Megan Ryan - PG Researcher Profile

Megan Ryan (Graduated)

Course: Structured Ph.D.
Role: PhD Graduate
Email: megan.ryan@ul.ie
Qualifications: Bachelor of Arts (1st Hons) in Psychology and Sociology, University of Limerick

Proposed PhD title:  

The Truth Behind the Fairy tale of Economic Growth: Exploring the Stress of Economic Inequality

PhD supervisors

  • Prof Orla Muldoon
  • Prof Stephen Gallagher
  • Prof Jolanda Jetten

Profile:

Megan graduated from the BA: Psychology & Sociology course in UL in 2018. She then continued in higher education and is currently working towards a PhD by research in UL’s  Psychology department

Project Description

Overall, my research aims to combine social and health psychology to investigate the effect of inequality on health. Specifically, the possibility that inequality is a ‘stressor’ negatively affecting health.

Inequality lies at the heart of many contemporary social ills. Epidemiologists Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett state that economic growth has done all it can for us as a society and is now delivering ever-diminishing returns. Increased wealth no longer delivers increased health, at least at the population level. Wilkinson & Pickett attribute this to growing inequality and say inequality negatively affects the health of everyone in society, both rich and poor. Inequality has also appears to damage social connections, increase crime and isolation. This has led some to suggest inequality could be a form of stress.

The overall aim of this project is to investigate the possibility of inequality as a ‘stressor’ and what impact this may have on health.

Funding:

PhD Studentship Award (2018 – 2022), Department of Psychology, University of Limerick

Awards and Honours:

Recipient of President’s Letter of Exceptional Academic Performance in final year of undergraduate

Teaching:

Teaching assistant on undergraduate and postgraduate modules, Department of Psychology, University of Limerick

  • PS4043Empirical Psychology 1
  •  PS4045 Advanced Research Methods
  • PS6032 Advanced Analysis 2
  • PS4032 Psychology and Social Issues

Memberships