Melanie Packer

Senior Lecturer, School of Life and Health Sciences

Tell us about your career journey

My journey to becoming a qualified speech and language therapist started at BCU, where I qualified in 2006. It is an honour to call myself a speech and language therapist. I believe that the profession can provide value to our communities and provide a positive contribution to the wellbeing and quality of life of individuals. While the profession offers much good in the world, I also believe it could more effectively reduce barriers to care and existing health inequalities. After many years of working in practice, I decided to return to BCU in 2018. Now a Senior Lecturer, I am currently the Professional Academic Lead for Speech and Language Therapy.

What areas of research are you particularly interested in?

Clinically, my primary areas of interest include working in early years, prevention and population health. However, my current research interest brings together learning from my first-degree BA Communication and Sociology and professional degree in Speech and Language Therapy.

I am particularly motivated by decolonial methodologies and understanding the lived experience. I have recently co-produced a book with students and newly qualified speech and language therapists, which is due to be published by Routledge in early 2027. It focuses on the experiences of students on practice placements, aiming to promote reflexivity and successful placement outcomes.

My current doctoral research explores the lived experience of racism within the profession and the use of critical conversations to decolonise speech and language therapy. I am in the process of collecting data and am beginning to see emerging themes. I look forward to sharing my findings in the near future.

What challenges have you faced in academia?

I have come to understand that academia is an intricate domain which is heavily institutionalised. Understanding the mechanisms that govern academia can be obtuse and intangible. So, part of my challenge has been and continues to be demystifying and making sense of systems and processes.

This only partially explains the challenges; the second part I am learning is more inwards and relates to self-limiting beliefs. It's been important for me to recognise what these beliefs are and how they impact on my behaviours and inadvertently create unwanted barriers.

Lastly, representation and a sense of belonging is crucial. As someone of dual heritage, the limited representation in my profession and academia has been a big part of my time here at BCU, but I do see positive change. I hope that I can serve as a role model for our students and future healthcare workforce.

What are your hopes and aspirations for completing the programme?

I am already reaping the benefits of the programme. I now have a much clearer understanding of career progression within academia, which until starting the programme was an absolute mystery to me! It has helped me to reflect upon my academic success to date and consider a pathway for future development. I now see that the route to professorship is accessible.