Dr Karen Gordon

Researcher Development Project Officer - Talent Lab (Research Services)
Widening Participation Postgraduate Tutor (External Relations)
Graduate Teaching Assistant (Psychology & Neuroscience Education Hub)

email: Karen.E.Gordon@glasgow.ac.uk
pronouns: She/her/hers

Biography

I completed my PhD in Psychology at the University of Glasgow in 2026. My doctoral research explored cross-cultural and embodied experiences of stress among doctoral researchers, examining how culture, stigma, coping, religiosity/spirituality and help-seeking shape mental health experiences and healthcare access. My work utilised a mixed-methods approach, including a systematic review and meta-analysis, quantitative survey research, and creative qualitative methods using semi-structured interviews and photo-elicitation.

I currently work within the University of Glasgow's Research Services Directorate, where I lead the planning, delivery and evaluation of researcher development initiatives that support research culture, interdisciplinary collaboration and research leadership.

Research interests

Somatic and embodied experiences of stress
Qualitative and mixed-methods health research
Healthcare access and health inequalities
Mental health, wellbeing and help-seeking
Lived experience research
Cross-cultural psychology
Stigma, coping and religion/spirituality
Systematic reviews and evidence synthesis
Creative qualitative methodologies (including photo-elicitation)
Translational research for healthcare policy and practice
Learning disabilities and long-term health conditions

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023

Number of items: 20.

2026

Webb, M., Oates, L. and Gordon, Karen (2026) Reflection, Values and Community: Key Ingredients for Successful ECR Support. R14 Higher Education, 9 July 2026.

Gordon, Karen (2026) Uncertainty to agency: what postdoctoral researchers need from career development [blog post]. [Website]

Gordon, Karen (2026) What an embedded Seed Fund can tell us about Research Culture [blog post]. [Website]

Gordon, Karen, Eager, Rachel, Royle, Joanna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7177-1601 and Guccione, Kay ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9910-9388 (2026) Navigating Multiple Dimensions of the Hidden Curriculum as Developers and Researchers. Researcher Education and Development Scholarship Conference 2026, Online, 21-22 Jan 2026. (Accepted for Publication)

Makara, Kara A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0712-0841, Duan, Chenyao, Gordon, Karen, Meng, Fanzhu, Wu, Zhihan, YU, Jin, Zhai, Chengli and Elliot, Dely Lazarte ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0711-5719 (2026) Stages of competence in doctoral researcher development: insights from a collective autoethnographic study of Journal Club participation. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 63(4), pp. 1142-1158. (doi: 10.1080/14703297.2026.2629483)

2025

Gordon, Karen, Elliot, Dely ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0711-5719 and Gardani, Maria ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0975-5971 (2025) Doctoral Stress Among Different Cultural Groups: A Creative Qualitative Investigation in Scotland. EARLI 2025, Graz, Austria, 25 - 29 August 2025.

Gordon, Karen, Elliot, Dely ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0711-5719 and Gardani, Maria ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0975-5971 (2025) Doctoral Stress Among Different Cultural Groups: A Quantitative Analysis in the UK. JURE 2025, Graz, Austria, 23 - 24 August 2025.

2024

Gordon, Karen (2024) Cross-Cultural Stress Experiences in the PGR Community: A Qualitative Investigation Using Photo-Elicitation. 31st Postgraduate and Early Career Researcher Research Symposium (PGECR), Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, 25 Oct 2024.

Gordon, Karen and Balgabekova, Dayana (2024) Amplifying Voices of International Doctoral Scholars and Graduates - Harnessing Distinct Contributions, Knowledge and Insights. EARLI SIG-24 Webinar, 06 May 2024.

Elliot, Dely Lazarte ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0711-5719, Gardani, Maria ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0975-5971, Gordon, Karen and Balgabekova, Dayana (2024) Harnessing New Knowledge, Insights and Engagement Through the Voices of International Doctoral Scholars. 14th Quality in Postgraduate Research Conference (QPR2024), Adelaide, Australia, 17-19 April 2024.

Gordon, Karen (2024) Shaping Your Research Through the Ethics Application: The Benefits and Drawbacks of the Process. PGR Led Seminars, School of Education, University of Glasgow, January 2024.

Elliot, Dely ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0711-5719, Gardani, Maria ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0975-5971, Gordon, Karen and Balgabekova, Dayana (2024) Amplifying Voices of International Doctoral Scholars on Intercultural Perspectives. Project Report. UKCISA, London. (Submitted)

2023

Makara, Kara A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0712-0841, Balgabekova, Dayana, Gordon, Karen, Meng, Fanzhu, Tripornchaisak, Natthaphon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9540-462X, WU, Zhihan and Elliot, Dely L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0711-5719 (2023) ‘It is a nice way to end the week’: Journal Club as an authentic and safe learning space. In: Elliot, Dely L., Bengtsen, Søren S. E. and Guccione, K. (eds.) Developing Researcher Independence Through the Hidden Curriculum. Palgrave Macmillan: London. ISBN 9783031428746 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-42875-3_6)

Gordon, Karen and Eager, Rachel (2023) The value of internships as a doctoral learning mode [blog post]. [Website]

Gordon, Karen (2023) Suspending Studies – Dispelling The Fear. [Website]

Gordon, Karen (2023) Wellbeing Tips for new PGRs: Reflections from a 3rd-year PhD Student. [Website]

Gordon, Karen (2023) Creating space: Navigating disability within academia. [Website]

Elliot, Dely L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0711-5719, Makara Fuller, Kara A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0712-0841, WU, Zhihan, Tripornchaisak, Natthaphon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9540-462X, Meng, Fanzhu, Gordon, Karen and Balgabekova, Dayana (2023) We even got snacks’: journal club as an authentic and safe space for engaging in scholarly debates and arguments. Higher Education Reform Conference (HER), Glasgow, UK, 21-23 June 2023. (Unpublished)

Gordon, Karen (2023) Crisis and care in PGR education. [Website]

Gordon, Karen (2023) Shaping Your Research Through the Ethics Application: The Benefits and Drawbacks of the Process. This PhD Life Conference, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland

This list was generated on Sun Aug 2 01:09:01 2026 BST.

Jump to: Articles | Book Sections | Research Reports or Papers | Conference or Workshop Item | Website

Number of items: 20.

Articles

Book Sections

Research Reports or Papers

Conference or Workshop Item