Merissa Elizabeth Hickman

Merissa secured her PhD fellowship for the highly competitive Wellcome Trust Doctoral Training Programme in Genomic Epidemiology and Public Health Genomics at the University of Leicester. Her project sits within the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Genomics and Genomic Epidemiology Studies theme, and she is supervised by an interdisciplinary team who bring expertise in sociology, applied health services research and genetic epidemiology.

Merissa's doctoral project is ‘Maternal and Paternal futures: responsibilisation practices in the preconception period to ensure health outcomes for babies’. Merissa holds a position as Secretary for the UK Preconception Partnership's Early-and Mid-Career Researchers Network. She also currently serves as Co-Chair for the upcoming 2024 UK Preconception EMCR Network Conference. 

Merissa holds an MPhil in Genomic Medicine from the University of Cambridge. Beyond her academic achievements, she is deeply passionate about science communication and engagement. 

In January 2024, Merissa was published in The Conversation UK. Read the piece here: Four ways men and women can improve their health before trying to conceive

Merissa is happy to be contacted regarding her current and previous research, please reach out via email.

2023: MPhil in Genomic Medicine, University of Cambridge

2022: First Class BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Science, University of Hull