2026/27 In2research Placement Listings

26/27-LDN-003

Placement project: Systematic review and meta-analysis of a specific neurodegenerative disease 
Where: UCL, Faculty of Brain sciences, London, WC1N 3AR
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 7 June - 1 August

Placement Host name: Professor Saiful Islam

The project aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of a selected neurodegenerative disease, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. Students will search, screen, and evaluate published studies, extract relevant data, and statistically combine findings. The project will provide evidence-based insights into disease mechanisms, diagnosis, or treatment while developing critical research and analytical skills. 

Summary of skills you can gain

• Literature searching using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science 
• Critical appraisal of scientific papers
• Systematic review methodology (PRISMA guidelines) 
• Data extraction and management 
• Meta-analysis and statistical interpretation 
• Evidence synthesis and scientific writing 
• Academic referencing and citation management 
• Research gap identification and recommendation development

26/27-LDN-005

Placement project: Role of loss function to detect MCI while using artificial neural network
Where: UCL, Faculty of Brain sciences, London, WC1N 3AR
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 7 June - 1 August

Placement Host name: Professor Saiful Islam


Project description:

This project investigates the impact of different loss functions on neural network performance for MCI detection. Students will compare approaches such as Binary Cross-Entropy, Weighted Cross-Entropy, and Focal Loss to assess their effects on accuracy and sensitivity. The project will improve understanding of optimisation techniques and address challenges associated with imbalanced healthcare datasets.  
 

Summary of skills you can gain

• Understanding neural network optimisation techniques 
• Knowledge of loss functions (Cross-Entropy, Focal Loss, Weighted Loss) 
• Model performance comparison and evaluation 
• Analysis of class imbalance problems 
• Hyperparameter tuning and model optimisation 
• Statistical analysis of experimental results 
• Deep learning theory and implementation 
• Critical assessment of AI models for healthcare applications  

26/27-GLW-001

Placement project: Deciphering immune cell dynamics in tumours through mathematical modelling
Where: University of Glasgow, Faculty of Cancer Sciences, Glasgow, G61 1BD
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Currently flexible; to discuss with applicants
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: To apply for this project, you must be from a UK-based ethnic minority background

Placement Host name: Dr Xiao Fu
 

Project description:

Background: the spatial distribution of immune cells in a tumour's surroundings influence how the tumour grows and spreads. As microscopy images of patient samples depicting their spatial distribution are often static, representing a snapshot of cells in a tumour, it's challenging to understand how such patterns arise temporally. Inferring the likely dynamic patterns has the potential to reveal novel ways to categorise tumour images towards better classification of cancer patients.  Objectives: This project will employ mathematical modelling and computer simulation approaches to infer the immune cell dynamics from microscopic images. 

Summary of skills you can gain

Analysis of microscopy images, e.g., describing cell distributions using quantitative measurements; Computer simulations using available mathematical models in the host lab to study different scenarios of immune cell dynamics in silico; Statistical methods to compare simulated and actual data.

26/27-GLW-002

Placement project: Spatial analysis and machine learning to discover archetypal cell neighbourhoods in tumour images
Where: University of Glasgow, Faculty of Cancer Sciences, Glasgow, G61 1BD
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Currently flexible; to discuss with applicants
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: To apply for this project, you must be from a UK-based ethnic minority background

Placement Host name: Dr Xiao Fu

Project description:

Background: it's increasingly established that the surroundings of a tumour, or its microenvironment, influence its growth and response to treatment. Advances in experimental and imaging techniques to capture diverse population of cells simultaneously in the same image have enhanced our ability to quantitatively measure the distinct neighbourhoods of cells constituting the tumour microenvironment. This project explores whether/how the relative prevalence of different cell neighbourhoods correlates  with the aggressiveness of tumour progression.  
Objectives: focusing on a tumour type that we are actively studying in the lab, the project will perform a range of spatial feature analysis and machine learning approaches to discover and classify archetypal cell neighbourhoods.

Summary of skills you can gain

Analysis of microscopy images, e.g., describing cell distributions using quantitative measurements; Data science approaches for cell neighbourhood detection, spanning dimensionality reduction, clustering algorithms, and machine learning methods; Statistical analysis to assess the association between cell neighbourhood features and clinical data annotations

26/27-BHM-001

Placement project: Investigating material properties of aging satellites
Where: University of Birmingham, Faculty of College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Birmingham, B15 2SE
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1st June - 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Leah-Nani Alconcel

Project description:

Spacecraft, particularly high-value assets in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO), are typically tracked and characterised using observations of their light curves with ground-based optical telescopes, and through surveillance using radar systems. While spacecraft are functional and their orientation is actively controlled, the characteristics of these measurements are additionally affected by aging of the surface materials.  The intern will explore approaches to modelling and measuring material properties as a spacecraft ages. LEO satellite lifetimes are usually 5-15 years, while GEO satellites often function for 15-20 years. The intern will investigate mechanisms that produce the most significant deviations in material properties for specific spacecraft, including those that the group have previously studied through modelling and simulation. They will have the opportunity to work with payload instrumentation being developed for deployment on a CubeSat mission to measure the aging of common spacecraft materials. Their work will help to demonstrate how the effects of aging impact the interpretation of monitoring data for active satellites.

Summary of skills you can gain

The intern will gain an understanding of space-grade materials and their evaluation, experience with using industry-standard software such as ANSYS STK, and computational and machine-learning techniques including fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) and neural networks. They will gain high-end data processing skills in demand across the space sector.  It is expected that the intern will use and contribute to the existing software database within the SRG. Dr Alconcel is the Birmingham lead for the Midlands Space Cluster and will ensure the intern has the opportunity to participate in Cluster activities.  The internship is structured to provide maximum support to the intern from the Space Research Group (SRG) from PhD students to highly experienced, specialist experts in their field. This exposure, the practice with presentations, and the feedback they receive should build confidence and lower barriers to entry into the sector. The SRG holds weekly journal club meetings to review new literature and the intern will be expected to attend and engage in discussion.  The internship should expand their future employment options as the SRG's research is dual-use.

26/27-GLW-003

Where: University of Glasgow, Faculty of Cancer Sciences, Glasgow, G61 1BD
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Currently flexible; to discuss with applicants
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: To apply for this project, you must be from a UK-based ethnic minority background

Placement Host name: Dr Xiao Fu

Project description:

Background: tumour development often involves sub-populations of cancer cells that emerge and exist together, which reflects a concept called intra-tumour heterogeneity. These sub-populations of cancer cells can have different traits and behaviours, rendering the tumour adaptable to diverse environments and challenges (such as therapy) and making the disease hard to treat. Elucidating whether/how different sub-populations of cancer cells cooperate or compete with each other has the potential to reveal strategies to outsmart the tumour. 
Objectives: focusing on a specific cancer context we are actively investigating in the lab, the project will perform mathematical modelling and computer simulations to study the outcomes of different scenarios hypothesising alternative modes of interactions between sub-populations of cancer cells. Statistical framework will be developed to link the models with tumour data. 

Summary of skills you can gain

Quantitative analysis of tumour molecular and imaging data; Computer simulations using available mathematical models in the host lab to study different scenarios of cell-cell interactions; Statistical methods to compare simulated and actual data.

26/27-LDN-013

Placement project: Understanding processing of test results in primary care
Where: Queen Mary University of London, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Wolfson Institute of Population Health,Charterhouse Square, London
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Fully available between between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Christina Derksen

Project description:

This study investigates how GP practices manage patients who may be at higher risk of cancer following primary care test results, and where current processes fall short. While new technologies, such as systems that analyse electronic health records, could help flag patients with concerning results, many practices lack structured approaches to identifying and managing these cases. Evidence shows that abnormal results are not always acted upon, contributing to diagnostic delays, and that communication with patients is often inconsistent. While some patients receive results via text or online portals, many prefer phone or face-to-face contact for abnormal findings, and unclear communication can cause confusion, particularly disadvantaging older adults, those with limited digital access, and non-English speakers. The research will examine real-world practice across six GP surgeries, focusing on three common tests: stool tests, blood tests, and chest X-rays. Through interviews with practice managers, GPs, nurses, and administrative staff, the study will explore how results are interpreted, how responsibility is assigned, how and when patients are contacted, and what tracking systems are used. It will also consider whether practices proactively search records to identify at-risk patients.

Summary of skills you can gain

Through participation in this study and being immersed in the centre, the In2Research intern would gain a experiences in health services research, behavioural science, and cancer early detection. Practically, the intern would develop data analysis skills, working with qualitative interview material from GPs, nurses, and administrative staff, and contributing to the write-up of results, gaining experience in synthesising findings into clear outputs targeting different audiences. This offers training in research methodology, from data handling through to dissemination. By attending Centre meetings and journal clubs, the intern would be exposed to the newest developments in early cancer detection such as changes to screening programmes or multi-cancer early detection tests. Being immersed in a large, multidisciplinary group would expose the student to diverse areas of expertise, including clinical perspectives, psychology, and health informatics. This could broaden their understanding of how different specialisms contribute to shared research. The intern would also gain direct experience of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) work, learning how patient perspectives shape research design and relevance.

26/27-LDN-017

Placement project: Reading for enjoyment
Where: University College London, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, WC1H 0AP
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Eight weeks between 1 June and 31 August (to be discussed)

Placement Host name: Dr Adam Parker

Project description:

Why do people choose to read? And does enjoying reading help us understand what we read better? Surprisingly, not much research has looked at how motivation and enjoyment affect reading. One recent study found that people who enjoy reading tend to understand the text better. But we don't yet know why. Is it because people who aren't enjoying a book just skim-read it? Or do they forget more of what they've read? This project will explore how enjoyment and motivation affect reading. It will use eye-tracking to see where and how people look at words while they read. By studying people's eye movements, we can find out how reading changes when someone is motivated and enjoying it versus when they aren't. The project combines ideas from psychology, decision-making, and language research. It's a great opportunity for students who are curious about how the mind works, especially when reading, and who want to get experience using real scientific tools like an EyeLink 1000+ eye-tracker.

Summary of skills you can gain

This project will involve active, in-person data collection. You will get the chance to work alongside undergraduate and postgraduate students to extend your network and be supported through the placement. Furthermore, my research supports Open Science practices, so you will get the experience of preregistration and secure data sharing, as well as producing high-quality summaries of the data.

26/27-LPL-001

Placement project: Which MPS IIIA patients could benefit from chaperone therapy
Where: University of Liverpool, Faculty of health and life sciences, Crown Street, Biosciences Building, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZB
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Ula McClurg

Project description:

This project will apply cellular thermal shift assays (CETSAs) to assess the stability of mutant SGSH proteins associated with MPS IIIA. By identifying variants whose stability improves following small-molecule treatment, we aim to predict which patients are most likely to benefit from pharmacological chaperone therapy, enabling a precision medicine approach.

Summary of skills you can gain

The student will gain hands-on experience in mammalian cell culture, cellular thermal shift assays (CETSA), protein stability analysis, Western blotting, experimental design, data interpretation, and statistical analysis. They will also develop an understanding of precision medicine approaches, lysosomal disorders, protein misfolding, pharmacological chaperones, and translational research relevant to rare diseases.

26/27-MAN-001

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University of Manchester, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester, Oxford Road, The Department of Chemistry, M13 9PL
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Flexible between 1 June and 31 August 2027
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: The participant will be working with magnetic fields and therefore it is not suitable for anyone with a medical implant, such as a pacemaker, that can be damaged by magnetic fields.

Placement Host name: Dr Alice Bowen

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am part of the team that run the National Research Facility for Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) a methodology that is used to study chemical, materials and biochemical systems that contain unpaired electrons. The method is similar to Nuclear Magnetic Resonance but as electrons are much more sensitive it uses lower magnetic fields and higher frequencies. EPR can help us to understand the structure and function of biological systems such as proteins, or can be applied to molecular chemical systems that may form the next generation of quantum bits (qubits) for quantum computing. My group work on developing and applying methods for this technique to a range of different systems.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gain experience in spectroscopy, specifically using some of our Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) instrumentation to acquire data. They will also gain skills in computational analysis, such as using Matlab to analyse and simulate the data collected.

26/27-LDN-001

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: UCL, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: Culling of animals or invasive experiments of live animals, Animal behaviour observation experiments, Animal cells or tissue
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr James Conway

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I'm a Research Fellow at UCL's Queen Square Institute of Neurology and the UK Dementia Research Institute, where I lead the in vivo Parkinson's disease programme in Dr Tim Bartels' lab. My work asks how Parkinson's begins — and increasingly the evidence points somewhere unexpected: the gut. A protein called α-synuclein can misfold in the nerves of the intestine and travel, cell by cell, up the vagus nerve to the brain, where it damages the dopamine neurons that control movement. In the lab I model this "body-first" route directly, using precise microinjections into the nervous system of the mouse gut and then tracking how the disease spreads over months using microscopy and tissue imaging. A second strand of my work maps which genes switch on and off in individual cells along this gut–brain route, so we can pinpoint what makes some neurons vulnerable and others resilient. Together these projects aim to explain not just what goes wrong in Parkinson's, but where and when — the understanding needed to intervene early. I combine surgery, imaging, and quantitative analysis, and I care as much about rigorous, reproducible methods as about the biology itself. I'd love to share that day-to-day reality of research with a mentee.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gain a broad grounding in modern neuroscience laboratory techniques. On the wet-lab side, they will learn to process brain and gut tissue, cut sections on a cryostat, and perform immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining to label proteins such as α-synuclein and markers of dopaminergic neurons. They will use confocal microscopy to image their own stained tissue, then quantify it using image-analysis software (Fiji and napari), learning principles of unbiased counting and fibre quantification. Alongside this, they will be introduced to spatial transcriptomics, a cutting-edge method for reading which genes are active in individual cells across a tissue section. On the analytical side, the participant will build core data-handling skills in R, producing publication-style plots and running basic statistics on real experimental data. They will observe the specialised microinjection surgery that underpins the project's disease models, gaining insight into how in vivo experiments are designed and licensed. Throughout, the emphasis is on transferable research skills: keeping a rigorous lab notebook, working reproducibly, reading primary literature critically, and presenting findings clearly. By the end, they will understand how a hypothesis becomes a designed experiment, data, and a conclusion.

26/27-LDN-002 

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: UCL, Faculty of MAPS, UCL Institute for Materials Discovery (IMD) Room 711, Marshgate Building 7 Sidings Street, , Stratford London, E20 2AE
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: July-August

Placement Host name: Dr George Nikiforidis

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My group works on energy storage systems (batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, redox flow cells) trying to find new electrolytes and materials/substrates.  In addition, we are exploring the hydrometallurgical recycling of batteries (from electronics-vape, laptop and phone batteries). We are using greener acids to perform the leaching process and testing the extracted material in electrocatalysis.  

Summary of skills you can gain

It will be a lab based project, so any experience in a laboratory is a bonus. Equipment handling (after being inducted), testing of materials, and following protocols.

26/27-LDN-006

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: UCL, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Shropshire House, London, WC1E 6JA
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: July-August

Placement Host name: Dr NAT/NATALIE WINT

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I work at the interesection of science, engineering and public policy. My STEM based research primarily focuses on the role of technology in society, technological mediation and responsible, ethical innovation. I am particualrly interested in the use of AI within manufacturing (and engineering more broadly) and the impact its use has on ethical and responsible engineering practice. My background is in Materials Engineering and I am also interested in development of sustainable and ethical design pratices, and policy and governence around waste and reuse of materials.  

Summary of skills you can gain

• Conducting literature reviews
• Production of Policy briefs
• Data analysis
• Qualitative research skills including the design of interviews 
• Project and time management
• Communication of technical information

26/27-LDN-007

Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June 2027 - 23 July

Placement Host name: Dr Clara Aranda

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My research focuses in investigating the role of technology in increasing equitable access to healthcare in low and middle-income countries, perceiving digitalisation as an emerging determinant of health. Digitalisation has enabled increased access to healthcare, particularly in remote areas in low and middle income countries. But barriers to accessing digital technologies exist across populations. A gender and disability gap, for instance, exist in some parts of the world when it comes to digital inclusion and use of digital technology (e.g. mobile internet). My interest is to investigate how digital inclusion, literacy and skills impact healthcare access for different populations. This would include looking at perspectives from the patients but also from healthcare staff who may or may not feel confident enough in their digital skills to provide care through digital technologies. 

Summary of skills you can gain

There are several opportunities to gain skills under this research project subject area. It would up to the researcher to decide an area of interest within this topic and then we will be working to develop skills accordingly. A couple of options include:  -

• Case Study Analysis: identify specific case studies of successful implementations of digital technologies bridging barriers to healthcare, that have been sustained in the long-term.
• Data analysis/Statistical analysis: Map out different sources of data to evaluate the correlation of inclusion to digital technologies (e.g. mobile phone coverage) and map out different health outcome, together with the implementation of digital health programmes.
• Systematic literature review: Conduct a systematic literature in the area of interest, to be narrowed with the host researcher.
• Qualitative analysis and use of qualitative software: Depending on project selected.
• Broader research communication skills: Drafting proposals and presentation to communication skills, as well as learning to communicate own skills and expertise for professional development (CV/research applications).

26/27-CAM-001

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University of Cambridge, Faculty of of Clinical School, East Forvie Building, Cambridge,  CB2 0SR
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: N/A

Placement Host name: Dr Solon Karapanagiotis

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My research focuses on developing statistical and machine learning methods for health data science, with applications in medicine and healthcare. In particular, I develop approaches to integrate liquid biopsies—the analysis of tumour-derived biomarkers circulating in the bloodstream—into cancer management, with the aim of enabling earlier detection and more personalised treatment. My research interests include risk prediction modelling, medical decision-making, computationally intensive methods, and translational genomics.  Further information about my research and ongoing projects is available on: www.solon-karapanagiotis.com.

Summary of skills you can gain

Application of statistical, machine learning, and health data science methods to biomedical research questions.

• Experience with bioinformatics approaches for analysing genomic, molecular, and high-dimensional biological data.
• Data preparation, cleaning, quality control, and exploratory data analysis. 
• Development and evaluation of predictive models for clinical risk prediction and personalised medicine. - statistical modelling techniques, including regression-based approaches, machine learning algorithms.
• Analysis and interpretation of liquid biopsy data and circulating tumour biomarkers for cancer research.
• Identification and evaluation of biomarkers associated with disease detection, prognosis, and treatment response.
• Scientific programming and computational workflows using relevant analytical tools and software.
• Implementation of reproducible research practices, including documentation, version control, and transparent Analysis pipelines.
• Critical evaluation of computational methods and their suitability for clinical applications.
• Communication of complex analytical results through Scientific writing, presentations, and data visualisation.
• Understanding of how statistical and computational approaches can be translated into tools that support clinical decision-making and precision medicine.

26/27-LDN-009

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: UCL, Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences, 51 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PN
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June - 15 August

Placement Host name: Dr Emily Morris

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a development economist, specialising in the Caribbean. In the course of my work with Caribbean researchers, I have learned of their need for international collaboration to share knowledge, disseminate their innovations, gain access to laboratory facilities and materials and expand their research networks.  So, from my position at UCL and through CRICKET CIC, a Community Interest Company that I have established with my colleague Dr. Lauren Collins, we would be glad to welcome interns to build our networks, liaise with researchers in the Caribbean to identify their needs, and help to develop their proposals as viable projects by introducing them to interested UK researchers, and supporting both sides to prepare research project proposals and funding bids. Our focus is on supporting transdisciplinary research that contributes to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Collaborations that we have facilitated so far include sustainable urban mobility, low-carbon transport technologies, battery chemicals research, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and biomedical sciences.  The need and appetite for collaboration is enormous, so the scope for contributing creatively is unlimited. 

Summary of skills you can gain

• Gain understanding of the stages of the research funding bidding process, from creating a project team to formulating a viable project, preparing bid documents, negotiating with researchers and administrators, calculating international research costs and conducting risk assessments.
• Building, maintaining and managing a research network through desk research, networking at events, correspondence and ongoing support.
• Communication skills (through one-on-one and group meetings, presenting project ideas, maintaining constructive relationships with the many different types of personalities involved in preparing a research proposal.
• Performing the many relevant functions involved in the development of project ideas from conception to bid submission, drawing on relationships within academia and outside.

26/27-LDN-010

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: UCL, Faculty of Life Sciences, Darwin Building, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: any time

Placement Host name: Professor Garrett Hellenthal

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My background is in statistical genetics, and I am currently working in the UCL Genetics Institute (UGI). My main current projects involve (i) inferring population structure and ancestry in world-wide populations, including countries in east and west Africa, and how this relates to historical events, (ii) pinpointing genetic loci facilitating humans' adaptations to new environments, and (iii) identifying loci whose methylation markings are likely established in the early embryo, sensitive to prenatal environmental exposures and implicated in lifelong health outcomes. Overall our group is interested in studying human evolutionary history, focusing on how genetic and epigenetic variation facilitates the adaptation of humans to environmental pressures, and how this affects human health today. 

Summary of skills you can gain

The student will learn how to develop and apply statistical models to large-scale (likely human) genetic variation data, likely via coding in R, and interpret output. This will include learning how to submit jobs to a high-performance-computation (HPC) cluster environment. 

26/27-LDN-011

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London, Faculty of Brain, Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: June-August

Placement Host name: Dr Micol Falabella
 

Summary of the Placement Host's work

Summary of skills you can gain

• Cell culture using patient-derived cells Handling and preparation of mouse tissue samples
• Yeast culture and genetic manipulation DNA and RNA extraction
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative PCR Mitochondrial DNA analysis
• Protein extraction and Western blotting Enzyme activity assays
• Measurement of mitochondrial respiration Assessment of oxidative phosphorylation Analysis of mitochondrial membrane function Investigation of oxidative stress
• Analysis of cardiolipin metabolism
• Understanding how laboratory findings relate to disease mechanisms and potential therapies

26/27-MAN-002

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: The University of Manchester, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, Michael Smith Building
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1st June - 31st August

Placement Host name: Mr CD Durrant

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am currently leading the Hot-Temperature Evolutionary Experiment (HoTEE), the first long-term coevolutionary study on archaeal communities isolated from an Icelandic hot spring. Archaea are a domain of life known for thriving in extreme environments, yet research into their evolution is often constrained to highly specific stress responses or isolated genes.  HoTEE takes a broader approach - tracking whole-community dynamics over a long period in stable high-temperature lab conditions, to understand how archaeal populations adapt, interact, and restructure over time. Specifically working with hyperacidothermophiles - very high temperature and very low pH (75C and pH 2!!).  By separating sediment and liquid-origin communities, monitoring optical density, cryopreserving populations weekly, and analysing metagenomic sequences, I aim to reveal how natural community-level processes play out under controlled conditions. Initial results show strong convergence in population dynamics and resilience to catastrophic collapse, suggesting rapid lab adaptation or selective survival.  My work challenges the precision-heavy trend in archaeal research by foregrounding community context and long-term trends. I'm keen to support students interests in microbial evolution, extremophiles, or experimental ecology, and can offer mentoring in experimental design, scientific writing, and navigating research as a first-generation academic.

Summary of skills you can gain

During this placement the participant will gain hands-on experience in microbial experimental evolution, focusing on extremophiles (archaea) and their adaptation to changing environments. They will develop laboratory skills such as culturing microbes under high-temperature and low-pH conditions, monitoring population growth using optical density (OD600), and performing experimental manipulation such as stress testing (e.g., heat shock or pH shifts).  The project could also involve media optimisation, including designing and testing more defined growth media, and exploring how nutrient availability affects community dynamics. There will be opportunities to work with cryopreservation techniques, DNA extractions, DNA quantification, DNA visualisation, and genetic or molecular analysis.   In addition to practical lab techniques, the participant will develop data analysis skills (e.g., handing growth curve data, plotting and interpreting trends, and genetic analysis), basic experimental design, and hypothesis testing. They will also gain an understanding of microbial ecology, evolutionary principles, and the challenges of cultivating understudied organisms like archaea.  This project will be flexible and tailored to the participant's interests, allowing them to take ownership of a specific experimental question in a rapidly-growing (and heavily understudied) field while gaining a broad skill set applicable to microbiology, evolution, genetics, and biotechnology.

26/27-LDN-012

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Queen Mary University of London, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 7th june - 1st August

Placement Host name: Professor Suzanne Scott

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My work focuses on using Health Psychology to understand behaviour (of patients and healthcare professionals) connected to early diagnosis of cancer - this might be through screening, symptom perception, help-seeking, testing and onward referral. I used a range of methodological techniques including surveys, in-depth interviews and analysis of routinely collected data.

Summary of skills you can gain

The In2research participant will be matched to ongoing projects in our centre. These cover a range of skills including: Coding qualitative data; Reviewing literature; Analysing quantitative data and Report writing.

26/27-GLW-004

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University of Glasgow, Faculty of , Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre School of Cancer Sciences, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: June 1-31st July 2027
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: To apply for this project, you must be from a UK-based ethnic minority background

Placement Host name: Professor Srikala Raghavan

Summary of the Placement Host's work

In the Raghavan Lab, we are interested in understanding how macrophages, which are immune cells, contribute to skin development, health, and disease. We study how macrophages communicate with skin cells and how these interactions influence tissue growth and inflammation.  Our research has shown that macrophages enter the skin very early during development and help shape growing tissues by remodelling the extracellular matrix, the supportive network that surrounds cells. This suggests that macrophages play an important role in regulating the formation and growth of skin structures.  We also investigate how skin cells communicate with macrophages during inflammation. Our work has found that skin cells release metabolites, such as lactate, which can alter macrophage behaviour and drive inflammatory responses. By blocking this communication, we can reduce macrophage activation and inflammation. Using mouse models of psoriasis, we have shown that targeting these pathways can significantly improve disease symptoms.  Overall, our research combines developmental biology, immunology, and metabolism to understand how immune cells influence skin function, with the long-term goal of identifying new strategies to treat inflammatory skin diseases.

Summary of skills you can gain

Students will have the opportunity to gain experience in a multidisciplinary research environment that combines developmental biology, immunology, and skin biology. During the placement, they will be introduced to how scientific research is carried out and may gain hands-on experience with a range of laboratory and analytical techniques, depending on the stage of the project.  Possible skills and techniques include:  Sample preparation and laboratory-based experimental techniques. Immunofluorescence staining and microscopy to visualise cells and tissues. Image analysis and quantitative data analysis. Cell culture and general laboratory skills, including pipetting and maintaining accurate laboratory records. Molecular biology techniques such as RNA extraction, quantitative PCR, and gene expression analysis. Understanding experimental design, controls, and data interpretation. Reading and discussing scientific literature. Presenting and communicating scientific findings.  Students will also develop transferable skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, data interpretation, and scientific communication. The placement will provide insight into the day-to-day life of a research laboratory and how basic biological research can help improve our understanding of human health and disease.

26/27-MAN-003

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, University of Manchester, Faculty of , CRUK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Wilmslow Road, M20 4BX
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: Animal cells or tissue
Dates of availability: tbc

Placement Host name: Dr William Hill

Summary of the Placement Host's work

The Cancer Origins group is dedicated to understanding how cancer begins, specifically, how oncogenic cells overcome normal tissue restraints, gain malignant potential, and initiate tumour formation.  We are interested in how environmental exposures, such as air pollutants, shape the tissue microenvironment to support the expansion of latent oncogenic cells and promote lung cancer.  Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women, responsible for over 1.8 million deaths globally each year. While smoking has long been recognized as a primary risk factor, a growing body of evidence highlights air pollution as an increasingly significant driver of lung cancer. As smoking rates decline and global pollution levels rise, the number of lung cancer deaths linked to air pollution has increased, rising by nearly 30% since 2007.  To address these questions, we utilise genetically engineered mouse models, multiple real-world and source-specific environmental exposures, single-cell approaches, advanced imaging techniques, and 3D in vitro culture systems. By working with exceptional collaborators, we aim to translate these findings into new strategies for preventing and treating human disease, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Summary of skills you can gain

The candidate could be expected to learn a variety of skills such as the image analysis of lung sections stained with multiple fluorescent markers, the long term culture of cells in vitro and qPCR for transcriptional changes. 

26/27-MAN-004

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: The University of Manchester, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Michael Smith Building, Dover Street, The University of Manchester, M13 9NT
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 14th June - 31st August, exact dates TBC with a preference towards July and August dates

Placement Host name: Dr Rebecca Hall

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am an evolutionary microbiologist. In my lab we use a combination of experimental microbiology, bioinformatics, and metabolic modelling to understand how microbes evolve. We are particularly interested in the evolution of endosymbiosis, including how changes in symbiont metabolism drive symbiotic relationships. We work on a variety of systems, including insect-microbe and Paramecium-algae symbioses. We are also interested in questions in antimicrobial resistance, including the role of metabolism in the spread of multidrug resistance plasmids. 

Summary of skills you can gain

The student(s) will work on a project researching exciting questions in microbial evolution. The exact project will be guided by the student, but could include unpicking the metabolic interactions in the Paramecium-algae symbiosis, characterising bacterial symbionts of insects, or investigating the role of metabolism in antibiotic and multidrug resistance. There is flexibility for a bioinformatics project (developing skills including phylogenetics, comparative genomics and pangenomics, metabolic modelling, Python/R/bash), a wet lab project (developing skills using the algae model system of symbiosis, or techniques including conjugation, growth kinetics, PCR in bacterial systems), or a combination of the two. 

26/27-LDN-014

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London, Faculty of Institute of Neurology, UCLH, 4th Floor, 170 Tottenham Court Road,W1T 7HA
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Not yet known

Placement Host name: Dr Christine Girges

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a Clinical Trials Practitioner working in Parkinson's research at University College London Hospitals (UCLH). Along side my colleagues, I coordinate and deliver a large national clinical trial investigating potential disease-modifying treatments that aim to slow down the progression of Parkinson's. The study is the largest of its kind worldwide and uses an innovative multi-arm multi-stage  platform design, allowing promising treatments to be identified while ineffective treatments can be discontinued early.  My role includes recruiting and supporting participants, conducting clinical assessments and rating scales, and overseeing day-to-day trial activity at our site. I also lead a community of practice for research nurses/practitioners across the UK who are involved in this trial. We share best practices, address barriers to participation, and develop strategies to improve recruitment and retention. A particular focus of my work is promoting inclusive recruitment so that our participant population better represents the diversity of people living with Parkinson's across the UK.

Summary of skills you can gain

How to work with patients in a clinical research setting, Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training, assessment of motor symptoms of Parkinson's, assessment of cognition and mood, trial delivery, literature reviews. There might be some opportunity to learn statistical analysis.

26/27-LDN-015

Where: University College London, Faculty of UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology (ION), UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Room 607, 6th Floor, Queen sqaure house, London, WC1N 3BG

Working pattern: In-person (lab)

Working with animals: Animal cells or tissue

Dates of availability: 1st of June - 27th July

Placement Host name: Dr Marie Bondulich

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a Research Associate in Professor Gill Bates' laboratory, where I have worked since 2016. My research focuses on Huntington's disease, with particular interests in establishing and characterising biomarkers in preclinical models, validating therapeutic targets, and investigating post-translational modifications that may contribute to disease mechanisms and progression. I enjoy collaborative research and mentoring others, and I am passionate about supporting the next generation of researchers. Through In2research, I hope to share my experience of working in biomedical research, provide guidance on research skills and career development, and help participants build confidence as they explore opportunities in academic and scientific research.

Summary of skills you can gain

During this placement, the participant will gain hands-on experience in a range of molecular and cellular biology techniques commonly used in neuroscience research. Depending on the project, they may learn how to perform quantitative PCR (qPCR) to measure gene expression and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect aggreagted protein expression in mouse tissue samples.  The participant will also develop skills in experimental design, data collection, and data analysis, including image analysis where appropriate. They will gain experience in interpreting results, applying appropriate statistical analyses, and presenting scientific data clearly and accurately.  In addition to laboratory techniques, the placement will provide opportunities to develop transferable research skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, maintaining accurate laboratory records, reading and interpreting scientific literature, and communicating research findings. The participant will work as part of an active research team, gaining insight into the day-to-day environment of biomedical research and the collaborative nature of scientific discovery.

26/27-LDN-016

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London, Faculty of Population Health Sciences, Level 2, 90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6LJ
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: not known currently

Placement Host name: Dr Macey Murray

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a senior research methodologist in the conduct of clinical trials. My research focuses on enhancing the conduct of clinical trials with routinely collected health systems data (HSD). Initially trained as a medical biochemist, I have worked in different roles within clinical trials (phase 1-4) in industry and academia for over 30 years. I received my PhD in September 2009 for investigating the use and safety of antidepressants in young people using routinely collected primary care data. I was a trial manager of three large UK multicentre trials and has experience in all aspects of trial conduct from protocol development, site initiation, to trial closure, final analysis, and reporting. I very much enjoy teaching and sharing my knowledge with others, which I do through the MSc Clinical Trials programme and the supervision of PhD students. I love watching people learn and develop their skills. I am a British-born Chinese woman, and grew up helping my parents with their food business. I have two teenage children and three house rabbits, and I live in East London. I am an avid maker and baker, owning more yarn and fabric than I can ever use in my lifetime.

Summary of skills you can gain

Learn about clinical trials, in particular what is trials methodology, why it is important, and how to do it. The project focus will be on using routinely collected health data in clinical trials. The project will depend on the skills and interest of the participant as my team uses different methods such as qualitative interviews or statistical programming for data analysis.

26/27-BHM-002

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Birmingham City University, Faculty of Architecture, Built Environment, Computing and Engineering, Belmont Row, Birmingham, B4 7RQ
Working pattern: I am flexible. I can discuss the 8 week period with the student later.
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: I am flexible. I can discuss the 8 week period with the student later.

Placement Host name: Dr Beatrice Vincenzi

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a Lecturer in the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Research Centre at Birmingham City University. HCI explores how people interact with technology and how technologies can be designed to better support people's lives. My research focuses on inclusive technology design, particularly designing with disabled people and communities with a wide range of abilities and experiences. Rather than assuming that technology automatically improves people's lives, I examine how it can shape social relationships, access, independence and inclusion. I work closely with people to understand their everyday experiences and involve them directly in the research and design process. My methods include interviews, observations, participatory and co-design workshops, first-person research, and practical design activities focused on people's bodily experiences. I combine these approaches with prototyping, through which we create and test new technologies or design ideas. My research is informed by disability studies and feminist perspectives, which encourage us to critically question whose needs technologies prioritise and whose experiences may be overlooked.

Summary of skills you can gain

The project will be co-developed with the participant according to their interests, existing skills and learning goals, within the broad area of inclusive technology and accessibility.  One possible pathway would involve conducting a small research study. The participant could gain experience in planning research, considering ethics and accessibility, collecting data, analysing findings and communicating results. Depending on the project, methods might include interviews, focus groups, workshops, observations or usability testing. The participant would be introduced to qualitative and/or quantitative analysis and could contribute to producing a report, research poster or other academic output.  Alternatively, the participant could develop a prototype for a future study. They could gain practical skills in technologies such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, HTML, CSS, JavaScript or Python. Our lab also provides access to emerging technologies including haptic vests, smart glasses, robots and virtual-reality headsets., allowing the student to gain practical skills on their use and features.  Possible topics could include exploring how smart glasses might improve access to live performances for blind and partially sighted audiences, or investigating how AI is shaping the working practices of disabled visual artists. The precise topic, methods and expected output would be agreed with the participant.

26/27-BHM-003

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University of Birmingham, Faculty of School of Physics and Astronomy, Physics West    University of Birmingham Edgbaston Park Rd, Birmingham, B15 2TS
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability:  Between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Alice Townsend

Summary of the Placement Host's work

This project will be co-supervised by me, a postdoctoral researcher, and a 2nd year PhD student in our group called Peter Massey.  Our research is centred around supernovae, which are extremely bright explosions that mark the end of the lives of some stars. In particular, we use supernovae to investigate how the Universe has expanded over cosmic time and to learn more about the nature of dark energy.  We are also interested in strong gravitational lensing. Gravity can bend the path of light, and when a massive object such as a galaxy lies between us and a more distant object, it can act like cosmic lens. This can magnify and distort the light from the distant object, sometimes producing multiple images of the same source.  Strongly lensed supernovae occur when a supernova is behind a gravitational lens. The lens can make the supernova appear brighter and can produce multiple images of the explosion. By studying strongly lensed supernovae, we can learn about the expansion of the Universe, the distribution of matter in galaxies and clusters, and the physics of the supernovae themselves.

Summary of skills you can gain

During the project, the student will develop practical skills in astronomical data analysis and programming, primarily using Python. They will gain experience working with real or simulated observational datasets and learn how astronomical surveys are used to discover and study transient events.  The student may also participate in the live vetting of candidate strongly lensed supernovae from LSST, examining observations and assessing whether candidates are likely to be genuine astrophysical events. This will provide experience in critical thinking, particularly when working with noisy or incomplete data.  At the end of the summer, the student will give a presentation of their project and results to the research group, providing an opportunity to develop their scientific communication and presentation skills.

26/27-BHM-004

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University of Birmingham, College of Science and Engineering, University of Birmingham,    Physics East Building, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: TBC between 1 June and 31 August 2027, likely to be unavailable in the second half of Aug

Placement Host name: Dr Nur Unal

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My research explores exotic quantum phenomena in and out of equilibrium, with a particular focus on topological phases, quantum geometry, and non-Abelian physics with exotic braiding properties that are proposed to offer versatile platforms for quantum computation schemes. My research often utilise ultracold quantum gases and quantum simulation as platforms for preparing and controlling quantum matter.

Summary of skills you can gain

The project would be about topological phases of matter and may involve techniques from quantum gases. At the end they will have gained understanding of several quantum phases and gained experience in basic topological concepts and ultracold atoms. The project will involve both analytical calcualations working with the wave functions directly which can involve also geometric and topological concepts, as well as basic numerical simulations.

26/27-MAN-005

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: The University of Manchester, Faculty of FBMH, The University of Manchester, AV Hill, Manchester, M13 9NT
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1st of June and 31st of July 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Juan Quintana

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My lab studies how the immune system controls the way we sleep and eat when we experience infections. We combine various tools in immunology and neuroscience research to ask these broad and exciting questions. We use preclinical models and patients with sleep disorders to explore the immunology behind these conditions.

Summary of skills you can gain

The selected candidates will gain experience in basic immunology techniques such as flow cytometry and imaging, and will also have the chance to analyse sleep data from mice and patients with sleep disorders.

26/27-MAN-006

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: The University of Manchester, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Division of Dentistry, Coupland Building 3, Coupland Street, Manchester, M15 6FH
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June - 7 August

Placement Host name: Dr Marcia Borba

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a Senior Lecturer in Biomaterials at the Division of Dentistry. Our research group conducts high-level research at the clinical/basic science interface. Our research is focused on the characterisation of the existing biomaterials and the development of new ones, with special interest in polymers, composites and ceramics. We perform laboratory tests that simulate the oral environment aiming to predict the clinical behaviour of the biomaterials. New technologies applied in digital dentistry, such as scanners, CAD/CAM subtractive and additive (3D printing) systems, are investigated in our laboratory and clinical settings.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will be trained in relevant manufacturing techniques for dental materials, and will be exposed to a wide range of physical and mechanical testing methodologies, such as flexural strength, and hardness tests; and colour analyses. Materials will be characterized using various analytical tools, such as SEM, FTIR, and optical profilometry. The participant will be exposed to a interdisciplinary research environment and will learn how to translate from basic science research to clinical application. The participant will learn how to critically analyze the literature, plan a research method, interpret and discuss research data. The participant will also interact and collaborate with other students from the research group.

26/27-NCL-001

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Newcastle University, Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June - 15 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Tiago Costa

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a computational astrophysicist studying the formation and evolution of galaxies and the growth of supermassive black holes. My research combines large-scale numerical simulations on supercomputers with observations from cutting-edge telescopes to understand how the first galaxies and black holes formed and evolved in the early Universe. A major focus of my work is connecting theoretical models with observational data by predicting observable signatures, interpreting multi-wavelength observations, and investigating how black holes influence the evolution of their host galaxies. I am particularly interested in helping students explore computational methods, data analysis, and the scientific process, while providing insight into how simulations and observations work together to answer fundamental questions about the Universe.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gain hands-on experience in computational astrophysics by analysing and running numerical simulations of galaxy formation and the growth of supermassive black holes. They will develop practical skills in scientific programming (primarily Python), mathematical and physical modelling, analysing and visualising large simulation datasets, and working in Linux and high-performance computing environments. They will learn how numerical simulations are used to model the physical processes that govern the formation and evolution of galaxies, and how theoretical predictions are tested through comparison with observations from state-of-the-art telescopes. Depending on the project, participants may generate simulated observables and compare them with multi-wavelength astronomical data to investigate how well current models reproduce the observed Universe. They will also gain experience with version control (Git), reproducible research practices, and reading and interpreting the scientific literature. Throughout the placement, participants will develop transferable skills in quantitative analysis, problem solving, scientific communication, and independent research.

26/27-NCL-002

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Newcastle University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Framlington Place, Medical School, 3rd Floor Leech Building, M3.089, NEWCASTLE, NE2 4HH
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June to 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Professor Christopher Stewart

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am Professor Christopher Stewart, a researcher in human microbiome science. My work focuses on understanding how the communities of microorganisms that live in and on the human body influence health and disease, particularly during early life. My research combines microbiology, genomics, bioinformatics, and clinical data to investigate how factors such as diet, environment, and medical interventions shape the microbiome and affect long-term health outcomes. I work closely with clinicians, scientists, and research participants to translate microbiome discoveries into practical insights that can improve health and healthcare. I am particularly interested in infant and maternal health, microbiome development, and the role of microbial communities in supporting healthy growth and disease prevention. I enjoy discussing research with people from diverse backgrounds and learning about different perspectives and experiences.

Summary of skills you can gain

Participants on this placement will gain experience of working within a multidisciplinary human microbiome research environment. Depending on their interests and the project undertaken, they may develop skills in microbiology, molecular biology, genomic data analysis, bioinformatics, and scientific data interpretation. They may have the opportunity to work with biological datasets, learn how microbiome studies are designed and conducted, and gain experience using analytical tools and software for data processing and visualisation. Participants will also develop broader research skills, including critical appraisal of scientific literature, experimental design, data management, and scientific communication. The placement will provide insight into how academic research is translated into clinical and public health applications. Participants will work alongside researchers at different career stages and gain experience of collaborative working within an international research environment. Throughout the placement, emphasis will be placed on developing analytical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to communicate scientific findings to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

26/27-NCL-009

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Stephenson Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: In our lab we sometimes use bones and cartilage from the butcher for mechanical tests. We also use bovine serum for wear testing studies.
Dates of availability: Between 7 June and 1 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Elise Pegg

Summary of the Placement Host's work

Dr Elise Pegg is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering within the Bioengineering group. After completing her doctorate at the University of Nottingham, Dr Pegg worked in the orthopaedic industry for three years as a research engineer, after which she decided to return to academia and moved to the University of Oxford to become a post-doctoral researcher within the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences where she gained valuable insight into clinical practice. Dr Pegg spent ten years at the University of Bath within the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and has recently moved to Newcastle University. Dr Pegg's research uses orthopaedic mechanics and biomaterials technologies to address healthcare challenges with a focus on the lower limb. Work includes the development of new biomaterials and structures for medical device design, computational tools to assist diagnosis, and numerical simulation to predict the success of surgical treatments. For a full list of Dr Pegg's publications, see: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6546-6958

Summary of skills you can gain

Mechanical testing of medical devices 3D printing of structures CAD modelling Wear testing of medical devices Writing scripts for automating data analysis - this includes using MATLAB, R and possibly Python There is opportunity to learn some Finite Element Analysis if the student wants to.

26/27-NCL-010

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Newcastle University, Herschel Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Tassia Ferreira

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am an observational cosmologist focusing on using weak gravitational lensing to understand the nature of dark matter and dark energy. I am particularly interested in using cross-correlation techniques to combine multi-wavelength observations to obtain information on astrophysical systematics and push weak lensing analyses to smaller scales. As part of this work, I recently discovered a correlation between cosmic shear and the diffuse X-ray background, which can be used to constrain baryonic feedback!

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will learn to analyse cosmological datasets (such as galaxy weak lensing) with a statistical framework to analyse cosmological models to constrain parameters and baryonic properties.

26/27-LPL-002

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University of Liverpool, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, ISMIB, BCSB, Biosciences building, Crown street, Liverpool, L697ZB
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 7 June- 1st August
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: As part of this project, the participant will be required to access instruments at a fixed height

Placement Host name: Professor Sonia Rocha

Summary of the Placement Host's work

We research how cells and organisms sense, respond and/or adapt to low oxygen (hypoxia) and its crosstalk with inflammation in health and disease. We use as varied technological approaches as we can to address these questions focusing on all aspects of gene expression control. In particular we use next generation sequencing, advanced imaging, proteomics, structural modelling and all types of cell biology approaches

Summary of skills you can gain

cell culture, cell transfections, biochemical analysis, gene expression analysis including qPCR, Western blot, cell cycle analysis, cell proliferation and viability, reporter gene assays. Experimental design, data analysis, figure preparation, lab meeting presentations, verbal and written communication.

26/27-CAM-002

Placement project: Epigenetics in Ageing
Where: The Babraham Institute, Babraham Hall Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: Samples may derive from cells and tissues from animals such as mice
Dates of availability: 5 July - 27 August

Placement Host name: Dr Michael Norman

Project description:

A student placed within our Epigenetics research programme will have the opportunity to contribute to a research project exploring how genes are controlled across development, health and ageing. Epigenetics refers to the systems that help determine when genes are switched on or off without changing the underlying DNA sequence. These systems are essential for allowing different cell types to develop and function correctly, but they can also change in response to factors such as diet, metabolism, development and ageing. The exact project will depend on the research taking place within the host laboratory, but could involve investigating how diet or nutrients influence gene regulation and cell function, using experimental systems such as human or animal cell lines or yeast. Alternatively, students might explore how epigenetic processes during early embryo development shape later health, including how changes during development could contribute to developmental health conditions or influence processes associated with ageing.

Summary of skills you can gain

During this placement, the participant will gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge epigenetics research, developing a wide range of molecular biology and data analysis skills. Laboratory techniques may include DNA and RNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), Western blotting, and cell culture. Depending on the project, students may also be introduced to next-generation sequencing techniques (e.g. ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, or RNA-seq) and learn about sample preparation, quality control, and data interpretation. In addition to experimental techniques, participants will be exposed to the scientific process more broadly—learning how to formulate research questions, keep accurate lab records, critically assess literature, and present findings. There may be opportunities to carry out basic bioinformatics analysis using software tools for data visualisation and statistical interpretation. The placement will also develop transferable skills such as time management, teamwork, critical thinking, and scientific communication. Students will work closely with researchers in an open, collaborative environment and will be encouraged to ask questions, contribute ideas, and reflect on their progress. Overall, the experience will provide a strong foundation in experimental epigenetics and help students understand how fundamental research contributes to wider scientific knowledge and real-world biomedical applications.

26/27-CAM-003

Placement project: Cell Signalling in Ageing
Where: The Babraham Institute, Babraham Hall Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: Samples may derive from cells and tissues from animals such as mice
Dates of availability: 5 July - 27 August

Placement Host name: Dr Michael Norman

Project description:

A student placed within our Signalling research programme will have the opportunity to contribute to a project exploring how cells maintain healthy proteins and respond when these processes go wrong. Proteins carry out many of the essential functions within cells, so their production, maintenance and degradation must be carefully controlled. Together, these processes are known as proteostasis. The exact project will depend on the host laboratory but research projects may investigate how cells recognise damaged or unwanted proteins, how proteins are repaired or broken down, and how changes in these processes affect cell function, organismal health and biological ageing. Students may also explore how failures in proteostasis contribute to disease. For example, some neurological conditions are associated with proteins becoming incorrectly folded and accumulating within cells, forming aggregates that can disrupt normal cellular function. Other projects may focus on autophagy, one of the systems cells use to identify and recycle unwanted or damaged cellular components. Understanding how proteins and other cellular material are correctly targeted for degradation can provide important insights into conditions including cancer, neurodegenerative disease and age-related decline.

Summary of skills you can gain

During this placement, the participant will gain valuable experience in core experimental techniques and conceptual approaches used in cell signalling research. They may learn and apply molecular biology techniques such as PCR, Western blotting, RNA extraction, and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), alongside protein-based assays including immunoprecipitation and ELISA. Exposure to advanced imaging techniques, such as fluorescence microscopy or live-cell imaging, may also be included depending on the project. Participants will develop skills in cell culture, including maintaining and treating mammalian cells under sterile conditions, and may be introduced to pharmacological or genetic manipulation of signalling pathways. They will gain insight into how signals are transmitted within and between cells in response to various stimuli, and how these processes are studied in the context of health and disease. In addition to laboratory techniques, the participant will build essential skills in data analysis, experimental design, record-keeping, and critical evaluation of scientific literature. They will have the opportunity to engage with a dynamic research team and develop communication and teamwork skills through regular discussions and presentations. This placement offers a strong foundation for anyone considering a career in biomedical research, particularly in the areas of molecular and cellular biology, signalling, or systems biology.

26/27-NCL-003

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Wolfson Childhood Cancer Centre, Herschel Building, Brewery Lance, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Professor Anthony Moorman

Summary of the Placement Host's work

The central philosophy of our research is based on the premise that the genetic heterogeneity of cancer is the key to furthering our understanding of the disease and to improving patient management and outcome. My research focuses on integrating high quality genetic information into the analysis of clinical trials of acute leukaemia. Over the past 30 years, I have been involved in the development of an innovative research network which interfaces the LRCG with clinicians, trial coordinators and geneticists. The establishment, maintenance and development of this innovative framework have enabled the curation and genetic annotation of samples from clinical trial patients diagnosed with acute leukaemia. Currently, the LRCG holds genetic, demographic and clinical data on more than 30,000 patients treated on over 15 UK clinical trials. The LRCG conducts comprehensive, pertinent and meticulous assessments of the clinical relevance of genetic markers within the context of national and international clinical trials. The objective is to provide clinicians with pertinent and reliable evidence to enable them to decide on the most effective course of treatment for their patients. The ultimate test of our work – at the interface between evidence-based genetic research and clinical practice - is its translational impact. 

Summary of skills you can gain

Acute leukaemia, like other cancers, is driven by the multiple acquisition of genetic abnormalities. Numerous chromosomal and genomic abnormalities have been described in acute leukaemia and many are strong prognostic and predictive biomarkers. The stratification of patients with acute leukaemia into risk specific treatment groups is now standard-of-care and has significantly contributed to improvements in outcome. Patients are stratified using a variety of risk factors including sex, age, clinical features, response to initial therapy and the presence of specific genetic or genomic abnormalities. The spectrum of genetic abnormalities present in the leukaemic cells of patients is vast and includes mutations, fusions, ploidy changes, deletions, and amplifications as well as more complex rearrangements like chromothripsis. Moreover, each leukaemia will carry multiple different abnormalities. Currently only around half of the known genetic/genomic abnormalities are used to assign patients to specific treatment groups. Further research is required to determine the clinical relevance of the remaining abnormalities. In this project, the student will investigate existing datasets to further characterise one or more specific genetic/genomic abnormality and correlate the subtype with extensive patient data including sex, age, clinical features, treatment response, treatment and outcome. The objective will be to better understand the potential clinical relevance of the specific abnormality within the context of a particular patient subgroup. The Leukaemia Research Cytogenetics Group holds demographic, clinical, treatment and outcome data from more than 10,000 patients treated on UK clinical trials. In addition, we have genetic and genomic data derived from the following techniques: karyotyping, fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH), multiplex-ligation probe amplification (MLPA), SNP array, targeted DNA/RNA sequencing, and whole genome ranscriptome sequencing. The student will work with geneticgenomic data generated from one or more of these techniques to characterise the abnormality in question, identify co-occurring abnormalities or both. This is data analysis project; no lab work is involved. During the project the student will learn how to analysis and interpret genetic/genomic data and correlate it with other data types. The project would suit a student who is interested in data analysis and statistics. Previous experience using spreadsheets, databases and statistical software would be advantageous, but is not essential as training will be provided.

26/27-CAM-004

Placement project: Immunology in Ageing
Where: The Babraham Institute, Babraham Hall Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: Samples may derive from cells and tissues from animals such as mice
Dates of availability: 5 July - 27 August

Placement Host name: Dr Michael Norman

Project description:

A student placed within our Immunology research programme will have the opportunity to contribute to a project exploring how the immune system develops, responds to infection and protects us throughout life. Our immune system contains many different types of specialised cells that must communicate and work together to recognise threats, generate effective responses and build long-lasting immune memory. The exact project will depend on the host laboratory but research projects may investigate how immune cells such as B cells and T cells develop and function, how antibodies are produced following infection or vaccination, or how the immune system generates memory that allows it to respond more effectively when it encounters a pathogen again. Students may also explore why immune responses change as we age, including why older people can become more susceptible to infections, respond less effectively to vaccination or experience increased inflammation. Other projects could investigate what happens when normal immune processes become disrupted, contributing to conditions such as autoimmune disease or cancers of immune cells.

Summary of skills you can gain

During this placement, the participant will gain hands-on experience in techniques commonly used in immunology research, as well as a broader understanding of how the immune system functions in health and disease. Depending on the specific project, they may learn and apply laboratory methods such as flow cytometry, ELISA, Western blotting, PCR, and immunofluorescence microscopy. These techniques are used to study immune cell populations, protein expression, and cytokine signalling. The student may also work with animal or human-derived immune cells in culture, learning sterile technique, cell handling, and stimulation assays. Through this, they will explore how immune cells respond to various stimuli, how immune memory is formed, or how tolerance and autoimmunity develop. In addition to laboratory work, the participant will gain skills in data analysis, experimental planning, and the interpretation of immunological data. They will also build transferable skills in time management, communication, and teamwork by working alongside experienced researchers and participating in group discussions and presentations. Overall, this placement offers an excellent introduction to immunology and will help participants develop key skills for future study or careers in biomedical research, clinical science, or biotechnology.

26/27-GLW-005

Placement project: Evaluating the parameters that affect the performance of automated cell tracking
Where: CRUK Scotland Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1BD
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: Participants will not be interacting with the animals directly. We have access to multiple animal derived cell-lines across the institute.  To get experience of cell-culture, we would have the student cultivate a single cell line (with others being cultivated by other members of the BAIR team) and have the student plate and image the cells, as well as dispose of the cells (all under the supervision).   If the student did not want to learn cell culture, it is also possible to remove cell culture from the student plan, and have them only work with the imaging data. 
Dates of availability: 1 June and 31 August 2027
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: To apply for this project, you must be from a UK-based ethnic minority background

Placement Host name: Dr Ryan Corbyn

Project description:

Investigation of the variables that affect the performance of automated cell tracking. These include: - Initial cell seeding density - Cell type - Tracking algorithm used - Segmentation method used - Imaging frame rate We plan to do this by imaging 24 wells within a 24 well plate on the Sartorius incucyte S3. We plan to generate a timelapse dataset from multiple cell lines (6 cells lines, 4 seeding densities) with an image recorded every 5 minutes over a 24h time period. We will apply a nuclear dye to the cell line so that we can record images in both the phase contrast and fluorescence imaging channels. The addition of the fluorescence channel allows for easier and more reliable segmentation of the cell nuclei, which is used as a proxy for tracking whole cell movement. The addition of the phase contrast channel allows us to generate manually tracked datasets from the images to validate the performance of the automated tracking algorithms.

Summary of skills you can gain

Potential skills:
- Programming in Python
- Tissue culture (cultivating cells for the experiment).
- Experimental design
- Research skills
- Data analysis
- Data management
- Presentation skills
- Report writing
- Exposure to working within a Core Facility at a research institute
- Use of deep-learning tools for cell segmentation and cell tracking.

Placement project: The placement host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the participant
Where: University of Glasgow, Gilmorehill Campus
Working pattern: In-person 
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027
IMPORTANT NOTES, PLEASE READ: 
- To apply for this project, you must not be in your final
year of degree, be a graduate during the 2026/27 academic year and should expect to graduate by the end of August 2029. 
- We will have specific placements available within DiveIn at a later date. The In2research team will match you to a specific placement based on the information provided in your application

Placement Host name: DiveIN CDT

Project description:

The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Diversity-Led, Mission-Driven Research
(DiveIn CDT) is a pioneering initiative that reimagines the traditional CDT model by
placing cohort diversity at its core. Based at the College of Science and Engineering
at the University of Glasgow, we are focused on bringing together diverse teams to
tackle interdisciplinary, mission-driven challenges at the forefront of research.
We prioritise diversity, creating an inclusive space for varied talents to produce
transformative interdisciplinary research, bringing together world-changing experts
from various fields to tackle complex problems and ensuring that our research is
impactful and aligned with broader societal goals.
Interns will have the opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research across our six
priority areas:

• AI & Big Data
• Beyond Net Zero
• Future Telecoms
• Problem-Based Interdisciplinary Research
• Quantum Technologies
• Technology Touching Life

Whether you are passionate about sustainability, emerging technologies, or solving
complex societal problems, DiveIn CDT offers a dynamic and supportive space to
grow, contribute, and make a difference.

Why DiveIn?
By joining the DiveIn CDT for a summer research placement, you will gain first-hand
experience in a dynamic and inclusive research environment that is reshaping how
interdisciplinary science is done.
You will benefit from:

• Access to cutting-edge research facilities across the University of Glasgow
• A vibrant community of placement hosts actively engaged in inclusive
• research practices
• Opportunities to contribute to mission-driven projects that address real-world
• challenges
• Placements may be available across a wide range of disciplines within the College of
• Science and Engineering, such as Chemistry, Computing Science, Engineering,
• Earth Sciences, Mathematics and Physics.
• This placement is not only a chance to build valuable research skills, it is also an
• excellent opportunity to get to know the DiveIn CDT environment and explore the possibility of applying for a fully funded PhD scholarship with us once you complete
• your degree.

Summary of skills you can gain:

• Research design: learn how to plan and carry out scientific investigations.
• Data analysis: work with real data using tools like Python, R, or MATLAB.
• Scientific communication: present your findings clearly in writing and
• presentations.
• Interdisciplinary teamwork: collaborate across fields within the science and
• technology disciplines.
• Problem-solving: tackle real-world challenges with creative thinking.
• Technical/lab skills: gain hands-on experience with advanced tools and
• technologies.
• Project management: organise your time, tasks, and goals effectively.
• Responsible research awareness: understand responsible and inclusive
• research practices.

26/27-LPL-003

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: not yet known

Placement Host name: Professor Dan Rigden

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My work is centred on bioinformatics, generally proteins and typically structural, but extends in several directions. We collaborate with a wide variety of experimental groups on diverse biological systems. We also translate bioinformatics developments into tools for other communities such as X-ray crystallographers and other structural biologists. We have recently started exploring the relevance of protein structure models for gene structure annotation too. We explore and understand well the strengths and weaknesses of AlphaFold and similar tools when applied to different questions.

Summary of skills you can gain

The project will be co-designed with the student. It will link to ongoing research at the time, either collaboration on specific systems, or our own work on tool development. You will become familiar with AlphaFold and other cutting edge bioinformatics tools, gaining very sellable skills. You may also learn or practice coding skills.

26/27-LDN-018

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Lab 4.1, Cruciform Building, Gower St, London, WC1E 6BT
Working pattern: In-person (lab) 
Working with animals: The participant may use animal cells or tissue - if they are comfortable to do so they may also be exposed to methods of euthanasia and tissue preparation led by licensed, trained and highly skilled experts
Dates of availability: 1st June 2027 - 31st July 2026 
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: As part of this project, the participant will be in the lab which involves range of standing and sitting all day

Placement Host name: Professor Fiona Ducotterd

Summary of the Placement Host's work

We make new medicines for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease in a biotech-like structure. We are a team of 30 researchers spanning biology, chemistry and pharmacology and can host students in pharmacology, chemistry and biology and assign them to drug discovery projects in our portfolio so students can gain experience in cross-functional and interdisciplinary translational research in a fast paced setting. We have hosted placements for the last 3 years.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gain experience in an interdisciplinary drug discovery team working on new treatments for neurodegeneration in collaboration with academic labs. The participant will gain hands on lab experience in a range of techniques, team working skills and direct training in translational research. 

26/27-LDN-019

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: 29-39 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N1AX 
Working pattern: In-person (lab) 
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals 
Dates of availability: 1 June to 31 Aug 2027 

Placement Host name: Dr Patrik Gurnani

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am Dr Pratik Gurnani, a Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the UCL School of Pharmacy. My research sits at the intersection of polymer chemistry, nanotechnology and medicine. I design and synthesise new polymer-based materials that can improve how medicines are delivered and how effectively they work. A major focus of my current research is developing safer and more effective delivery systems for advanced therapies, including mRNA vaccines and other nucleic-acid medicines. This involves engineering nanoparticles that protect therapeutic molecules, carry them to the right cells and release them in a controlled way. I am also interested in antimicrobial materials and new approaches to tackling biofilms and antimicrobial resistance. My work is highly interdisciplinary, combining chemistry, pharmaceutical science, materials characterisation and biological testing. Students working with me may gain insight into how new materials are designed, synthesised and evaluated, as well as how researchers collaborate across disciplines to address important healthcare challenges.

Summary of skills you can gain

Depending on the project, the participant may gain experience in polymer synthesis, nanoparticle formulation and the preparation of materials for drug-delivery applications. They may use techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and UV–visible spectroscopy to investigate the chemical structure, molecular weight, size and behaviour of polymers and nanoparticles.  The participant will also develop broader research skills, including searching and critically evaluating scientific literature, formulating research questions, planning experiments, maintaining accurate laboratory records and working safely in a research environment. They may learn how to analyse experimental data, assess reproducibility, interpret unexpected results and present findings using graphs, written reports and short presentations.  Through group meetings and interactions with researchers from different backgrounds, the participant will gain insight into interdisciplinary collaboration and the day-to-day process of academic research. The placement will also help develop transferable skills in problem-solving, organisation, scientific communication, teamwork and independent thinking.

26/27-LDN-020

Placement project: What can naked mole-rats tell us about a disease that causes infertility in humans?
Where: UCL, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals 
Dates of availability: 1 June to 31 Aug 2027 

Placement Host name: Dr James Gilbert

Project description

Hyperprolactinaemia is a common hormonal disorder and a leading cause of infertility. Most patients respond to cabergoline, which acts on the pituitary to shut prolactin down; a minority do not, and the reasons are not fully understood. Non-breeding naked mole-rats show the same combination — prolactin at levels that would be clinical in a person, and an apparent failure of cabergoline to suppress it — but the pituitary has never been examined in this species. In this project, the student will run bioinformatics pipelines on UCL's high-performance computing cluster, then process a public gene expression dataset from the pituitary and hypothalamus of breeding and non-breeding naked mole-rats and guinea pigs. They will compare expression of the genes controlling prolactin production between groups and species.. Ultimately, we will see if we can solve the mystery of why some people and naked mole-rats don't respond to cabergoline treatment.

Summary of skills you can gain

The student will learn to run reproducible bioinformatics workflows and carry out RNA-seq differential expression analysis in R, while learning about the fascinating biology of the naked mole-rat in the context of molecular and evolutionary biology. No previous coding experience required, but a willingness to learn is essential.

26/27-LDN-060

Placement project: Applying Modern Machine Learning Techniques to Wild Datasets: How many stories need retelling?
Where: UCL, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals 
Dates of availability: 1 June to 31 Aug 2027 

Placement Host name: Dr James Gilbert

Project description

The use of AI and machine learning in biological research is exploding. The methods are changing rapidly and new analyses can sometimes offer novel insights when applied to published datasets. This is particularly true for earlier studies published when robust methods were less established. From biomedicine to evolutionary biology, there are opportunities to reanalyse data and identify secrets that are waiting to be discovered!  For this project, the student will select a paper with publicly available data, reproduce the original analysis and conduct a reanalysis using standardised best-practice pipelines. Findings contribute to a new open science community initiative following the ReproHack tradition of reanalysis as positive scientific practice.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gain hands-on experience in applied machine learning in a biological context. There is flexibility to choose a topic that is of interest to the participant.  The participant will also gain experience in coding (python) and open science.  No prior experience is required but curiosity and willingness to learn are essential.

26/27-LDN-021

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Malet Place Engineering Building,  2 Malet Place, London, WC1E 7JE
Working pattern: In-person (lab) 
Working with animals: Tissue processing - including dissecting and preparing brain and skull samples for imaging (models include mouse, rat and guinea pig). 
Dates of availability: 7 June - 1 August 

Placement Host name: Dr Harriet Lea-Banks

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My research group investigates how focused ultrasound can be used to treat the brain - without surgery and without medication - for diseases such as Alzheimer's, hypertension and cancer. Focused ultrasound allows energy to be delivered to specific parts of the brain with sub-millimetre precision. This energy can help turn on or off brain activity, known as neuromodulation. By using advanced medical imaging, such as high-resolution MRI and micro-CT, we aim to develop novel brain therapies that are safe and effective for many patient populations. Our work involves using focused ultrasound systems, processing tissue samples, microscopy and image processing, data analysis and science communication to share our findings. We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic student to join our multidisciplinary team of engineers and neuroscientists. The student will have the opportunity to observe experiments, get hands-on experience with imaging and data analysis, and see how lab-based research translates into future patient treatments.

Summary of skills you can gain

We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic student to assist for wet-lab experiments. This will include processing tissue samples, microscopy and image processing, data analysis using MATLAB and other tools, and science communication to share our findings. Some wet-lab experience would be helpful, but all necessary techniques will be taught during the placement. 

26/27-LDN-022

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT 
Working pattern: In-person (lab) 
Working with animals: This project may involve the use of brain tissue from mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. These models are genetically modified to develop key features of the disease, such as the accumulation of the tau protein in the brain. We use tissue from these mice to study molecular and cellular changes that occur during disease progression. The participant will not be involved in any procedures with live animals. However, they may work with pre-prepared brain sections or tissue samples to perform molecular and imaging-based experiments. This may include techniques such as immunofluorescence staining, confocal microscopy, or RNA extraction for downstream analysis. All animal work in the lab is carried out under strict ethical guidelines and in compliance with UK Home Office regulations, with a focus on the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare. 
Dates of availability: 1 June - 31 August 2026 

Placement Host name: Dr Nathasia Muwaniwga 

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I'm Dr. Nathasia M. Muwanigwa, a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Karen Duff's lab at the UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL. Our team studies how the protein tau—known to build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias—causes damage to brain cells. My research focuses on how tau interacts with RNA, the molecule that carries instructions to make proteins in our cells. I use cutting-edge molecular biology, omics (like RNA sequencing), and imaging techniques to explore whether tau's abnormal interaction with RNA disrupts how brain cells function and survive. Understanding this could help us identify new ways to treat or even prevent dementia in the future 

Summary of skills you can gain

During this placement, the participant will gain hands-on experience in key molecular biology techniques used to study neurodegenerative diseases. These may include RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, PCR, and western blotting to analyse gene and protein expression. They will also be introduced to model systems used in dementia research, such as mammalian cell culture or brain tissue from mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. In addition, the participant will learn basic imaging techniques, including immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, to visualise specific proteins within cells. Depending on the project's stage, there may also be opportunities to assist with RNA sequencing experiments and gain exposure to data analysis tools used in omics research. 

26/27-LPL-004

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Institute in The Park, Alder Hey Children's Hospital,  Eaton Road, Liverpool, L12 2AP
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: any

Placement Host name: Professor Enitan Carrol

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I work on infections in childhood and specifically sepsis, helping to identify sepsis early before complications develop. We use clinical scores and biomarker tests to help identify and risk-stratify children presenting with suspected sepsis so that targeted treatment including appropriate antibiotics can be given early. I also work on using digital tools to identify deterioration in children in hospital.

Summary of skills you can gain

Data handling (anonymised data sets), data entry, basic statistics and data analysis, literature review, sample handling governance, scientific communication (posters and abstracts), academic writing, social media profiles

26/27-MAN-007

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Kilburn Building, Oxford Road,  Manchester, M13 9PL
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June - 31 August

Placement Host name: Dr Sarah Clinch

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My research concerns mobile and ubiquitous computing (i.e. all the comouting you do when you're not at a "computer"), with a particular focus on how these impact and intersect with the human mind and behaviour. My current areas of focus are: 1: Use of technology in recognising, understanding and intervening in differences in mental sensory imagery (this includes "aphantasia" -- no minds eye, as well as "anauralia" and "hyperphantasia") 2: Human memory augmentation: technologies for facilitating or extending human memory, the role of technology in distorting or inhibiting human memory, and mitigations to address these risks 3: Queer HCI: technologies and HCI research by/for LGBTQIA+ users, particularly research that sees Queer technology use through a joyful lens rather than one of pure marginalisation

Summary of skills you can gain

Development of research quality software -- robust, code reviewed software that can stand up to use in research settings with human participants. Design and execution of research with human participants -- Controlled experiments (online or in person), interviews, surveys, in-the-wild studies, study of online discussion or similar. Research with human participants necessarily includes consideration of research ethics and participant recruitment. Data analysis -- Python (or R) for quantitative data analysis and visualisation, thematic analysis for qualitative data analysis (including reflexive thematic analysis where appropriate). Writing for publication -- Computer science tends to publish on a shorter timescale than many disciplines through peer-reviewed conferences and journals Open science -- Release of datasets and analysis scripts, pre-registration etc.

26/27-LDN-023

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Gower street (Cruciform Building), London, WC1E6BT
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The samples will consist of pre-fixed tissue slices on which the volunteer will perform immunostaining
Dates of availability: 1 June-28 July

Placement Host name: Dr Cristina Castillo Bautista

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am working on a project focused on frontotemporal dementia (FTD). I have generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) carrying a CHMP2B mutation and differentiated them into neurons. CHMP2B is a member of the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT), which are involved in lysosome and endosome function. FTD patients with a CHMP2B mutation present with enlarged endosomes, p62 inclusions, and neurodegeneration. The aim of the project is to recapitulate the phenotype observed in patients using iPSC-derived neurons. In the lab, we use techniques such as cell culture, immunostaining, Western blotting, and qPCR.

Summary of skills you can gain

The volunteer will learn how to differentiate iPSCs into neurons, including cell culture techniques such as cell maintenance, seeding, and passaging. In addition, the volunteer will learn immunostaining techniques to detect specific markers in iPSC-derived neurons and mouse brain slices, acquire images using confocal microscopy, and perform quantitative analysis.

26-27-LDN-024

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: UCL Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, 5th Floor East, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Don't know for sure but can definitely do 8 weeks over that time, either continuously or with a short break

Placement Host name: Dr Scott Chiesa

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a Senior Research Fellow in Multimorbidity and Brain Health who works within the Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing in UCL's Institute of Cardiovascular Science. We are a multidisciplinary unit of researchers and clinicians whose mission is to identify biological and social factors that affect lifelong health, ageing and the development of chronic disease, and to use findings to design and test interventions that enhance healthy ageing.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gains skills in data science, statistics, population health, and lifecourse epidemiology. They will also have the opportunity to learn about the work that takes place in our biomedical clinics, where participants from some of the UK's largest and longest-running cohort studies come to be tested.

26/27-BEL-001

Placement project: Construction of anatomical models
Where: Ulster University, York st, Belfast,  BT15 1ED
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Selim Bozkurt

Project description:

This project focuses on processing DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) medical image files—typically from CT scans—to reconstruct accurate, patient-specific 3D anatomical skull models. Key Objectives & Workflow Image Segmentation: Extract bone tissue data from raw 2D DICOM slices by filtering noise and setting precise Hounsfield unit thresholds. 3D Surface Reconstruction: Convert the segmented voxel data into smooth, high-resolution 3D surface meshes (e.g., STL or OBJ formats). Mesh Optimization: Clean up artifacts, fill holes, and optimize the mesh topology to prepare the model for downstream applications. Applications & Impact The resulting 3D models serve as a foundation for advanced clinical workflows, including surgical planning, patient-specific medical device design, finite element analysis (FEA), and the creation of virtual digital twins for craniosynostosis or craniofacial reconstructions.

Summary of skills you can gain

Medical Imaging: Learn how to read, inspect, and process real-world DICOM files from CT scans. Image Segmentation: Master techniques to isolate bone structures from soft tissue using thresholding and specialized tools. 3D Modeling & Mesh Processing: Gain practical skills in converting 2D medical slices into accurate 3D surface models and cleaning up mesh geometry. Biomedical Engineering Insights: Understand how computer models are used in clinical applications, surgical planning, and medical device design.

26-27-LDN-027

Placement project: Reinforcement learning for the optimisation and control of chemical systems
Where: Imperial College London, Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ,  London,  SW7 2AZ
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Professor Antonio del Rio Chanona

Project description:

This project will explore how **reinforcement learning (RL)** can be used to optimise and control chemical and engineering systems. Reinforcement learning is an area of artificial intelligence in which an algorithm learns how to make decisions by interacting with a system and observing the consequences of its actions. The participant could work on developing and testing RL algorithms for problems such as controlling the temperature or composition of a chemical process, improving the operation of a reactor, or finding operating strategies that increase performance while satisfying safety or process constraints. Depending on their interests and experience, the project could involve implementing existing reinforcement learning methods, comparing different algorithms, designing new approaches, or investigating how additional scientific knowledge can be incorporated into the learning process. The work will be primarily computational and will involve using simulated engineering systems as environments in which AI algorithms can be trained and evaluated. The precise research question will be adapted to the participant's background and interests.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gain experience in **artificial intelligence and machine learning**, with a particular focus on reinforcement learning and decision-making algorithms. They may develop skills in **Python programming**, implementing and adapting machine-learning algorithms, running computational experiments, analysing data, and visualising and interpreting results. They will also learn how reinforcement learning problems are formulated, including concepts such as states, actions, rewards, policies and the balance between exploration and exploitation. Depending on the specific project, the participant may gain experience with commonly used machine-learning and reinforcement-learning software libraries and with simulated chemical or engineering systems. They may also learn how constraints, uncertainty and scientific knowledge can be incorporated into AI algorithms. More broadly, the placement will provide experience of the **research process**: reading and discussing scientific literature, defining a research question, designing computational experiments, critically evaluating results, communicating findings, and working collaboratively within a research group.

26-27-LDN-031

Placement project: Tackling water scarcity and flood risk: potential and limitations of water engineering solutions
Where: Chadwick Building, Gower Street, London,  WC1E 6BT
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 7 June - 1 August

Placement Host name: Dr Davide Motta

Project description:

Water engineering can play a prominent role in tackling some of the most pressing environmental and humanitarian emergencies of this century, be it water scarcity caused by climate change and water resource mismanagement, or flooding driven by increasingly larger rainfall extremes and land use changes leading to increased runoff. Our research group is working on a range of projects addressing water scarcity, e.g. on the Greek island of Aegina by comparing past and present water management practices, and flooding, e.g. sustainable drainage systems for pluvial flooding in arid countries like Kuwait of nature-based solutions for fluvial flooding mitigation in England. No silver bullet exists; solutions identified may be site and context specific; and implementation may just be not possible, because of reasons that are social and economic and beyond hydrology and hydraulics principles. The placement student will be integrated into one of our current projects, depending on their interest and the skills they want to develop. This will be discussed with the applicant in due course.

Summary of skills you can gain

Using Geographic Information System (GIS) software. Conducting hydrology and hydraulics calculations and simulations with modelling software (e.g. HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, SWMM). Developing spreadsheets. Carrying out a literature review. Writing a summary report.

26-27-LDN-032

Placement project: Using satellite imagery (nightlights) to understand time-varying human population movements
Where: LSHTM, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: between June-July

Placement Host name: Dr Kath O'Reilly

Project description:

The analysis seeks to explore the extent of seasonal movements influencing infectious disease spread and the potential for satellite imagary data to inform this. Seasonal movements have been suggested as important drivers for infectious diseases especially in the African continent, but there are limited primary data sources. Instead, satellite imagery, aka nightlight data, have been suggested as alternative data sources that approximate changes in population sizes that are consistent with seasonal human movement. If measurable changes in light intensity are observable, how should these seasonal changes in movement be incorporated into static models of population mobility? The project objectives are to, 1. Extract nightlight data from open source repositories (eg. ESRI) and use post-processing techniques to translate to a useable format of seasonal changes in flows 2. Explore whether specific geographic attributes (eg. population density) correspond with stronger seasonal flows Data to be used - [ESRI data](https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-living-atlas/imagery/earth-by-night|) - Satellite data could be compared to other publicly available mobility data

Summary of skills you can gain

Familiarity with using Python and perhaps R. The scripts are relatively easy so only moderate prior knowledge would be needed. Writing a report / blog post at the end would be highly recommended as an independent output.

26-27-LDN-033

Placement project: Climate change or infectious disease
Where: LSHTM, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: between June-July

Placement Host name: Dr Kath O'Reilly

Project description:

This project can be shaped with the student if there is sufficient interest. Important components of a good project would be, - a well-defined research question - prior knowledge of the subject area - availability of publicly available dataset Ideally, the project would involve application to a UK issue, eg. emergence of mosquitoes, increase in a specific climate sensitive disease

Summary of skills you can gain

Analysis of datasets related to the research question. Use of programming and visualisation, eg. R or Python Writing, eg. creating a blog post summarising the project

26/27-MAN-008

Placement project: AI for Drug Discovery: Predicting and Validating Protein-Binding Molecules
Where: Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester,  M13 9PL
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June - 18 June, 1 Week break, 28 June - 31 August

Placement Host name: Dr Lia Sotorrios

Project description:

AI tools are increasingly being used to suggest new molecules that could become medicines. However, these tools can sometimes propose molecules that are unrealistic, unstable, or unlikely to work in practice. This project will explore how AI-generated molecules can be checked and refined using computational chemistry. You will use AI-based molecular design tools, such as REINVENT, to generate possible new molecules for a protein linked to disease. These molecules will then be assessed using the Leach group's theoceptor approach, which uses quantum mechanics to test whether the molecules are chemically sensible. Molecules that are not stable enough to exist can be removed at this stage. Next, you will use DiffDock, an AI-based docking tool, to predict how the molecules bind to the protein. DiffDock uses machine learning to place each molecule into the protein binding site and estimate the most likely binding pose. We will then use quantum mechanics again to validate these predictions and identify the most promising molecules for further study. We have several candidate proteins that would be suitable for this project, but we would also be happy to consider a protein that you are particularly interested in.

Summary of skills you can gain

During this placement, you will gain experience with computational approaches used in modern molecular discovery. You will learn how AI tools can be used to suggest new molecules, and how to assess their outputs critically rather than accepting them at face value. You may use molecular design software such as REINVENT, protein structure information from public databases, and docking tools such as DiffDock. You will also be introduced to quantum mechanical calculations, which are used to check whether proposed molecules are chemically realistic and to test predicted protein-binding results. The project will help you develop skills in scientific computing, molecular modelling, data handling, and interpretation of computational results. You will also gain practice in comparing different computational methods, understanding their strengths and limitations, and communicating scientific findings clearly. The placement would suit students interested in drug discovery, computational chemistry, chemical biology, or applied AI. A good understanding of chemical structures would be helpful, but it is not essential.

26/27-MAN-009

Placement project: Effects of air pollution on the heart
Where: Core Technology Facility , University of Manchester, 46 Grafton Street, Manchester, M13 9NT
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The tissues the student will use have already been preserved ready for use in this project
Dates of availability: July 1 and Sept 15 2027

Placement Host name: Professor Holly Shiels

Project description:

The mechanisms of air pollution-induced cardiotoxicity are complex and can be attributed in part to particulate matter that contain poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)[1]. Phenanthrene is the primary PAH in air pollution and is formed during the combustion of fossil fuels. It is highly lipophilic and cardiotoxic impairing both contractile and electrical activity of the mammalian heart [2]. We have recently shown that phenanthrene, slows heart rate and prolongs the cardio-electrogram (ECG) in mice when applied acutely, leading to a range of arrhythmias [3]. We have new evidence that this pro-arrhythmic phenotype also occurs in mice chronically exposed to phenanthrene and is worse in aged mice compared with young mice. Finally, we have shown that the mechanisms underlying these arrythmias are due at least in part to phenanthrene inhibiting sodium, calcium and potassium ion channels in the heart [2,3]. Thus, our findings to date indicate that exposure to realistic levels of this air pollutant causes major cardiac dysfunction in mice and may underly the incidence of cardiac dysfunction in humans living in areas of high air pollution globally. The aim of this 6-week project is to investigate inflammation of cardiac (and possibly other systemic tissues like gut and liver) using histopathology and immunohistochemistry from the the young and old mice from this set of experiments (under control conditions and following chronic phenanthrene exposure).

Summary of skills you can gain

The student will learn skills in histology and immunohistochemistry and be able to recognise markers of inflammation and immune cell infiltration in target tissues associated with air pollution.. The student will work closely a PhD student, and as part of a larger team investigating PAH cardiotoxicity.

26/27-MAN-010

Placement project: Effects of Tyre Wear Leachate on Human cells
Where: Core Technology Facility , University of Manchester, 46 Grafton Street, Manchester, M13 9NT
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: July 1 and Sept 15 2027

Placement Host name: Professor Holly Shiels

Project description:

Tyre ear particles are produced when vehicle tyres abrade against road surfaces during driving and absorb compounds such as phenanthrene, which enhances their environmental mobility and bioavailability. Once generated, tyre wear particles accumulate in air, soil, and water, acting as carriers of toxic substances and leaching harmful chemicals such as PAHs. Tyre wear particles are classified as one of the most abundant forms of microplastics entering the environment, with their biological effects unknown, posing a risk to human health. This project will provide insights into how tyre wear leachate affect cell viability, morphology, and function. Findings will provide a better understanding of environmental pollutant impacts on human health.

Summary of skills you can gain

The student will learn to work with cell culture and conduct assays on cultured cells including:

• Cell viability using MTT or trypan blue exclusion assays. 
• Cell morphology 
• Functional assays using spinning disc confocal microscopy to measure calcium signalling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.

26/27-MAN-011

Placement project: uCT scanned heart from the worlds longest lived vertebrate – the Greenland shark
Where: Core Technology Facility , University of Manchester, 46 Grafton Street, Manchester, M13 9NT
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: July 1 and Sept 15 2027

Placement Host name: Professor Holly Shiels

Project description:

The life span of the Greenland shark is at least 272 years and may be as long as 500 years making this animal the longest living vertebrate on the planet. It was one of the lesser-known species of sharks up until 2016 when its extreme longevity was revealed. The finding that they live in the deep, dark Arctic waters for hundreds of years has captured the imagination of the world and the attention of scientists. This extreme longevity is particularly interesting with respect to the heart, because heart disease is synonymous with aging in humans. In this project the student will analyse the 3D structure of the heart and its major vessels from ~4 Greenland sharks that have been CT-scanned. The student will gather information on the structural components of the heart and the coronary arteries using Amiris software and Dragonfly Machine Learning Software. • The student will be given 2 large uCT data sets – one for each heart. They will use software packages to measure the structural components of the heart including valves and vessels. They will also be able to probe the composition of the myocardium and in particular the fibrotic tissue from the rest of the working myocardium.

Summary of skills you can gain

The student will learn to about the form and structure of the heart and vessels of the Greenland shark and will be asked to consider how they may change with age. The will also learn to work with large data bases and machine learning

26/27-NCL-006

Placement project: MaImproving the Safety and Sustainability of the Chemistry Teaching Laboratories
Where: SNES-Chemistry, Bedson Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 14th June - 15th August

Placement Host name: Dr Mike Carroll

Project description:

Dichloromethane, DCM is a very common solvent with applications across numerous industrial sectors however its use is increasingly restricted due to its environmental persistence and human health risks. Several countries (e.g., USA, Sweden) are already moving toward full bans from 2026. Several undergraduate experiments rely on DCM as the reaction media, for extraction, and/or purification of the product, however it is not the only material used that has serious detrimental effects on the Environment. Over the 8-week placement, the student will: -Identify a prioritised set of experiments that use DCM and/or hazardous reagents. -Test safer, sustainable alternatives for DCM (e.g. ethyl acetate, ethanol, diethylcarbonate) and the reagents (e.g. switch trialkylamines for inorganic bases). -Collect experimental data comparing performance, safety, and environmental impact. -Work closely with academic staff, PGR demonstrators, and the Technical Team (Lead Dr J. Crossley) to refine procedures and in collaboration with the Lab Organiser (Dr Z. McMillan) update the Laboratory Manuals for the start of the new academic year. -To engage the student cohort, the general public and the wider academic community the student will also prepare a poster for the Teaching Laboratories, conferences and Open Days highlighting the "greening" of the practical classes.

Summary of skills you can gain

The Placement student would develop a broad range of highly valued skills. Technical Skills: -Application of the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry to real laboratory practices. -Laboratory experimentation and practical problem-solving. -Safe handling of chemicals and risk assessment. -Testing and optimisation of the reaction and product purification conditions. -Collection of reproducible experimental data -Experimental Design and Process Optimisation Advanced Analytical Techniques: -Multinuclear and 2D NMR -GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) -LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) Scientific Investigation & Data Analysis -Literature searching and critical evaluation of scientific information. -Independent and collaborative research. -Recording, managing and comparing experimental data. -Reaction outcome and structure elucidation by data interpretation from multiple analytical platforms. -Assessing limitations of alternative methodologies. Scientific Writing, Presentation & Communication: -Writing clear experimental procedures. -Updating undergraduate laboratory manuals. -Communicating research outcomes to specialists and non-specialists. (Presenting progress at weekly interdisciplinary research group meetings) -Responding to feedback and incorporating recommendations. -Preparing a research poster. -Public engagement and outreach, communicating sustainability initiatives to a wide audience Teamworking, Adaptability & Professional Skills -Working closely with Academic and Technical staff -Planning and prioritising experimental work to meet deadlines. -Maintaining accurate laboratory records. -Balancing multiple objectives and tasks. -Responding to experimental challenges and unexpected results.

26-27-LDN-039

Placement project: Systematic review of the use of artificial intelligence in health care for people with suspected stroke
Where: 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E7HB
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: To be discussed with applicant (between 1 June and 31 August 2027)

Placement Host name: Dr Holly Walton

Project description:

Stroke is one of the major causes of death and disability worldwide. Recent developments have indicated the potential for artificial intelligence to support the clinical decision-making for stroke patients, and access to care. However, there is little known about the use of artificial intelligence in stroke care. Therefore, there is a need for a systematic review of artificial intelligence in stroke care. The proposed research project would involve: - Developing a systematic review protocol in collaboration with the mentors (including development of search terms) - Conducting a systematic search of the evidence - Looking through the titles, abstracts and full texts of the identified articles to decide which papers are eligible for inclusion within the review - Extracting relevant information from the included papers - Analysing the findings - Writing up the review findings

Summary of skills you can gain

Participants would gain skills in: - Working as part of a team - Conducting literature reviews - Developing research protocols - Conducting systematic searches - Critical appraisal - Data analysis – narrative synthesis / thematic analysis - Responding to feedback - Writing up research findings - Communicating research findings in accessible ways

26-27-LDN-026

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Chadwick Building GM16,  Gower St, London, WC1E 6BT
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June to 31 August

Placement Host name: Dr Lawrence Tseng

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am working on disaster resilience and post-disaster recovery. My research looks at a simple but important question: after a major disaster, how can we help people recover, not just infrastructure? I am particularly interested in human well-being, household displacement, and how people make decisions when their homes and communities are disrupted. My work combines data analysis and computational modelling, including agent-based models, to understand how factors such as housing availability, reconstruction delays, financial resources and government policies shape people's recovery over time. I am also interested in how we can design recovery policies that better reflect people's well-being and different needs, rather than relying only on traditional engineering measures. Before joining UCL, I completed my PhD in Civil Engineering at ETH Zurich and worked on research projects in Switzerland and Singapore. Through these experiences, I have really enjoyed working with students and researchers from different backgrounds, which is one of the reasons I am interested in volunteering with In2research.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant could gain experience in reviewing and synthesising academic literature, working with real-world datasets, and carrying out basic quantitative analysis. Depending on their interests and experience, they may also be introduced to data visualization, statistical analysis, GIS, or simple computational modelling using Python. They would also gain experience in developing research questions, interpreting results and communicating findings clearly through figures, short reports or presentations. I would work with the participant to shape a manageable research question related to disaster resilience, housing recovery, displacement or community well-being.

26-27-LDN-025

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: 222 Euston Road, London,  NW1 2DA
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 2 June - 28 July

Placement Host name: Dr Yogini Jani

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am the Co-Lead Theme 3: Safer Evidence and Lead Equality, Diversity & Inclusion for the NIHR Patient Safety Research Collaboration: Central London. As part of this work, we focus on creating and evaluating groundbreaking patient safety interventions. This includes digitally-based solutions, based on data driven insights, that enhance our scientific foundation and empower healthcare professionals with the tools they need to ensure patient safety. Our projects include the application of data science for Optimising Perioperative Analgesic strategies for eLective Surgery (OPALS) and Investigating the Ethical and Cultural challenges posed by implementing Learning Health Systems and Digital Clinical Trials.

Summary of skills you can gain

We have a number of datasets that may be used to for swift evaluations of local practices in the context of local or national medication safety alerts and improvements. The placement will enable participants to gain or apply data analytic skills, including data mining, coding, and data presentation. It will also provide exposure to research groups across areas of clinical informatics and AI, rapid realistic evaluations, big qualitative data techniques and patient safety research.

26/27-NCL-008

Placement project: Data-Driven Analysis of Maritime Decarbonisation and Sustainable Shipping
Where: Stephenson Building, Newcastle University,  Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Flexible between 1 June and 31 August 2027, with the exact eight-week period to be agreed with the participant.

Placement Host name: Dr Seyed Parsa Parvasi

Project description:

The maritime sector is under increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition towards more sustainable operations. This project will explore how data can be used to better understand the environmental performance of shipping and identify opportunities for maritime decarbonisation. The participant will work with publicly available maritime and transport data and relevant academic literature. Depending on their interests and skills, the work may involve collecting and organising data on ship movements, vessel characteristics, port activities, emissions, alternative fuels, or other factors influencing the environmental performance of maritime transport. The participant will learn how to develop a research question, conduct a focused literature review, prepare and analyse data, interpret findings, and communicate research results. Where appropriate, simple quantitative or computational methods may also be applied. The exact focus will be refined at the beginning of the placement based on the participant's interests, existing skills, and available data.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gain experience in conducting applied research in maritime transport and sustainability. They will develop skills in literature searching and reviewing, identifying appropriate data sources, data collection and cleaning, data analysis, interpretation of results, and research communication. Depending on the participant's background and the final project focus, they may also gain experience in data analysis and visualisation using tools such as Excel and Python, and, where relevant, in simulation and modelling using software such as AnyLogic. The placement will provide an introduction to quantitative research methods and the use of real-world data and modelling approaches to investigate practical sustainability challenges. The participant will also develop transferable research skills, including defining research questions, critical thinking, problem-solving, independent working, presenting findings, and responding to academic feedback.

26-27-LDN-029

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant

Where: Brunel University of London, Uxbridge, UB83PH

Working pattern: In-person (lab)

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: 1 June to 31 August

Placement Host name: Dr Dale McClure

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My research is in the area of industrial biotechnology, with a focus on the safe, sustainable and cost-effective production of high-value compounds for the food, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. A key focus of my work is sustainability and transforming what would be otherwise considered wastes to valuable products. I work on the design, scale-up and optimisation of bioprocesses with the goal of sustainably producing high-value compounds for social benefit.

Summary of skills you can gain

• Practical lab skills (experimental design, experimental measurements)
• Data analysis
• Statistical analysis
• Presentation skills
• Biological laboratory skills
• Analytical chemistry (UV-visible spectroscopy and HPLC/GC).

26-27-LDN-028

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley St, London, W1W 7TY 
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June to 27 July

Placement Host name: Professor Cecilia Vindrola

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I lead a team of social scientists interested in applied health research. We apply theories and methods from the social sciences in evaluations of healthcare systems, interventions and current service models in the NHS and abroad. We are interested in methodological innovation and have developed research methods for rapid research and evaluation.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gain skills in evidence synthesis, the appraisal of the quality of published evidence, qualitative research design and implementation, data collection, data analysis and dissemination for academic and non-academic audiences.

26-27-LDN-030

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: UCL Ear Institute, 332 Gray's Inn Road, London,  WC1X
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: Previous in2research / in2science students have performed exclusively human work (mostly) or occasionally have wanted to get involved in our animal work. In this case they assisted in behavioural testing of trained animals.
Dates of availability: 1 June to 31 August
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: Our ferret lab is 1 mile from the ear institute so would require some walking.

Placement Host name: Professor Jenny Bizley

Summary of the Placement Host's work

We seek to understand how the brain processes sound, and in particular how you are able to listen effectively in noisy situations. To do this your brain must make sense of the three-dimensional auditory scene, and be able to deploy attention effectively to the sound that you want to listen to. To aid in this process your brain must compute the location and identity of the sounds around you and might even use visual information. Our lab uses a variety of methods in humans and animal models as well as computational approaches to try understand how the brain achieves this.

Summary of skills you can gain

Projects could include human behavioural work testing the ability of listeners to use visual information to listen in noise (this would involve recruiting and testing humans and learning some coding to analyse the resulting data). Alternatively there are opportunities to perform behavioural testing in ferrets and learn about systems neuroscience methods, or to perform computational analysis of neural data.

26/27-NCL-005

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Urban Sciences Building, 1 Science Square, Newcastle,  NE4 5TG
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1st June – 3rd August. Interns can take a 1 week break near the middle of the internship.

Placement Host name: Professor Dan/Daniel Archambault

Summary of the Placement Host's work

Daniel helps visualisation and visual analytics systems scale to the age of data science. From this perspective, he investigates important research problems in data science and AI, graph drawing, social and complex network analysis, and HCI often in interdisciplinary settings. He investigates all parts of the data-to-human pipeline from the visualisation algorithms to display abstract data to the perceptual evaluation of such interfaces with humans, primarily focusing on visual analytics for machine learning and network visualisation. Sara research human centred approaches to make complex data accessible and understandable to the end user who needs to make decisions based on it. With particular interest in interdisciplinary research and challenges in bio- and health sciences, her research focuses on all aspects of human-centred visualisation design, from domain/user understanding to co-design to usability evaluation. She investigates challenges related to visualisation of extremely high-dimensional (tens of thousands of dimensions), multimodal and multi-level data; data uncertainty and missing values; and genomics/multi-omics.

Summary of skills you can gain

In this project, we would envisage that our interns would investigate methods for making data and/or models accessible to humans for understanding and oversight. We have expertise both in working with general audiences and specialist audiences, particularly in medical contexts, for this purpose. Depending on the interests of the intern and our collaborators, we could potentially work with the medical school at Newcastle University to devise such a visualisation project in medical contexts such as cancer treatments or molecular tumour boards. The project would focus on the development of visualisation methods that would expose data and models to humans using interactive graphics for understanding and oversight. We would expect that an intern with us would further develop their programming skills to take these abstract entities to interactive visuals to support understanding. We would guide them through the development of human-centred evaluation and effective visual encodings to help with this development. Depending on their interests, we have several devices (stereoscopic displays, wall displays, and head-mounted displays) that are at their disposal for use as well. If all goes well, possible inclusion on a small scientific output with our students may be a possibility with our team's guidance.

26/27-NCL-004

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Bedson Building, King's Road, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE17RU
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 5 July - 29 August

Placement Host name: Dr Fabio Cucinotta

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a Senior Lecturer in Physical Chemistry at Newcastle University, where I lead a research group working at the interface of photochemistry, materials chemistry and spectroscopy. My research focuses on understanding how molecules and materials interact with light, with the aim of developing new materials for applications in areas such as solar energy, photocatalysis and light-emitting devices. Our work includes the design and synthesis of photoactive organic and inorganic materials, and the investigation of their optical and excited-state properties using techniques such as UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. Current research interests include light harvesting, resonance energy transfer (FRET), luminescent materials, self-assembled and hybrid materials, and the development of materials for OLEDs and solar-energy applications. I am particularly interested in understanding how molecular structure and the surrounding environment influence the way materials absorb, emit and transfer energy. Alongside my research, I teach physical and inorganic chemistry and supervise undergraduate and postgraduate research projects. I also have experience developing hands-on chemistry activities and outreach projects designed to introduce students to research and the use of spectroscopy. I would particularly welcome a participant interested in chemistry, materials science, photochemistry, energy, spectroscopy or scientific research more broadly.

Summary of skills you can gain

During the placement, the participant will gain an insight into how scientific research is carried out, from developing a research question and planning experiments through to collecting, analysing and communicating results. Depending on the project, they may gain hands-on experience with basic laboratory techniques, including solution preparation, extraction, purification and synthesis of simple compounds or materials. They may also be introduced to spectroscopic techniques, particularly UV-visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, and learn how these techniques can be used to investigate how molecules and materials interact with light. The participant will develop skills in accurate measurement and data collection, safe working practices, data analysis and interpretation, and presenting scientific results. They may use spreadsheets or other simple software to process and visualise experimental data. An important part of the placement will be learning how to think like a researcher: developing hypotheses, designing experiments, troubleshooting when experiments do not work as expected, evaluating evidence and considering alternative explanations. The placement will also provide opportunities to develop transferable skills including problem solving, critical thinking, communication, teamwork, time management and scientific writing/presentation.

26-27-LDN-034

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: Transgenic mice with calcium indicators will be used.
Dates of availability: 7 June - 4 July, 2 week break, 19 July - 16 August

Placement Host name: Dr Jennifer Sun

Summary of the Placement Host's work

Our research group, Visual Plasticity Lab, is interested in the neural basis of plastic changes in the adult visual system that result from sensory experience, artificial stimulation, and pathological insults. To understand this highly dynamic process, we apply in vivo 2-photon microscopy, together with computational and molecular approaches, to characterize and perturb the system at single cell, population, and circuit levels. In the process, we hope to uncover general principles governing neuroplasticity and innovate mechanism-based therapies for learning and neurorehabilitation in health and disease.

Summary of skills you can gain

Observe 2-photon calcium imaging and conduct data analysis using computational and analytic approaches, mostly in MATLAB and Python. Observe animal behavioral recording and conduct tracking analysis using machine learning-enabled algorithms in Python

26-27-LDN-037

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Imperial Clinical Trials Unit, 1st Floor, Stadium House, 68 Wood Lane,  London, W12 7RH
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June - 31 August

Placement Host name: Mr Gareth O’brien

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I'm Gareth, Operational Director of the National Institute of Health and Care Research, Research Support Service (RSS) at Imperial College London. The placement will be in the Operations Team at the RSS. We support all sorts of researchers develop research funding applications to do research. We support early career researchers developing projects or fellowships, experienced investigators and underrepresented disciplines. We offer specialist activities such as mock interviews and grant reviews from specialist advisors. Our interdisciplinary team is a made up of experts from a wide range of health, care, and methodological backgrounds. We are a collaboration of four world-leading research universities: Imperial College London, University College London, Queen Mary University of London and King's College London. We also form part of a wider national network. We offer a placement experience supporting other researchers' careers and unique insight into both research operations and and academic research. Our remit is anything health and social care related, from community mental health intervention testing and NHS care to robotic arms for surgery and innovative medical technology. Our operations team coordinate the service of 50+ staff, over 1000 projects, and support events, processes and administration.

Summary of skills you can gain

The purpose of the placement is to gain research experience and develop the necessary skills and networks to pursue a career in research. Participants will work within a multidisciplinary environment. They will see both methodological and applied research taking place, will gain in-depth knowledge of carrying out research methods themselves and understand the importance of applying equality, diversity and inclusion in health research. The placement will provide insight into the various career paths available and provide the ability to build networks with those in these fields. In addition, they will gain insight into the role of a busy research operations team, delivering world-leading support to researchers from different backgrounds. They will gain insight into the research grant application process, how research funders work and provide support to "real-world" projects at the cutting edge of research. We are happy to shape the project to individuals from a variety of backgrounds and could provide more adminstrative/operational or methodological, or research-led options depending on the participant. We'd be happy to host multiple and cater the experience to different candidates. Specific tasks could include: Developing and piloting research ideas; Review literature; Developing research protocols; Participant recruitment; Data collection/analyses; Patient and public involvement activities.

26-27-LDN-035

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Department of medical physics and biomedical engineering, Malet place, Gower street, London, WC1E 6BT
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June - 31 August

Placement Host name: Professor Ben Hall 

Summary of the Placement Host's work

As tissues age, cells accumulate mutations that change the activity of proteins. These changes may alter how the cells grow and compete in the tissue, enabling clones to persist and expand by increasing their fitness. Over time these clones may colonise the tissue, only to stop or regress as they meet alternative clones of similar or greater fitness. This process of expansion and regression may occur several times over a lifetime. Fit clones are however not necessarily cancer progressing, but may contain the seeds of cancer. My group uses computational biology to study the impact of mutations on cells, from how it changes the activity of individual proteins, to how it alters the phenotype of the cell, to the competition of cells in a tissue. Through understanding the effect of mutation we hope to identify new routes to patient stratification and therapy.

Summary of skills you can gain

Students working in this project will learn and develop skills in some of the areas below

• Data science
• Protein structural bioinformatics
• Gene regulatory networks
• Python programming
• Gene variant action

26/27-CAM-005

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Herchel Smith Bldg, Robinson Way, Cambridge,  CB2 0SZ
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: I don't know right now

Placement Host name: Dr Jonathan Goodman

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a social scientist based at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, and am interested in how insights from the evolutionary sciences can help to solve pressing issues like health inequality and the erosion of trust in society. My work draws on a diverse body of research, ranging from anthropology and biology to ethics and public health, which I believe apply effectively to major societal problems like inequality.

Summary of skills you can gain

Project design; quantitative data analysis; writing and science communication; research presentation; the ability to think critically through a research project from inception to delivery and impact

26/27-LPL-005

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: William Henry Duncan Building,  University of Liverpool, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 5 July – 27 August

Placement Host name: Dr Yu Wan

Summary of the Placement Host's work

Dr Yu Wan is a David Price Evans Research Fellow in microbial bioinformatics at the University of Liverpool, specialising in bacterial genomics, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), infectious disease epidemiology, and method development for pathogen surveillance and infection prevention and control (IPC). Dr Wan is a member of the Microbiology Society in the UK and a passionate member of several international consortia for AMR and IPC research. With more than 11 years of research experience, Dr Wan's work integrates whole-genome sequencing, bioinformatics, computational biology, genomics, and microbiology to investigate pathogen evolution, ecology, and transmission. Specifically, Dr Wan's research focuses on AMR-associated mobile genetic elements (MGEs)—such as plasmids, transposable elements, integrons, and bacteriophages—in bacteria from across One Health sectors, including human, livestock, companion animals, and natural environments. The research comprises three themes: (1) genetic diversity and evolutionary ecology of MGEs, (2) bacterium-MGE interactions, and (3) bioinformatics resources (software and databases) for MGE research. Through collaborations spanning the UK, Bangladesh, and Brazil, Dr Wan's group is committed to translating methodological innovation into practical solutions that support global efforts to reduce the burden of AMR and healthcare-associated infections.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gain coding skills in R, Python, and Linux Bash, as well as bioinformatics skills in comparative genomics, population genetics, and phylogenetic reconstruction. Specifically, the participant will learn to retrieve and manage large genomic datasets from public repositories and apply advanced bioinformatics tools to analyse DNA sequences of mobile genetic elements in bacteria. This placement will also provide hands-on experience with a Linux command-line environment. As a member of the host's research group, the participant will also develop transferable skills in study design, critical evaluation of methods, interpersonal collaboration within a diverse research environment, research data management, and good practices for open science. The participant will strengthen skills in scientific communication, including preparing visualisations, writing professional reports, and presenting to peers.

26/27-NCL-007

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Biosciences Institute, Fauclty of Medical Sciences,Henry Wellcome Building, Newcastle University, Framlington Place,  Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE24HH
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: We will be working with bumblebees, training them in experiments and recording their behaviour using high-speed cameras. Post-experiment it is possible that we might have to sacrifice the bees to maintain independence of the data points.
Dates of availability: 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Vivek Nityananda

Summary of the Placement Host's work

Research in animal welfare has predominantly focussed on livestock mammals and birds. Approaches developed there have led to important ways of measuring cognitive and physiological indicators of welfare, especially in relation to emotion and mood in non-human animals. Apart from a handful of studies, these techniques have not been applied to invertebrates. Our research adapts techniques from vertebrates to the study of insect welfare. We are developing tools to assess and investigate the consequences of decreased welfare for pollinators and pollination. We investigate cognitive biases and emotion-like states in bees and how stress affects different aspects of their behaviour, including perceptions of reward and visual cognition. We also investigate cognitive biases and welfare in wild bumblebees in the field assessing the effects of environment on bee welfare. A key area of interest is also to develop better tests of insect sentience and verify current claims based on rigorous and detailed analyses of behaviour.

Summary of skills you can gain

1)        Programming, AI and machine-learning based tools – These tools will be used to present stimuli to the bees as well as to analyse the details of their behaviour. We will use Matlab to present stimuli and DeepLabCut, a Python-based open source software and AI applications developed by the CASE partner to obtained detailed and markerless automated analysis of behaviour. 
2)        Neuropharmacology: Preparation and application of bioamines to the insects and testing for the effects of the chemicals on subsequent behaviour.
3)        Theory and practice of animal welfare approaches
4)        Insect care
5)        Statistical analysis using R
6)        Contemporary open sciences practices including preregistration, preprints, open access publications and shared data 

26/27-MAN-012

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: AV Hill Building, 4th Floor,  Manchester, M13 9PT 
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: We use mice to study different glycocalyx phenotypes, this includes performing procedures on live mice such as inducing stroke and assessing mouse behaviour before and after. We also take tissues and organs after a particular treatment such as stimulation with Flu. This would involve the culling of the animal. Most work within this group involved taking tissues from animals as a minimum. 
Dates of availability: June - 4 July, 1 week break, 12 July - 8 August

Placement Host name: Dr Samie Dalgarno

Summary of the Placement Host's work

Research within the Dyer lab encompasses multiple diseases which are exacerbated by an inappropriate immune response which we believe to be related to the glycocalyx. The glycocalyx is a glycan (sugar) dense layer on the surface of cells that can modulate interactions with receptors and ligands. By altering the glycocalyx we can study how the infiltration and effector functions of different immune cell types can affect Alzheimer's progression, prolonged symptoms to flu and responses to stroke. We leverage multiple techniques to study this intricate interaction which includes, but is not limited to immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, lectin staining, in-vivo mouse studies, and mass spectrometry. These techniques enable us to determine and visualise which immune cell types are involved and the components of the glycocalyx are affected and even if this is related to modification to the sugars.

Summary of skills you can gain

As outlined previously multiple techniques are used within this lab, all of which are available to be experienced by the project student if they wish. A non-exhaustive list of techniques is outlined below: Immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, lectin staining, in-vivo mouse studies, in vitro immune cell isolation and stimulation, ELISA, and mass spectrometry. By gaining experience with these techniques the participant will be able to use a pipette accurately and appropriate, learn how to make up buffers, use reagents such as antibodies for immunohistochemistry and ELISAs which require accurate pipetting skills. They will learn about the running of a flow cytometer and how to generate sample types, acquire and then analyse data via specialist software. They will also have the opportunity to learn how to interpret mass spectrometry data and gain insight into method development. Finally, after data has been collected and analysed the participant will see how we input data into statistical analysis software and chose appropriate testing methods. All of these skills are vital for becoming a good, well-rounded researcher.

Placement project: Understanding the impact of the exposome on the extracellular matrix
Where: The University of Manchester, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, AV Hill Building, Upper Brook Street, Manchester, M13 9PT
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 July 2027
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: The student would occasionally be required to stand for long periods of time. They would also require to have a hepatitis B vaccination to work with the clinical samples

Placement Host name: Dr Vignesh Jayaraman

Summary of the Placement Host's work

It is well known that prolonged environmental exposures (collectively known as the exposome) can cause disease and lead to chronic conditions. However, we currently do not understand how the exposome drives these changes and causes inflammation. This project will aid in deciphering the impact of the exposome on the extra cellular matrix (ECM). The excess deposition of the ECM is a major driver of disease however the mechanisms driving this phenotype are poorly understood. In this project, we will be studying a specific component of the matrix, an enormous polysaccharide called hyaluronan. The student will have the opportunity to characterize the various properties of hyaluronan and how that in turn impacts immune responses. We will be mainly focusing on studying the hyaluronan from patients with chronic lung conditions and correlating that with environmental exposure. This study will help dictate development of better therapies and treatment strategies.

Summary of skills you can gain

The student will have the opportunity to learn a diverse range of immunological techniques routinely used in our lab.  These include enzyme liked immunosorbent assays, flow cytometry and histology. Additionally, they will also have opportunities to learn computational tools like flow and learn coding in R and python. Besides technical proficiencies, the student will be able to engage in scientific discussions and be encouraged to participate and present their findings to the lab members. This placement would give the student an all round experience of how to work in a laboratory and set them up for a future in or outside academia

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: The University of Manchester, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 July 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Ayse Aslan

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I'm a research associate at the University of Manchester. I'm a qualitative researcher with an interest in health inequalities, particularly within the populations of people with learning disabilities, autism and mental illness. I am currently working on a project which is exploring inequities in Lung Cancer Screening and I am involved in leading the patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) group for the project.

Summary of skills you can gain

During this placement, the student will have the opportunity to develop a range of valuable research and professional skills. These may include supporting the collection and analysis of qualitative data, conducting literature reviews, facilitating and engaging with Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) activities, collaborating within a multidisciplinary research team, and communicating effectively with a range of stakeholders and interest groups. The placement will also help build confidence in research methods, teamwork, organisation, and professional communication.

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: The University of Manchester, Faculty of FBMH, Michael Smith bldg, Oxford Road        Manchester, M13 9Pt
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project involves working with animal cells or tissue 
Dates of availability: TBC, between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Antony Adamson

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My work focuses on developing and applying genome engineering technologies, including CRISPR, to support research across a wide range of biological and biomedical disciplines.  I lead a team that provides specialist expertise in genetic modification of cell lines, stem cells, fruit flies, and mouse models, working closely with researchers to understand gene function and develop new approaches to studying disease. I am also involved in translational research, helping to develop novel diagnostic technologies and supporting collaborations with industry partners.  As a technical specialist, I am passionate about making research accessible and helping the next generation of researchers understand how scientific discoveries are made. Through In2research, I hope to provide participants with insight into life in a research laboratory, expose them to cutting-edge technologies, and support them in exploring potential careers in science and research.

Summary of skills you can gain

For a placement within the Genome Editing Unit, participants would gain exposure to a broad range of laboratory, research, and professional skills. Depending on the project, they may have opportunities to develop skills in:  Molecular biology techniques, including DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, cloning, and DNA sequence analysis. Genome editing technologies, including the principles and applications of CRISPR-Cas systems. Cell culture techniques and basic laboratory aseptic procedures. Experimental design, data recording, and interpretation of scientific results. Bioinformatics tools used for DNA, RNA, and genome sequence analysis. Scientific literature searching, critical evaluation of research papers, and understanding the research process. Data analysis, troubleshooting experiments, and presenting findings. Good laboratory practice, health and safety, and responsible conduct of research. Communication and teamwork skills through interaction with researchers, technical staff, and students.  Participants will gain first-hand experience of how a research core facility supports cutting-edge biomedical research, providing valuable insight into careers in science, technology, and research innovation.

26-27-LDN-040

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL, 17-19 Queen Square,  London, WC1N 3AZ
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 1 June - 26 July

Placement Host name: Dr Annika Boldt

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am interested in how the human brain is capable of forming metacognitive judgements. Metacognition is usually defined as thinking about one's own thoughts and actions. This important and ubiquitous ability serves to optimise behaviour in countless situations, ensuring that we have control over what we are doing. If we lose control, metacognitive warning signals ensure the additional allocation of attentional resources. For example, with regards to decision making, we can be more or less sure that decisions we are making are right or wrong. This becomes present in gambling: people are more willing to bet money on decisions they are confident are right, such as being certain their favourite football team will win a game. Metacognition is usually investigated through confidence judgements. I am interested in how such confidence is related to the internal values and preferences on which we base our decisions. My main research questions are (a) how are metacognitive signals formed and (b) how can they be utilized for cognitive control. I am studying these questions using both behavioural and neuroimaging experiments (EEG and MRI), as well as with computational models.

Summary of skills you can gain

The In2research participant will gain experience across several stages of the research process. Depending on the project, they may contribute to behavioural testing conducted either online or in person in our lab. If interested, I could show them how I develop behavioural experiments from the design/planning stage to implementing those ideas using Python and/or JavaScript. The placement will also provide training in data management, including data aggregation, cleaning, quality checking, and preparation for analysis. Participants may use R and/or Python for statistical analysis, visualisation, and computational model fitting, developing both programming and quantitative research skills. They will gain experience in conducting targeted literature reviews, critically evaluating previous research, and relating existing findings to the hypotheses of our project. They may also contribute to preparing preregistrations and documenting analysis plans and research methods. Overall, the placement will provide practical experience of reproducible research workflows, from study design and data collection through to analysis and, of course, interpretation.

26-27-LDN-041

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Roberts Engineering Building, University College London, Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7JE
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Any eight-week period between 1 June and 31 August 2027, with exact dates to be agreed with the participant. The placement can be split into blocks if needed to accommodate annual leave or academic travel.

Placement Host name: Dr Mengyun Qiao

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at University College London (UCL), where I lead the LUMA Lab (Learning & Understanding in Medical AI). My research focuses on developing artificial intelligence methods for healthcare, particularly for medical imaging, digital twins, generative AI, and computational modelling. A major theme of my work is creating personalised digital representations of the human heart. I develop machine learning models that can analyse cardiac images, reconstruct three-dimensional heart anatomy and motion, and learn how these patterns vary across individuals and populations. More broadly, I am interested in how generative AI and AI agents can support scientific discovery and help us better understand complex biomedical data. My research is highly interdisciplinary and combines artificial intelligence, engineering, medical imaging, and clinical science. I work closely with researchers and clinicians from different backgrounds, and I enjoy supporting students who are interested in learning how computational methods can be applied to real healthcare challenges. Participants joining my group could gain experience in areas such as machine learning, medical image analysis, generative AI, data analysis, and digital health research.

Summary of skills you can gain

Participants may gain practical experience in applying artificial intelligence and computational methods to healthcare research. Depending on their interests and background, they may work with medical imaging, biomedical datasets, generative AI, or digital health applications. Possible skills include Python programming, data preprocessing and visualisation, machine learning model development, evaluation of AI systems, and interpretation of quantitative results. Participants may also gain experience with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch, and with handling image-based or structured clinical data. Alongside technical skills, the placement will develop broader research skills, including conducting literature reviews, formulating research questions, designing experiments, critically evaluating existing methods, and presenting findings clearly to an interdisciplinary audience. Where appropriate, participants may also gain experience in reproducible research practices, scientific writing, collaborative software development using Git/GitHub, and responsible AI considerations such as data privacy, fairness, interpretability, and limitations of AI in healthcare.

26-27-LDN-038

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant

Where: City St George's, University of London , Northampton Square , London, EC1V 0HB

Working pattern: Hybrid

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: Most likely date range: 1 June - 31 July

Placement Host name: Dr Kyriaki Giorgakoudi

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I started my career as a mathematician who wanted to apply their methods in health. Over the years I have developed expertise in two main areas; economic evaluation and mathematical modelling. My research is essentially about using maths and economics to understand, prevent and tackle disease. I am also interested in qualitative methods of research such as questionnaire design and qualitative interviews. Today, I am leading a dynamic team of researchers working on interesting, interdisciplinary research projects. I have a large portfolio of externally funded projects and important collaborations with leading health researchers.

Summary of skills you can gain

The project topic will depend on the availability of projects within the team at the time of the placements as well as the participant's personal interests. Researchers in my team have the opportunity to gain a variety of research and transferable skills that place them in the best place for career progression. Participants to the scheme will be part of the research team and will have the opportunity to interact with the wider Research Centre and School we belong to. Skills and experience gained will depend on the project the participant will be working on. The following are indicative examples: - economic evaluation methods - mathematical epidemiology - coding (e.g. R language) - questionnaire design - health data records - data entry - data extraction - data analysis - presentation skills - critical thinking - stakeholder engagement - research paper writing

26-27-LDN-042

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London, Faculty of Faculty of Engineering Sciences, UCL East, Marshgate Building,  7 Sidings Street, London,E20 2AE 
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: The participant will potentially be required to stand at a fume hood or in the lab for an extended period of time (max 30 minutes).

Placement Host name: Dr Hamish Mitchell

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am currently an EPSRC Research Fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering at UCL. I completed my MEng and PhD in Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London in 2020 and 2025, respectively. My research focuses on purifying pharmaceuticals, particularly peptides, using crystallisation as a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to current industrial approaches. In the lab, I use automated robotic systems to test many crystallisation conditions on a small scale, identifying the best way to purify the compounds. I also run computer simulations to investigate how these molecules behave in solution. This research is timely given the surge in peptide drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro and there is an unmet need to reduce production costs to improve patient accessibility. Alongside my research, I have developed extensive teaching and supervision experience. During my PhD, I contributed to lecture- and project-based modules within Imperial's undergraduate MEng Chemical Engineering programme. At UCL, I have continued this through delivering workshops and supervising research projects for students on the postgraduate MSc Chemical Engineering programmes. I particularly enjoy helping students build confidence in research and encouraging them to consider academia as potential career paths, particularly as someone who hadn't considered this when starting my studies.

Summary of skills you can gain

Lab Skills - General wet lab skills - weighing, pouring, etc. - Use of specialist equipment, e.g. HPLC, PXRD, visible light/UV microscopy - Use of robotic equipment in a laboratory context - Understanding of high-throughput experimental techniques Coding and data analysis skills - Data analysis using e.g. Python, JMP - Coding/programming of robotic equipment in Python - Machine learning

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Newcastle University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Biosciences Institute, Henry Wellcome Building for Neuroecology, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project involves culling of animals or invasive experiments of live animal and animal behaviour observation experiments
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Tom Smulders

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am interested in what makes individuals more stress resilient. I focus especially on stress physiology and the brain mechanisms that control the stress response. This research is carried out in the context of animal welfare science: it allows us to better understand what makes some individuals more resilient than others, and hopefully allows us to improve animals' resilience in the future. In my research group, we focus on chickens primarily. We study a particular cell population in the chicken brain, which we know is reduced when the animals experience chronic stress. We use this cell population as a marker to see when chickens experience more stress and when they experience less stress. Then we investigate the conditions that reduce the experience of chronic stress. Currently, we are investigating the effects of genetics, social context, space use, and dietary supplements on stress resilience and resistance in laying hens.

Summary of skills you can gain

Depending on the exact project, the participant may gain expertise in: - Acoustic analysis of chicken vocalizations - Collection of brain tissue from chickens on farms - Processing of chicken brain tissue for histology - Quantification of cell densities in chicken brain tissue - Analysis of pre-recorded physiology data from chickens

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London, Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, 25 Howland Street, London, W1T 4JG
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project involves animal behaviour observation experiments
Dates of availability: Between 7 June and 1 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Karyna Mishchanchuk

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I'm a systems neuroscientist in the Behrens Group at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre (SWC) at UCL. Our lab brings together biologists and theorists to understand how the brain learns, represents, and flexibly uses knowledge to support complex cognition. My research specifically focuses on investigating the neural basis of how behaviours are broken down into simple, reusable "building blocks" that can be combined to represent and solve novel and increasingly complex problems. To answer these questions, I train mice to navigate complex maze environments. I combine these tasks with advanced neural recording techniques to monitor the activity of large populations of neurons as mice explore and learn to navigate these environments. This approach allows me to study the behavioural strategies mice develop to solve these difficult problems and how these are represented in the brain. By tracking activity from early learning stages we can also investigate the neural algorithms and cellular mechanism of how such neural representations emerge through learning. I'm particularly interested in the role of dopamine—a neuromodulator known to be involved in motivation and reward—in shaping how the brain forms these complex representations.

Summary of skills you can gain

Mouse handling and running of behavioural experiments; assistance with electrophysiological or photometry recordings, opto- or chemogenetic manipulations of neural activity; statistical analysis of behavioural and/or neural data using Python pipelines. 

26-27-LDN-036

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: UCL GOS ICH, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: 7 June - 1 August

Placement Host name: Professor Lola Solebo

Summary of the Placement Host's work

As an epidemiologist, my team's interests lie around the "Who, Why, What and How" of childhood eye and vision disorders - developing and undertaking epidemiological and data science studies to generate useful information on Who is at risk, the determinants (Why) of those risks, What outcomes are, the Why of those outcomes, and understanding How we translate these findings into changes in clinical practice and health policy. You can find more info here: https://choir-lab.com/

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will receive interdisciplinary training in health data science, epidemiology, observational research, clinical terminology, and reproducible analytics. They will work in a team alongside clinicians, epidemiologists, statisticians and informaticians.

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London,  Faculty of Engineering, 90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6BH
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: TBC, between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Miguel Angel Perez Xochicale

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a Senior Research Software Engineer, based at the Advanced Research Computing Centre, UCL. My research is dedicated to advancing data-centric AI tools across key domains in medical technology, including Medical Imaging, MedTech, SurgTech, Biomechanics, and Clinical Translation. I focus on driving innovation and creating impactful solutions in critical areas such as real-time AI applications in surgery, diagnostics for video-based endoscopy, eye movement disorders, and enhanced echocardiography. My work also explores sensor fusion techniques that integrate wearable trackers with medical imaging, the development of generative models for fetal imaging, and fostering child-robot interaction in low-resource countries. Prior to joining UCL, I was based at the School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences at King's College London, where as a Research Associate I scientifically contributed to automatic biometric recognition from Cardiac ultrasound data using deep Learning, and developed new algorithms, software, hardware and medical device quality management systems. My PhD was completed at the Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering department of the University of Birmingham, where I investigated Nonlinear Analysis to Quantify Movement Variability in Human-Humanoid Interaction.

Summary of skills you can gain

This project is ideal for students with a background in software engineering or computational disciplines. The selected student(s) will gain hands-on experience in advanced software and hardware engineering, particularly in the areas of Medical and Surgical Technologies and Artificial Intelligence, including federated learning, data analytics, and sensor fusion. Throughout the project, students will also develop practical problem-solving abilities, enhance their Python programming skills, and become proficient with version control using Git. They will gain experience working in an agile environment, taking part in daily stand-ups, project milestones, sprints, and retrospectives.

26-27-LDN-043

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Maple House, London W1T 7BN
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 July and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Maev Conneely

Summary of the Placement Host's work

The PRU conducts rapid research to inform policy at DHSC, NHS England, OHID and other government and arms-length bodies, delivering a programme agreed with policy makers including analytical colleagues. We work with a national network of experts and a very active Lived Experience Working Group of service users and carers who are involved in our research. Our work covers evaluating mental health services in crisis care, and community care, and we conduct systematic reviews.

Summary of skills you can gain

Skills may use and gain: - Qualitative and quantitative analysis skills - presentation skills - proofing - interviewing - paper-writing - Microsoft processing skills incl. word and powerpoint

26-27-LDN-045

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: City St George's, University of London, Faculty of School of Science and Technology, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 15 June and 7 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Roberto Merino Vela

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I will start as a Lecturer at the department of Engineering at City St. George's University of London. I am originally from Ecuador, where I got my Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering. I then moved to Italy to study Earthquake Engineering, and I got a Master's and Doctoral Degrees there before moving to UCL to work on my Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship before joining City St. George's. My current research focuses on enhancing the multi-hazard performance of buildings by developing design methods, numerical models, and computational tools for non-structural elements. Non-structural elements are everything in a building that does not form part of the load-carrying structure. These include, piping systems, electrical equipment, and many more; everything that makes a building habitable and functional for humans. Even though the structure (beams, columns, slabs) is essential to ensure that a building does not collapse, it is also important to ensure that a building that does not collapse is functional after a major event. This is especially important for critical buildings such as hospitals, airports, and schools.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant may gain the skills of designing a research study, performing advanced structural analyses and obtaining valuable results from these, processing data, and writing a research report.

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London,  Faculty of Brain Sciences, Chandler House, 2 Wakfield Street, London, WC1N 1PF
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 2 June and 30 July 2027
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: Some of the work may take place in the basement area of Chandler House, and this requires using the stairs when the lift is not working

Placement Host name: Professor Emma Holmes

Summary of the Placement Host's work

In the UCL Cognitive Hearing Lab, we're interested in how people perceive sounds in challenging listening environments—such as understanding what a friend's saying when there are other conversations going on around us. In particular, we're interested in how auditory cognition (e.g., attention and prior knowledge) affects the perception of speech and other sounds, and how these processes are affected by hearing loss. Our research includes behavioural methods (e.g., auditory psychophysics), cognitive neuroscience (e.g., pupillometry, EEG, MEG, and fMRI), and computational modelling. You can find out more about our research at https://cognitivehearinglab.com/

Summary of skills you can gain

Participants will be invited to get involved in multiple projects in the lab, and to lead their own mini-project. For example, this could include gaining experience collecting data from human participants (either in the lab or online), progressing their skills in analysing data from experiments, working with relevant equipment and software, and/or recording and editing speech stimuli. As well as one-to-one support, they will be invited to attend research group meetings, and will be supported to gain a greater understanding of relevant background literature that motivates current research in the UCL Cognitive Hearing Lab.

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London, , Faculty of Brain Science, 91 Gower Street, WC1E 6AB
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: Our office dose not have lift access and is located on 2nd and 3rd floor. We cannot accommodate anyone who cannot cope with stairs during emergency and normal day to day work.

Placement Host name: Ms Fei Long

Summary of the Placement Host's work

Summary of skills you can gain

Literature search and review, data science related area (ie. coding, data cleaning, and data analysis related skills Output writing and presentation) Hearing/ear research related knowledge 

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London, Faculty of  Life Sciences, Division of Biosciences Stores, Anatomy Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project involves animal behaviour observation experiments
Dates of availability: Between 1 June - 31 August 2027
Placement Host name: Dr Pip Coen

Summary of the Placement Host's work
In the natural world, brains have to make sense of a mixture of sensory cues arriving at the same time. When you listen to someone speak, you combine the sounds they make with the movement of their lips, which is one reason masks made conversations so much harder! How and where does the brain combine these auditory and visual streams? My lab uses mice to answer that question.  We train mice to perform complex behaviours in audiovisual chambers we design and build ourselves. We then combine those behaviours with modern tools for recording from large numbers of neurons, and for switching specific brain circuits on and off, to work out which circuits underlie audiovisual integration. We want to know how and where the two senses are combined, both to locate objects out in the world and to work out where you are yourself while navigating an environment.  We are a mix of experimental and computational neuroscientists, so a placement here involves animal behaviour, hardware and coding as well as data analysis. We are currently building new open arenas to study these questions in freely moving animals.
 

Summary of skills you can gain
We are an interdisciplinary group working at the intersection of experimental and computational neuroscience, so the placement covers a mix of hands-on lab work and desk-based analysis. Roughly half the time is spent in the lab and half at a desk.  Skills and techniques the participant may use:  Mouse handling, training and monitoring Designing 3D-printed parts and seeing them through to printing Building and calibrating audiovisual behavioural hardware (speakers, screens, LEDs, cameras) Python coding, including for data analysis and figures Comparing data across behavioural setups and interpreting the results Presenting work as a poster at the end of the placement  Participants will also observe techniques they are not licensed to carry out themselves. Surgery, electrophysiology and optogenetics all require personal Home Office licences, so the participant will watch these procedures and analyse the resulting data rather than perform them. Previous participants have found observing surgery and animal handling a highlight, but it is worth knowing in advance that it forms part of the placement.  No prior experience of coding or animal work is needed. We share Python setup instructions and induction material before the start date for anyone who would like to get ahead.

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London, Faculty of Engineering, Gower St, London, WC1E 6BT
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 July and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Dimitra Salmanidou

Summary of the Placement Host's work
I am working at the intersection of spatial data science and computational geosciences. I have worked and co-led interdisciplinary research projects combining geosciences with computational modelling and statistics. My work has primarily focused on machine learning and geophysical hazard modelling for forecasting, with a focus on tsunami science and climate change. I have experience with uncertainty quantification methods, catastrophe modelling, and high-performance computing and I am particularly interested in data visualisation, surrogate and agent-based models for disaster resilience and climate adaptation. 

Summary of skills you can gain
We have a variety of data science projects where you would be able to participate and have an impact while gaining experience with technologies used in research and industry environments. Depending on your project you may work on data analysis and data visualisation, computational modelling and machine learning for spatial data science. You will learn how to use data for answering research questions and how to ensure the results of our data analyses can be reproduced by other people. Additionally, you'll get more confident in programming (or learn if you've never programmed before!) and learn how to collaborate with others using platforms like GitHub. You will also have the opportunity to learn about the department's processes and various projects, participate in events and present your work. 

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London,  Faculty of Brain Sciences, Department of Imaging Neuroscience, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 12 Queen Square, London , WC1N 3AR
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 July 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Shokoufeh Golshani

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I'm an MR physicist working at the intersection of physics, engineering, and neuroscience. My research focuses on optimising functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), a powerful technique that enables us to study how the human brain works. fMRI helps neuroscientists investigate cognitive processes such as memory, emotion, decision-making, and other complex behaviours. However, the quality and reliability of fMRI data depend strongly on how the imaging sequences are designed and implemented. There are many parameters involved, and each choice comes with trade-offs. My work aims to optimise these parameters to improve the detection of subtle changes in brain activity, particularly by maximising sensitivity to the Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) signal that underpins most cognitive fMRI studies. A key aspect of this work is understanding how factors like age, anatomy, and properties of the brain regions can influence the optimal scan setup, and how we can tailor imaging techniques to specific populations and research questions. This work is foundational to ensuring that neuroscience studies produce reliable and meaningful results, especially when exploring complex or novel cognitive tasks. I'd prefer to define the project details together with the student later in the year. This allows us to align their interests and strengths with current research priorities and work collaboratively on a project that contributes to real-world advances in neuroscience.

Summary of skills you can gain

During this placement, the student may gain experience in a range of neuroimaging, data analysis, and research methods, including: •    Understanding the physical principles underlying Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and functional MRI (fMRI). •    Learning how imaging parameters influence image quality, signal sensitivity, and data reliability. •    Gaining hands-on experience with MRI data processing and analysis tools commonly used in neuroscience research, such as SPM. •    Developing MATLAB programming and computational skills for image processing, visualisation, and analysis. •    Exploring sources of variability in fMRI measurements, including the effects of anatomy, positioning, age, and brain region. •    Gaining experience in scientific problem-solving, critical evaluation of methods, and interpretation of research findings. •    Developing skills in scientific communication through presentations, reports, and discussions with a multidisciplinary research team. •    Exposure to a state-of-the-art MRI research environment, with access to facilities housing two 3T MRI scanners and a 7T MRI scanner, with the opportunity to observe or participate in MRI research studies where appropriate. 

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Queen Mary University of London, Faculty of Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Wolfson Building, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Sammy Quaife

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a Reader in Behavioural Science and Chartered Psychologist, and my research focuses on understanding and reducing health inequalities across the cancer care pathway. Much of my work examines why some groups face greater barriers to accessing cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment services, and how we can design interventions that improve access and outcomes for everyone.  My current research is particularly focused on lung cancer, including improving participation in lung cancer screening programmes and understanding the social, behavioural, and structural factors that influence access to care. I use a range of research methods, including analysing large datasets, conducting interviews and surveys, and working with patients, healthcare professionals, and community organisations to develop and evaluate solutions.  I am passionate about making research relevant to real-world challenges and supporting the next generation of researchers. A placement with me would provide an opportunity to gain experience in health research, behavioural science, and public health, while contributing to projects that aim to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities in cancer care.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gain experience in a range of research skills relevant to behavioural science, health psychology, and public health. Depending on the project and their interests, they may undertake literature reviews and evidence synthesis, developing skills in critically appraising scientific evidence and identifying gaps in knowledge.  There may be opportunities to work with quantitative data, including analysing survey data on cancer-related attitudes and behaviours, testing associations, and interpreting findings. Participants could also contribute to scientific writing and manuscript development, gaining insight into the academic publishing and peer-review process.  For projects with a qualitative focus, participants may gain experience in the research interview process, including understanding how interviews are designed, conducted, analysed, and used to answer research questions. They may also be involved in patient and public involvement and engagement activities, such as co-designing screening communications with members of the public and learning how stakeholder perspectives can shape research and intervention development.  In addition, participants will be encouraged to engage with the wider research environment through research group meetings and journal clubs, developing skills in critical discussion, scientific communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Imperial College London, Faculty of Engineering, 180 Queen's Gate, London, SW7 2AZ 
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: TBC, between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Calvin Tsay

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My group works at the intersection of mathematical optimisation and machine learning. We study optimisation-centric machine learning models as surrogates in decision-making problems, and how optimisation can be used to certify ML models (e.g., for safety). Our work is broadly interdisciplinary, spanning applied mathematics, data science, engineering systems, and computer science.

Summary of skills you can gain

Participants will gain skills at the intersection of mathematical optimisation and machine learning. Applications include Safe AI (certifying ML models), AI for science (Bayesian optimisation and design of experiments), and decision-making in engineering systems.

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London, Faculty of Brain Sciences, BUCNI, 26 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AP
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 20 June - 20 August 2027 (with exact dates to be agreed)
Placement Host name: Professor Fred Dick

Summary of the Placement Host's work
My lab focuses on language and auditory cognition. In particular, we investigate how the brain reshapes itself to take advantage of information in the sound environment to accomplish its goals, through understanding and producing speech, environmental sounds, or other novel sounds.   We use a combination of behavioural and neuroimaging techniques to answer these questions, including functional and quantitative MRI.   

Summary of skills you can gain
You will learn about designing and coding behavioral experiments and analyses, as well as getting hands-on experience with MRI data collection and analyses - including being a participant in MRI experiments if you are interested.

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Imperial College London, Faculty of Natural Sciences, MSRH
82 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: Work in the group is in the lab, chemistry is all at fumehoods. Students need to be able to stand for long periods of time and be able to use their hands as chemistry/biology both require dexterity and precision.

Placement Host name: Dr Eve Carter

Summary of the Placement Host's work

The group works on medicinal chemistry and chemical biology. Everything we do is broadly aimed at drug discovery, normally at a very early stage - target validation, assay development, screening, synthesis of hits and development of Structure Activity Relationships, optimisation of hits. Most of what we do is based around small molecules.

Summary of skills you can gain

Chemistry: small molecule synthesis, reaction optimisation, screening, Structure Activity Relationships, docking.  and/or the student could do  Chemical Biology: protein expression, tissue culture, target validation, assay design and development

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Queen Mary University of London, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry,  80 Newark Street,  Pathology and Pharmacy Building, Royal London Hospital, E1 2ES
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 July and 31 August 2027
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: Participant will be required to stand for long periods of time when undertaking lab work

Placement Host name: Dr Maria Teresa Cutino Moguel 

Summary of the Placement Host's work

We work with viral pathogens that have clinical relevance. Our research is translational and diagnostic. We particularly work with viruses that affect patients with suppressed immune systems like those that have had a transplant, or viruses affecting pregnant women and their babies. We are also a site for a national project to implement metagenomics as a diagnostic test to investigate patients with severe respiratory infections and admitted to the intensive therapy units of our Trust. We are involved in several projects using sequencing and metagenomics as a diagnostic tool to investigate the cause of infection in patients and for virus discovery.

Summary of skills you can gain

• Data analysis
• Molecular techniques (DNA and RNA extraction from clinical samples, PCR, sequencing, metagenomics)
• Interpretation of simple pathogen genetic data using bioinformatics
• Analysis of scientific peer reviewed papers to produce a literature review
• Understanding of clinical utility and applications of virology laboratory tests

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Chandler House, 2 Wakefield Street, London WC1N 1PF
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Likely to be available 1st June - mid July, and then will be around the rest of July/August but with gaps for annual leave.

Placement Host name: Dr Jo Taylor

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am interested in how we learn to read - in particular, how we learn the relationships between a word's spelling, its sound, and its meaning, and how this knowledge changes with experience. My research combines behavioural experiments with cognitive neuroscience methods, specifically fMRI, to understand the mechanisms that underpin these learning processes. In studies with children, we investigate how word reading, spelling, and understanding develop as children gain more experience with written language, both in controlled experiments and in real-world settings such as classrooms.  We also study adults learning new or unfamiliar words, which allows us to carefully control both the construction of the words they are learning and how they are taught.   With both children and adult experiments, we ask questions such as: How does spelling-to-sound regularity influence word form and meaning learning? Does knowing the meaning of a word help us to remember its spelling and pronunciation? How does the context in which words are learned affect how word meanings are remembered and used?   Summer placement projects could involve designing and running behavioural experiments with children or adults and/or analysing existing behavioural or neuroimaging datasets.

Summary of skills you can gain

Depending on the specific project, students may gain experience in designing and running behavioural experiments; recruiting and testing child or adult participants; preparing experimental stimuli; programming experiments; and collecting, analysing, and visualising behavioural data, using software such as excel, R, and Matlab. Some projects may provide opportunities to work with neuroimaging data, including learning about the acquisition, processing, and analysis of MRI/fMRI data.   Students will also develop broader research skills, including reading and critically evaluating scientific literature, formulating research questions and hypotheses, interpreting results, and communicating research through written reports, presentations, and discussions with members of the lab. Students may also gain experience with open and reproducible research practices, such as preregistration, documenting analysis workflows, and sharing materials and code.

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Gower Street, London    WC1E 6BT
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June - 26 July 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Preetish Kakoty

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at University College London, based in the DE|RISC Lab with Professor Carmine Galasso. My fellowship project focuses on enhancing resilience through multi-hazard recovery analysis of earthquake- and flood-affected infrastructure.  Previously, I contributed to discussions around risk tolerance for building standards in New Zealand and developed scenario-based risk modeling frameworks to enable evidence-based risk mitigation decisions at the local government level. My work sits at the intersection of natural hazards simulation, structural engineering, risk quantification, and decision science. I use statistical and physics-based simulation tools to estimate disaster impacts and support risk-informed decision-making for the built environment.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participants will work on one or more pillars of disaster risk modeling workflows, including hazard simulation, asset exposure modeling, and vulnerability modeling. The projects will use multiple data sources, including, but not limited to, satellite imagery, census and survey data, and simulated structural performance data. The participants will also gain an understanding of probabilistic modeling and performance-based engineering principles. Ultimately, these data and models will be used to explore community-focused and policy-oriented questions.

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London and Francis Crick Institute, London
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Miss Lea Knez

Summary of the Placement Host's work

My research focuses on developing innovative gene therapies for motor neuron disease (ALS). A major hurdle in treating ALS is ensuring therapies target only sick brain cells without causing unwanted side effects in healthy ones. To overcome this, our lab developed a cutting-edge technology called TDP-REG, which acts like a "smart switch" that triggers therapeutic protein production exclusively inside diseased neurons. Our current focus is identifying the most effective therapeutic proteins to pair with this switch. The participant will be working with cell lines and iPSC-derived neurons and will use different molecular assays and data analysis to test our top candidate therapeutic proteins and evaluate their ability to rescue diseased cells. This project offers hands-on experience in molecular biology and drug discovery, directly contributing to safer, next-generation gene therapies for ALS. 

Summary of skills you can gain

Through this placement, the participant will gain hands-on experience in essential laboratory techniques, including cell culture, immunocytochemistry, microscopy, western blotting, and nanopore sequencing. Alongside wet-lab skills, they will learn to analyse and interpret experimental data. The participant will also develop strong communication skills by actively participating in lab meetings and presenting their research at the end of the placement.

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Teesside University, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration: North East and North Cumbria, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, St Nicholas Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 3XT
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Professor Samantha Harrison

Summary of the Placement Host's work

NIHR Applied Research Collaboration: North East and North Cumbria  Our vision is to achieve 'Better, fairer health and care, at all ages and in all places'.   Our ARC builds upon our nationally recognised work on prevention and inequalities, embedding an ethos of social justice throughout. We focus upon supporting underserved groups and ensuring research inclusion is at the heart of all research and capacity building work for health and care improvement for the wider population, with a focus upon those with greatest need. Within the context of significant health needs and high material disadvantage in the NENC, we worked with 109 public members and experts-by-experience, leaders in our large health and care system and members of local community and voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations to develop five priority themes for our research:   Core Themes Prevention including multiple long-term conditions Addressing inequity in health and care systems Care improvement and safety Supporting children, women and family health Cross-cutting Theme Workforce inclusion and innovation for impact   ARC activity is underpinned by dedicated resource for research capacity development, research inclusion, knowledge mobilisation, and public involvement and community engagement.

Summary of skills you can gain

ARC NENC began April 2026 - projects aligned to specific themes are still being developed. There is scope for placement interns to help shape these projects. 

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Newcastle University,  Faculty of Medical Science, Henry Welcome Building , Newcastle University,  Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne , NE2 4HH
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project involves animal behaviour observation experiments
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Shoko Sugasawa

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I have a broad interest in the ecology and evolution of animal behaviour, with particular focus on object manipulation by animals without hands.  Many animals manipulate diverse objects including food and nest materials to survive and breed successfully. I am interested in why animals like birds and insects are so good at manipulation, even though they lack hands like ours and only have simple manipulators like bills and mandibles (Sugasawa et al. 2021 Proc Roy Soc B). I am currently working to expand my study system to insects such as bumblebees and praying mantises, to investigate how insects use their body parts to handle food items like flowers and prey. Further, to better understand the bill dexterity in birds and its ecological significance, I have been studying nest building and tool use for over a decade.

Summary of skills you can gain

This project will be on the ecological function and/or mechanical and cognitive mechanisms of behaviour in birds or insects. The project will therefore equip the participants with highly transferable scientific skills including experimental designs, analytical thinking, data analysis, data presentation, infographics and scientific writing in a small and developing lab environment. They will be encouraged to communicate about their project with other group members including PhD researchers and undergraduate students. They will likely use general software like Microsoft Excel as well as specialist software like Behavioral Observation Research Interactive Software. 

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Newcastle University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Level 5 Herschel Building, Brewery lane, Newcastle University,  Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 21 June and 31 August 2027
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: Laboratory work will require standing at the bench but there are chairs available to take regular standing breaks.

Placement Host name: Dr Steven Knox

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am a researcher working in cancer genomics, with a particular focus on acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood leukaemia. My research explores how changes in the structure and regulation of DNA contribute to cancer and how we might detect these changes more effectively.  A major part of my work involves developing and testing new approaches using long-read DNA sequencing. This technology allows us to examine much larger sections of the genome than many conventional methods, helping us uncover complex genetic changes that might otherwise be missed. I am particularly interested in refining these techniques and applying them to a wider range of cancer samples in future, with the longer-term aim of improving our understanding, classification and diagnosis of cancer.  My work combines practical laboratory research with computer-based analysis of large biological datasets. I am also involved in optimising laboratory and analytical methods, interpreting results, and communicating scientific findings. This placement would be particularly suitable for someone interested in genetics, cancer biology, molecular biology, sequencing technology and bioinformatics.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will contribute to an active research project involving the development and application of long-read sequencing approaches in cancer research. The specific project will be discussed closer to the placement period, based on the work underway within the research group. Possible areas could include investigating circulating tumour DNA as a cancer biomarker, optimising ultra-long DNA sequencing methods, or developing Oxford Nanopore sequencing approaches for mitochondrial sequencing.  The placement is expected to combine laboratory work with bioinformatics and data analysis. Laboratory experience may include sample preparation, DNA extraction, sequencing library preparation, Oxford Nanopore sequencing, quality control, and the optimisation and troubleshooting of experimental methods.  The participant will also gain experience analysing genomic sequencing data. This may involve using command-line bioinformatics tools, writing or adapting code in R or Python, performing statistical analyses, assessing data quality, visualising results, and interpreting biological findings.  They will regularly engage with the wider research group and will have opportunities to present their progress and findings at laboratory meetings, gaining practical experience in explaining their work, responding to questions, and discussing scientific results with other researchers.

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Imperial College London, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Molecular Sciences Research Hub    Imperial College London    82 Wood Lane    London    W12 0BZ
Working pattern: In-person (lab)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Professor Laura Barter

Summary of the Placement Host's work

Laura Barter is a Professor of Plant Chemical Biology. Her research group is focused on investigating quantitative structure-function relationships in biological systems employing spectroscopic, biochemical & proteomic techniques allied with modelling & calculation. Members of the group are developing Chemical Biology tools to e.g. (i) quantitatively understand rate-limiting steps & regulatory controls in photosynthesis, to ultimately enhance photosynthetic efficiency & crop yield and (ii) impact upon the agrochemical pipeline, by probing translocation across plant membranes. Further research avenues include the development of artificial cells using a bottom-up approach, to create self-sustaining microscale machinery.   One of the main aims of the Barter Group's research is to impact upon the societal challenge affecting the globe, as to how we cater for the food, fibre and fuel needs of an ever-increasing population. Photosynthetic efficiency is only ~1% whereas the theoretical maximum is ~6-8% giving potential for great improvements. One major cause of this inefficiency is due to the Calvin cycle, which consists of a network of enzymes involved in carbon assimilation. Typical enzymes process ~1000 molecules s-1, but the Calvin cycle enzyme, Rubisco, fixes only ~3 CO2 molecules s-1. Furthermore, this enzyme suffers from a lack of specificity, meaning that it cannot only catalyse the reaction with CO2, but also a competing reaction with O2, which causes a loss to the plant. Much of the research within the group is focused upon understanding this inefficiency, and developing methods to mitigate it.   I would be delighted to host a placement student within my group.

Summary of skills you can gain

Skills and experimental techniques that students would likely have the opportunity to learn about from different members of my group include: - Protein isolation and purification methods - Methods for quantifying protein levels - Spectroscopic activity assays using a plate reader - Stopped flow methods to measure kinetics - Plant growth in control environments - Methods for measuring photosynthetic rates and chlorophyll content

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: Newcastle University, Faculty of Medical Sciences, NIHR Innovation Observatory, The Catalyst, Room 3.12, 3 Science Square, Newcastle Helix, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5TG
Working pattern: In-person (office)
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 21 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Steven Knox

Summary of the Placement Host's work

The NIHR Innovation Observatory is a world leading health and care innovation scanning centre, providing data-driven insights to foster innovation and equitable access to high-quality care. It carries out methodological research to develop advanced tools and cutting edge approaches to support identification and analysis of developments and trends in innovations across health and social care, supporting policy development and planning across the ecosystem. 

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant  will gain skills in horizon scanning, rapid evidence synthesis and data analysis and visualisation. Depending on the exact focus of the project and the interests of the participant there may be an opportunity to develop statistical, information science or coding skills. 

26/27-LDN-046

Placement project: AI Segmentation Models and Open-Source Software

Where: University College London, Faculty of Engineering, 90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6BH

Working pattern: Hybrid

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: TBC, between 1 June and 31 August 2026

Placement Host name: Dr Miguel Angel Perez Xochicale

Project description:

Training models, evaluating performance using metrics and potentially working with web apps for real-time data. This is an exciting interdisciplinary opportunity for engineers, clinicians, and scientists at various career stages to explore real-world applications, gain hands-on experience, and contribute to innovation in medical AI. The eight-week project will involve: (1) a literature review and GitHub onboarding, (2) prototyping segmentation models, (3) testing and evaluating the framework, (4) writing up results and preparing a poster, and (5) contributing to an open-source software library.

Summary of skills you can gain

This project is ideal for students with a background in software engineering or computational disciplines. The selected student(s) will gain hands-on experience in advanced software and hardware engineering, particularly in the areas of Medical and Surgical Technologies and Artificial Intelligence, including federated learning, data analytics, and sensor fusion. Throughout the project, students will also develop practical problem-solving abilities, enhance their Python programming skills, and become proficient with version control using Git. They will gain experience working in an agile environment, taking part in daily stand-ups, project milestones, sprints, and retrospectives.

26/27-LDN-048

Placement project: Research Software Engineering

Where: 90 High Holborn, 1st floor, London, WC1V 6LJ

Working pattern: Hybrid

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr David Perez-Suarez

Project description:

We have many projects where you would be able to participate and have an impact while learning cool technologies useful on research and industry environments. For sure, you'll get more confident on programming (or learn it if you've never programmed before) and you'll learn how to collaborate with others using platforms like GitHub. Additionally, you may also learn techniques to visualise data or create desktop/web applications, you could also learn how to teach technology to complete novices.

Summary of skills you can gain

- Programming language skills (most likely one of Python, R or julia)
- Software development processes. This include version control and use of git and GitHub, testing, documentation and packaging.
 Collaborating with others, local and remote collaborators
- Learn to use tools to enhance your productivity, like interacting using command line interfaces or advanced Integrated Development Environments
- Use of High performance computing and/or cloud computing infrastructure.

26/27-LDN-049

Placement project: Research Software Engineering

Where: Advanced Research Computing Centre, University College London, 90 High Holborn, 1st floor, London, WC1V 6LJ

Working pattern: Hybrid

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr David Perez-Suarez

Project description:

Most of the software in the world runs thanks to Open Source Software, most of the science depends on it too! And much of it is Open Source, whether as scripts shared on journal for other researchers to be able to replicate the results obtained, or as libraries created for others to build on top and produce new science. In UCL we've identified thousand of open source projects, some are maintained, others are staled or abandoned. A few have very good documentation, where the majority have some basic description. This and many more properties are useful to measure as it will help the university to understand the impact of all those freely shared software to the community, but also it helps the general community to know how the university supports open source. There many directions this project can take and it will depend on your interest. Whether you are interested on analysing the metrics (current status or time evolutions), generate quality control processes, cloud infrastructure, or community involvement. You will be able to focus on one or multiple of those areas to help us to understand the open source landscape around UCL.

Summary of skills you can gain

You will learn about Open Source, what it is, how it's build and the weight of the community. We will use a number of tools to do data analysis (from Excel to programming languages like Python or R), you will be able to learn how to automate things scripting those steps, or write code that creates virtual machines in the cloud and installs software on them (infrastructure as code). Most of our work will be integrated with GitHub, so by the end of the placement you will master git and GitHub and how to collaborate with others.

Placement project: Foundational AI models applied to medical imaging

Where: Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, University College London, 90 High Holborn,  London, WC1V 6BH

Working pattern: Hybrid

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Zakaria Senousy

Project description:

This project is ideal for students with a background in software engineering, data science or computational disciplines. The selected student(s) will gain hands-on experience in medical and surgical technologies and artificial intelligence, including foundational models similar to large language models (LLMs). Throughout the project, students will also develop practical problem-solving abilities, enhance their Python programming skills, and become more familiar with version control using Git. They will gain experience working in an agile environment, taking part in daily stand-ups, project milestones, sprints, and retrospectives.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant may gain experience in Python programming, medical image processing, data science workflows, model training and evaluation, Git/GitHub, and reproducible research software practices. They may also learn how to work with AI models, synthetic data, evaluation metrics and structured project documentation. The placement will include collaborative working practices such as regular check-ins, planning tasks, reviewing progress and discussing technical challenges.

Placement project: Exploring Neural Learning Rules Through Interactive Simulations

Where: University College London, Sainsbury Wellcome Centre 25 Howland St, London, W1T 4JG

Working pattern: In-person (office)

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Chenguang Li

Project description:

How do individual neurons give rise to the organized behavior of a network? Over the last few years, we've taken a zoo of neuronal learning rules from the literature: each rule is a candidate for how neurons might learn, and we've tested them in neural networks, discovering which ones are better than others at matching a diverse set of animal data, spread over vision processing, decision-making, and foraging tasks.  The project I'm proposing (although I'm flexible) is for a student to help make our work publicly accessible. We've analyzed why these rules work, using the physics of attractor dynamics, and now I want to make a set of demos to show the dynamics in an intuitive way. This could look like a website with interactive simulations, perhaps, which would let people run their own experiments in simple virtual tasks to watch the dynamics unfold. We'd hope to help both our group and others understand how local interactions might lead to collective behavior.   The specifics of the project are flexible depending on the participant's background and interests. Possible emphases would include the physics of simulation, the neuroscience background, or the design and communication aspects of research.

Summary of skills you can gain

Computational neuroscience. Participants will learn about the context of neuronal learning rules, research history and progress in this area, and our current state of understanding. They will also think about how to compare models, make decisions about what models to use, and how to compare them to experimental data.  
Scientific computation. Networks are written and simulated in Python, often run on a computing cluster.   Dynamical systems. Participants will visualize and consider networks from a dynamical systems perspective, touching topics such as the stability and geometry of attractors.  
Data visualization and design. Working with me, participants will turn simulations into intuitive visual demos, potentially using web-based tools for interactive plots.  
Science communication. Students will work on communicating a technical field to a wider audience through writing, graphics, and demos.

Placement project: AI-based Natural Language Processing (NLP) for Topic Modelling
Where: UCL Advanced Research Computing, 1st floor, 90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6LJ

Working pattern: Hybrid

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 31 July 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Devaraj Gopinathan

Project description:

You will be using a dataset containing text data, e.g. journal abstracts, social media etc. to identify prominent topics/trends over time. The text data will need to be cleaned and fed into an AI model to generate numbers that will be used by a clustering algorithm to extract distinctive features in the text. You will also explore how to visualize the data and the results in an interactive manner.

Summary of skills you can gain

- Write code in python, and use python libraries
- Use Visual Studio code editor to code in python
- Keep track of changes in your code with git version control on GitHub
- Gain knowledge of the basic software pipeline for text to topic generation, i.e. generating text embedding, dimension reduction, clustering, and topic classification - Basic interactive data visualization using python

Placement project: How do mobile genetic elements shape the evolution of Salmonella?

Where: Newcastle University, Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Devonshire Building, NE1 7RU

Working pattern: Hybrid

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: Between 7 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Matt Bawn

Project description:

Bacterial genomes are not fixed. They can gain and lose pieces of DNA known as mobile genetic elements, including plasmids, bacteriophages and genomic islands. These elements can carry important traits such as antimicrobial resistance or genes that help bacteria survive in particular environments. This project will use existing Salmonella genome data to investigate how mobile genetic elements are distributed across different bacterial populations. The participant will explore whether particular elements tend to occur together, whether some appear to exclude one another, and how these patterns relate to bacterial evolution. The project will mainly involve computer-based analysis of genome sequence data and will contribute to our broader research into how the existing genome of a bacterium may influence its future evolutionary possibilities.  

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gain experience in microbial genomics and bioinformatics, including working with bacterial genome sequence data and understanding how genomes vary between strains. Depending on their interests and previous experience, they may use command-line bioinformatics tools and R or Python to analyse and visualise data. They will learn about mobile genetic elements, antimicrobial resistance, bacterial evolution and phylogenetic trees. They will also gain experience in managing biological datasets, interpreting results, producing clear figures and communicating scientific findings. No previous programming or bacterial genomics experience will be assumed, and the project can be adapted to the participant's existing skills.

Placement project: How much microbial diversity is hidden within wastewater biofilms?

Where: Newcastle University, Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Devonshire Building, NE1 7RU

Working pattern: Hybrid

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: Between 7 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Matt Bawn

Project description:

Wastewater treatment systems contain complex communities of microorganisms that play important roles in breaking down waste and maintaining environmental health. Standard DNA sequencing methods usually analyse many microbial cells together, which means important differences between closely related bacteria can be hidden. This project will investigate the genetic diversity present within microbial populations found in wastewater and biofilms. Using existing and publicly available sequencing datasets, the participant will explore how much variation exists within bacterial populations and which parts of their genomes differ. This work contributes to a wider project investigating whether sequencing individual bacterial cells can reveal biological diversity that is missed by conventional approaches, and how this information could improve our understanding of microbial communities in wastewater treatment systems.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gain an introduction to environmental microbiology, microbial communities, genomics and metagenomics. They may work with DNA sequencing data using established bioinformatics tools and learn basic command-line computing, R or Python. They will learn how researchers identify and compare bacterial genomes within complex environmental samples and how genomic variation can be visualised and interpreted. The placement will also provide experience in handling real biological datasets, evaluating data quality, developing research questions and producing figures and summaries of results. The participant will gain broader transferable skills in data analysis, problem solving, reproducible research and scientific communication. The project can be adapted for someone with little or no previous programming experience.

Placement project: Exploring genome diversity in environmental Streptomyces

Where: Newcastle University, Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Devonshire Building, NE1 7RU

Working pattern: Hybrid

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: Between 7 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Matt Bawn

Project description:

Streptomyces are common soil bacteria that produce many biologically useful compounds, including some of the antibiotics used in medicine. However, different Streptomyces strains can have very different genomes and therefore very different biological capabilities. This project will investigate genomic diversity within a collection of environmental Streptomyces. The participant will compare genomes to identify genes that are shared across many strains and genes that are present only in particular groups. Depending on their interests, they could explore features such as genes involved in specialised metabolite production, antimicrobial resistance or mobile DNA. The project will contribute to ongoing research in our group aimed at understanding how genome variation relates to the ecology and evolution of environmental bacteria.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will gain practical experience in comparative microbial genomics and bioinformatics. They will learn how bacterial genomes are annotated and compared, and how researchers distinguish genes that are widely conserved from those that vary between strains. They may use established tools for pangenome analysis, phylogenetics and identification of specialised metabolic pathways, alongside R or Python for data analysis and visualisation. They will also develop an understanding of Streptomyces biology, microbial evolution and the genomic basis of natural-product production. More generally, the placement will develop skills in handling biological datasets, critically interpreting results, creating publication-quality figures and presenting research findings. No previous experience of Streptomyces or advanced bioinformatics would be required.

Placement project: Silicon waveguides for biosensing applications
Where: School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Herschel Building,  Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU 

Working pattern: Hybrid

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 26 July 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Sridevi Siddarama

Project description:

Silicon photonics offers a powerful way to develop small and sensitive biosensors by controlling light on a silicon chip. This project will explore how silicon waveguides can be designed and tested for detecting biological molecules.  The participant will learn the basic principles of silicon photonics and how light interacts with materials on a chip. They will work with silicon waveguide devices and carry out optical measurements to study their response to different biological samples or model solutions.  The project may involve preparing samples, carrying out measurements, changing experimental conditions and studying how these changes affect the optical response of the waveguide. The participant will analyse the results, compare measurements and investigate factors that influence sensing performance.  The participant will receive training and guidance throughout the project and will gain experience in laboratory-based photonics research, experimental measurements, data analysis and scientific interpretation. They will also have the opportunity to present their findings through a short report and presentation.  The project is suitable for a student interested in physics, photonics, engineering, materials science or biomedical applications.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will develop practical skills in silicon photonics and chip-based biosensing. They will learn how silicon waveguides work, how light is controlled on a chip, and how changes in the optical signal can be used for sensing.  They will gain hands-on experience with silicon photonic devices and optical measurement systems. Depending on the project activities, they may learn basic device preparation, sample handling and methods for testing the response of waveguides to different biological samples or model solutions.  The participant will develop skills in experimental planning, carrying out measurements, recording results and identifying factors that affect sensor performance. They will use data analysis and visualisation to compare measurements and understand the behaviour of different devices.  The project will also develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills through troubleshooting and interpreting experimental results. The participant will learn how to communicate scientific findings clearly through graphs, a short report and a presentation.  They will work with researchers, gaining experience in laboratory practice, teamwork, research planning and scientific communication. These skills will provide a useful foundation for further study or careers in photonics, biosensing, biomedical technology and engineering. 

Placement project: Optical fiber–based sensors integrated with two-dimensional materials for real-time water quality monitoring

Where: Newcastle University, School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Herschel Building,  Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU 

Working pattern: Hybrid

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 26 July 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Sridevi Siddarama

Project description:

This 8-week research project will develop optical fiber-based sensors using two-dimensional (2D) materials for real-time water quality monitoring. Materials such as graphene oxide and molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) have useful optical and surface properties that can help detect changes in salinity and other substances in water.  The participant will gain hands-on experience in optical fiber sensing, nanomaterials and laboratory research. They will learn how to prepare optical fibers and apply 2D materials to their surfaces. They will work with specialised optical fiber sensors and use laboratory equipment, including tunable lasers and spectrometers, to test how the sensors respond to different water conditions.  The participant will also carry out experiments, compare different materials, improve the sensor performance and analyse the results. They will learn how to organise and present experimental data and will contribute to a short research report and presentation at the end of the project.  Throughout the 8 weeks, the participant will receive training and support while developing practical skills in experimental research, optical sensing, nanomaterials, data analysis and scientific communication. No previous specialist experience in these areas is required.

Summary of skills you can gain

The participant will develop practical skills in optical fiber sensing, 2D materials and water quality monitoring. They will gain hands-on experience in preparing/handling and functionalising optical fibers with 2D materials and using optical equipment, including tunable lasers and spectrometers, to test sensor performance.  They will learn how to plan and carry out experiments, record and analyse results, compare different materials and improve sensor performance. They will also develop skills in creating plots and drawing clear conclusions from experimental data.  The project will strengthen problem-solving and critical-thinking skills through practical laboratory work and troubleshooting.  Working with supervisors and researchers will provide experience in teamwork, communication and time management. The participant will also develop scientific communication skills by preparing a short report and presentation of their findings.  Overall, the placement will provide practical research experience and skills relevant to optical sensing, nanomaterials, environmental monitoring and materials science. 

26/27-LDN-044

Placement project: End-to-End AI Workflow for multimodal medical imaging data

Where: University College London, Faculty of Engineering, 90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6BH

Working pattern: Hybrid

Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals

Dates of availability: TBC, between 1 June and 31 August 2027

Placement Host name: Dr Ruaridh Gollifer

Project description:

This is an exciting interdisciplinary opportunity for engineers, clinicians, and scientists at various career stages to explore real-world applications, gain hands-on experience, and contribute to innovation in medical AI. Benchmarking end-to-end AI workflows including model development, testing, training, and evaluation across both local and cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS). This would involve working with a Python library that includes data preparation, development and deployment. It also incorporates best software practices, aiming to align with medical software standards (ISO 62304).

Summary of skills you can gain

This project is ideal for students with a background in software engineering, data science or computational disciplines. The selected student(s) will gain hands-on experience in advanced software and hardware engineering, particularly in the areas of Medical and Surgical Technologies and Artificial Intelligence including multi-modality data integration and potentially working with cloud platforms like AWS. Throughout the project, students will also develop practical problem-solving abilities, enhance their Python programming skills, and become proficient with version control using Git. They will gain experience working in an agile environment, taking part in daily stand-ups, project milestones, sprints, and retrospectives.

Placement project: This host is happy to shape the project in discussion with the Participant
Where: University College London, Faculty of Faculty of Brain Sciences, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 6BT

Working pattern: Hybrid
Working with animals: The project does not involve any work with animals
Dates of availability: Between 1 June and 27 July 2027

Placement Host name: Professor Leslie Gutman

Summary of the Placement Host's work

I am Vice Dean of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for the Faculty of Brain Sciences at UCL.  This placement would involve EDI research on various topics such as the awarding gap and senior promotion for women.  The role would also be supported by our EDI Manager, Avili Feese.  Currently, we have a number of projects that the placement might include such as the awarding, senior promotion for women, support for early career researchers, and developing a peer coaching framework for minority ethnic students.

Summary of skills you can gain

1.  Knowledge of EDI in higher education 2. Understanding of qualitative methods and analysis 3. Working with an EDI team 4. Literature review and scientific writing 5. Creating visual materials for dissemination