Rotary Scholar

Annika Theodoulou

For several years now, our club has hosted a Rotary Scholar. This initiative is funded by the Rotary Foundation.
For this academic year, 21 scholars are hosted by the clubs in District 1090. One graduate is studying in Brunel, one in Reading and the others in Oxford. The scholars are from 12 different countries and 14 are studying for their Masters and 7 for DPhils.

For 2020 - 2021 Misbourne Matins is hosting Annika Theodoulou from Adelaide, Australia. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic Annika had to start her DPhil studies at St Catherine's College, Oxford remotely from Adelaide, but we hope to welcome Annika soon in the UK.

Below is a profile she has sent us:

"In 2012, I graduated from a Bachelor of Health Sciences at the University of Adelaide in Australia. I then began my career as a research assistant for a non-for-profit musculoskeletal research institute, where I contributed to clinical trials and led systematic reviews investigating a wide variety of musculoskeletal conditions. Alongside this role, I completed a Masters of Clinical Science with The Joanna Briggs Institute and was awarded the Dean’s Commendation for Master of Research Thesis Excellence. My research demonstrated the increased risk of complications in patients with obesity and diabetes undergoing upper-limb joint replacement outcomes.

In 2018, I joined the University of Oxford as a Systematic reviewer. I worked for the Health Behaviours team, and now currently with the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine on research aiming to improve health through behaviour change. My research interests are focussed on evidence synthesis, and on interventions for smoking cessation and weight management.

Tobacco smoking is the major cause of preventable death and disease worldwide, and current interventions for smoking cessation may exacerbate existing health disparities. During my doctorate, I will aim to produce a body of research to increase our understanding of smoking cessation behaviours and outcomes in disadvantaged populations."