Scholarships and Awards

Professor Anthony Bull
Centre for Injury Studies, Department of Bioengineering

Understanding the short and long-term impact of crush injury

Children and adults can be exposed to extreme crush injuries through humanitarian disasters, such as the recent 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquake, and conflict zones which are increasingly affecting urban environments resulting in building collapse and possible crush injury. A recent report from Save the Children UK identified crush injury as a critical consideration for children affected by blast injury. Short term outcomes can include renal failure, while long-term outcomes can include limb amputation and peripheral nerve damage.  

This project will be exploratory in nature to understand the current literature on crush injury, identify clinical gaps that can be addressed through targeted research, assess research lab capability, and harness existing partnerships with paediatric rehabilitation clinics in Türkiye. The project scope will be developed in partnership with the student according to their skills, ambitions and the Centres current research priorities. 

Professor Dougal Hargreaves and Dr Steven Hope
Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing, School of Public Health

Understanding, predicting and reducing mental health crises in young people

This is a mixed methods project led by the Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing to study trajectories towards mental health crisis episodes among young people, develop new data tools to identify those at risk, and co-design/evaluate targeted interventions. Successful applicants would be supported to lead their own sub-project supporting one or more of these goals.  

Professor Mireille Toledano and the SCAMP team
Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing, School of Public Health

Project on digital environment, cognitive function, mental health in young people

The SCAMP study is a longitudinal observational cohort study of 10,995 adolescents from London exploring digital technology use and environmental factors on young people’s health, cognition and mental wellbeing (www.scampstudy.org). The study has a number of ongoing strands, including large scale follow-up survey data collection, an intervention study aimed at reducing unhealthy smartphone use, and collection of physical activity data via wrist-worn activity trackers. The study has very rich data including mobile phone use, social media use, lifestyle, physical activity, cognitive function, mental health, educational attainment, anthropometry, and biomarkers.  

Applications are invited for a research placement working with SCAMP study team, which will provide a range of opportunities for the student to be involved in data collection, literature review, data analysis, and scientific writing. We will develop a specific project focus in partnership with the student, to align with both their interests and skills and with the SCAMP research priorities to ensure a rewarding and impactful research placement. This unique opportunity offers hands-on experience in population health research.  

Professor Ferdinando
Rodriguez y Baena and
academic team
The Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery

Project on imaging, sensing, and robotics in medical engineering

Applications are invited for a research placement focused on imaging, sensing, and robotics in medical engineering. The student will have an opportunity to engage with pioneering research in areas including neurosurgery, cancer therapy, lower GI endoscopy, and orthopaedics. The specific project focus will be developed in partnership with the successful candidate, aligning their skills, ambitions, and the Centre’s research priorities to ensure a maximally impactful eight-week experience.

This unique opportunity offers hands-on experience in transformative healthcare technologies and the chance to contribute meaningfully to projects at the cutting edge of medical innovation. 

Professor Anna Randi
National Heart and Lung Institute

Novel strategies to prevent or treat vascular diseases

Professor Anna Randi, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Head of Vascular Science, invites applications for research placements at her laboratory based at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London. 

The laboratory investigates the molecular pathways that regulate endothelial homeostasis, angiogenesis and vascular stability. The Randi lab is particularly interested in the transcriptional and epigenetic pathways which control endothelial homeostasis and how these are disrupted in disease, to develop novel strategies to prevent or treat vascular diseases. This unique opportunity will provide an insightful and hands-on eight-week experience working alongside Professor Randi and her team. 

Professor Mireille Toledano and the
 COSMOS team
Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health  

Project on mobile phone use and health in adults

Applications are invited for a research placement working with the COSMOS study, which is a large longitudinal observational cohort study of UK adults focussing on the impacts of mobile phone use on health (www.ukcosmos.org). The placement will take place when we have just completed a second round of follow-up data collection with study participants, so there will be opportunity for the student to take a first look at these new data which include mobile phone use, lifestyle, physical health, mental health, cognition, hearing, and diet.

The student will have the opportunity to develop skills such as reviewing scientific literature, data analysis and scientific writing. The specific project focus will be developed in partnership with each student, aligning their skills, ambitions, and COSMOS research priorities to provide a beneficial and impactful eight-week placement. The student will gain hands-on experience in population health research.