Bristol PhD student graduates after motorbike crash left her unable to recall her research

A 46-year-old PhD student who lost memory of her own research after a motorbike crash has now completed her doctorate.

EmmaLucy Cole was in the second year of her English literature PhD when she crashed in Iceland and was left with a brain injury.

The former University of Bristol student finally graduated last week, after taking a year away from her studies.

via University of Bristol

Originally from Taunton, Dr Cole was left with post-concussion syndrome and memory loss after a motorbike accident in 2023.

EmmaLucy was forced to take a year off to recover, after the injury meant she forgot all of her research. In her graduation on Friday February 13th, she credited the support of her supervisors, the brain injury charity Headway Somerset, and the university’s disability services, which arranged a tailored study plan, reasonable adjustments, and mentoring.

via University of Bristol

Before the accident, EmmaLucy had been working as a lecturer alongside her studies but had to stop while recovering due to severe fatigue.

“I am extremely relieved to have managed to complete the PhD, with the support of my fantastic supervisors,” Dr Cole said.

“I was exhausted. But this was a different kind of exhaustion,” Dr Cole said of her recovery process.

“My loss of memory meant that I had forgotten all my research and had to go back to my uncompleted thesis with fresh eyes as I couldn’t recall what I had done and how I had come to the conclusions I had.

“Financially it was also very challenging because I was unable to work. The university provided some financial support which really helped.”

Although she continues to experience ongoing effects from the head injury and says there is still “a long way to go yet”, Dr Cole plans to move to Scotland, where she hopes to rebuild her academic writing and teaching career and eventually return to outdoor activities.