from studying violent films, examining experiences of breastfeeding with mothers and midwives, to understanding patients’ illness diagnosis stories and their navigation of healthcare services.

Now, Professor Shaw’s work now focuses on improving workplace wellbeing, particularly in paediatric critical care. Her latest collaboration with the Aston Villa Foundation aims to provide robust and transparent mechanisms for recording and reporting the wide-reaching impacts their community projects have on the individuals who engage with them, but also more broadly within the Birmingham area.

The lecture, entitled ‘The Will to Meaning: making sense of life’s challenges’, will cover Professor Shaw’s personal journey from her childhood in Oldham to her academic career, spanning Coventry, Leicester, and Aston University. She will credit the brilliant colleagues and PhD students who have contributed to her research journey, and showcase the powerful impact of qualitative research on society.

Professor Shaw is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and a Health Psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

She said:

“It has been such a privilege to learn from people’s experiences about how we can better process and respond to challenging life events. Working with clinicians in high-pressure, high-stakes environments has provided unique insight into how we might care for the carers and respect their needs while they provide lifesaving and life-affirming care for others.”

The lecture on Tuesday 8 April 2025 will take place in the Susan Cadbury Lecture Theatre at Conference Aston. In-person tickets are available from Eventbrite. The public lecture will begin at 18:30 GMT with refreshments served from 18:00 GMT. It is free of charge and will be followed by a drinks reception. The lecture will also be streamed online.