FAITH TISSA CV

Faith Tissa

Salford, UK, M3 7EE / faith.tissa@gmail.com/ +447568774204

 Profile                                                              

An early-career researcher with participatory research experience in health services and sociology fields.  Expertise includes semi-structured interviews, focus groups, mixed-method research, project management, stakeholder engagement, and administration. Previously held roles in tutoring, lecturing, and customer service. Interests include health, inequalities, digital media, social change, engagement, and research on questions of lived experience. Always willing to learn and take initiative to solve problems with curiosity and creativity. 

  

Education  

April 2017- December 2021  

PhD Digital Media and Culture (University of Central Lancashire) Completed  

Thesis title: Restyling Blackness: The Experiences and Construction of Natural Hair Practices among Black Women Living in the UK  

The thesis examined the experiences of Black women involved in the natural hair movement as it was represented on YouTube. The study was interdisciplinary, involving digital media, sociology, and psychology. It utilised social research methods such as interviews, focus groups, content analysis, and semiotics. A qualitative participatory design was adopted with both primary and secondary data collection methods. Twenty participants were recruited and interviewed across three focus group sessions in the fieldwork process. Transcripts of over 50,000 words were produced for analysis. Also, thirty-five YouTube videos related to women’s engagement in this movement were visually analysed. The data analysis process was further supported using NVivo qualitative research software. The study found that the significance of the participants’ experience emerged in the theme known as “seeing”. “Seeing" showed that through women’s construction of their images and their self-representation online, they were able to materialise as individuals and become validated in the consciousness of a society where they are often perceived as Other.

January 2014- April 2015  

MA Communication, Culture and Media (Coventry University) 

Key Modules: Social and Digital Media, Media Audiences, Cultural theory, Advertising, Global Media and Communication

   

September 2008- November 2011  

BA(Hons) English Literature (Ahmadu Bello University)

Key Modules: Critical Theory, Language and Society, Creative Writing.  

    

Additional Certifications 

Digital Business Accelerator   (E4all)                                                       April 2025- June 2025

Good Clinical Practice   (NIHR)                                                                  June 2024

Being a Leader  (Manchester University)                                                 November 2023- January 2024

Creative Writing (University of Oxford)                                                    July 2015- August 2015     

  

Experience

June 2024- date

Research-focused Virtual Assistant, Self-Employed, Remote.  

• Provide research, project coordination and administrative support across multiple projects, managing competing priorities and delivering work to agreed deadlines

• Support stakeholders through interviews, focus groups, desk research, project documentation and qualitative data collection.

• Produce reports, briefings, written communications, blog, video presentation and other materials for different audiences.

• Support the preparation and presentation of research findings, translating complex information into clear, accessible messages and recommendations.

• Manage sensitive information through transcription, transcript cleaning and data anonymisation, maintaining accuracy and confidentiality.

June 2023- May 2024

Research Associate, Newcastle University, Remote.  

• Research associate on the Diverse Experience of End-of-Life Care in Dementia project focused on improving end-of-life care for people from minoritised ethnic groups, including low socioeconomic groups.

• Responsible for the daily administration of the project, document preparation, emailbox management, scheduling, event organisation, project design, participant recruitment, leading focus groups, report writing, and presenting research at conferences.

• Searched academic databases and grey literature to prepare a scoping review on the topic.

• Planned, organised, and moderated online stakeholder group events and staff interviews.  

• Conducted thematic analysis and authored reports on findings. Utilised NVivo to analyse transcripts.

• Responsible for recruiting, building, and sustaining relationships with stakeholders.

• Team and task management: team meetings, collaborative documents, managing workflow, team communication, including social media management and blog writing.

• Contributed to the qualitative research paper by publishing the findings of the study

• Achievement: Collected, cleaned, analysed, and wrote reports and articles on nine transcripts of over 130,000 words.

January 2023- June 2023

Teaching and Learning Officer, University of Manchester, Manchester. 

• Responsible for the administrative duties of the School of Health placement office. 

• Performed audits, organised, captured data, prepared and maintained documentation using Microsoft Office, liaising with colleagues, email, and in-person interaction with students. 

• Designed, disseminated, and analysed student surveys using Qualtrics

• Achievement: Student feedback survey significantly improved the office's reputation compared to other years while in service.

 

August 2022- December 2022  

Research Project Assistant, Pearl Ltd, Remote.   

• Facilitated on boarding of research participants, including taking consent and training research participants to use apps for research assessments.  

• Communicated and collaborated with study participants, explaining assessment processes, and managed the study mailbox.

• Entry and capture of participant information into MS Excel Sheets (over 200 Excel columns and 70 research cases).  

• Cleaned, organised, and captured research data. 

• Achievement: Completed a high volume of data entries in the coding table one month before the expected schedule, accelerating the project timeline and saving resources.

March 2022- July 2022  

Research Associate, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.   

• Lead qualitative researcher on the LJMU BME Attainment Gap project.  

• Conducted a Literature review

• Recruited participants and designed interview and focus group questions.  

• Planned, organised, and moderated student focus group events and staff interviews.  

• Conducted analysis, authored reports on findings, and led presentations on research findings.  

• Liaised and collaborated with colleagues and stakeholders on the project.  

• Responsible for training partnering student researchers in qualitative research techniques.  

• Achievement: Recruited and interviewed over 30 stakeholders within three weeks by streamlining the recruitment workflow.  

 

March 2021-December 2021  

Advisor, Concentrix  Remote, UK.  

• The role involved handling over 40 calls per day from clients, providing advice, information, and guidance to clients.   

• Interviewed and guided clients in tasks like filling in complex forms.  

• Client management, Handled and or escalated complaints.   

• Entered and edited clients’ data in the company CRM system.  

• Completed a 4-week course before beginning the role. Constantly updated knowledge related to the role weekly by completing courses on the company's e-learning platform and also conducting research.  

• Achievement: Received a monthly call quality rating of 100% throughout the role.  

September 2018-February 2021  

Student Wellbeing Officer, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK  

• Supported students in day-to-day activities such as providing advice and information, complaint handling, and training students.  

• Organised and set up campus meetings, conferences, and events. Handled logistics, liaised with participants, collaborators, and exhibitors.  

• Led students and guests on campus tours (also disseminating flyers and answering questions).  

• Data entry requiring attention to detail: Entered thousands of student details using Excel and student data software.

• Video captioned teaching materials.

• Achievement: Received positive reviews from the students, supported and completed successful large-scale events hosting over 100 participants.

September 2019 - December 2019  

Lecturer, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK     

• Organised and delivered the first three introductory lectures for the Journalism Foundation Culture and Society module.   

• Researched and compiled a one-and-a-half-hour presentation for each session.   

• Delivered lectures, class discussions, and activity sessions to a class of fifty foundation students.   

• Assessed and graded coursework for fifty students, also providing detailed feedback on students' strengths and specific areas for improvement.  

• Achievement: Received positive student feedback and reviews, students stated that they enjoyed the interactive teaching style and demonstrated knowledge of the subject.   

  

June 2018 - September 2018  

Research Assistant, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK  

• Researched and authored a literature review on protest cultures in Africa.  

• It included a secondary data collection format. The relevant data and information were identified and sourced from related journals, books, monographs, statistical reports, and news articles.   

• Wrote a 10,000-word article on the topic, which included the common forms of protest cultures found in Africa and the different forms of protest prevalent in the east, wes,t and south regions of the continent. It also contrasted the traditional and contemporary forms of these cultures.  

• Achievement: Delivered the literature review report a week before the one-month deadline.  

  

January 2016- March 2017  

 Tutor, Self-Employed, Remote  

• Supported African international students in acclimatising to the UK academic system.  

• Provided coaching and conducted mock exams and interviews, including providing feedback.

• Tutored undergraduates in research techniques,  academic writing, and dissertation support.   

January 2015 – April 2015  

Associate Lecturer, Coventry University, Coventry, UK  

• Facilitated student workshops, seminars, and one-to-one tutorials.  

• Graded coursework of 60 undergraduate  Media students, including providing them detailed, balanced, and applicable feedback.  

Volunteer roles  

2024 Reach Out Mentor  Totteridge Academy London Year 10 Students

2022-2022 Consultant for the Halo Code Policy drafting, Liverpool John Moores University.  

2016-2017 Secretary and Events assistant for the Research Society, The University of Central Lancashire  

Publications  

Tissa,  F., et al. "End-of-life Dementia Care: A Qualitative Study of the Experiences and Perceptions of Minority Ethnic and Economically Disadvantaged Groups." Age and Ageing, vol. 54, no. 6, 2025, p. afaf168,  https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afaf168. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

Hewertson, H. and Tissa, F. (2022) Intersectional imposter syndrome: How imposterism affects marginalised groups. In Addison, M., Breeze, M. and Taylor, Y. ‘The Imposter Handbook’: Palgrave.  

  

Conferences 

• April 2024, Presenter, Caring for our Own and Coproduction- Sawubona Palliative Care Conference

• March 2024, Poster Presenter on Diverse Experience of Dementia EOL Care- BJGP Conference 

• July 2022, Presenter on BME student Experiences -LJMU Student at Heart Conference  

• June 2022, Presenter on International Student Experience, and the Awarding Gap- LJMU International Students Podcast.

  

  

Skills  

  

References

Available on Request