The CPH Summer Studentship Programme: June to September 2026 Now Open

The Centre for Public Health (CPH) Summer Research Programme provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to participate in office and/or laboratory-based research during the summer months.  Each participant will be assigned to the research project of a Principal Investigator within CPH and will join an enthusiastic research team comprising academic staff, postdoctoral fellows, research assistants, PhD students, administrative and technical staff.  The projects will run for an eight-week period between June and September 2025.  Students will work on campus, or be in a position to work remotely from home.

Students currently enrolled for Biomedical Sciences, Medicine, Dentistry or a related discipline who have completed at least one year of full-time study from any UK Higher Education Institution are eligible to apply.  Each summer studentship pays a student stipend of £200 per week.  Students (including those from other UK institutions) who successfully complete the programme will be eligible for Degree Plus status upon graduation.

The application process is now open, and we have 10 Summer Studentship places on offer this year, with at least two that must be allocated to QUB Medical Students.   Please submit the following:

• A current CV including your full academic profile (or transcript)
• Your student number if you are a QUB student
• A covering letter stating your reasons for applying to the Programme with the Centre for Public Health and the year of study that you are completing this summer. 
• Your preferred project(s) and the reason why. 

Please email your application to the Centre Manager, Niamh McElherron – N.McElherron@qub.ac.uk by 5.00pm on Friday 27th March 2026.  Please ensure that you indicate which project(s) you are interested in and wait until 6th March 2026 to apply when you know all projects are available.   

We will be listing our projects below as soon as they become available.  CPH Principal Investigators have been notified of the call and will provide their projects to me by 6th March 2026 at the latest- so keep watching this space as our project list grows!

Niamh McElherron
Centre Manager
Centre for Public Health
N.McElherron@qub.ac.uk

Our list has started to grow, and will be completed on Friday 6th March.  

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Eye–brain biomarkers in Lewy body disease: a scoping review of functional and autonomic measures - supervised by Dr Joe Kane and Professor Imre Lengyel

Lewy body diseases, including dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), are caused by abnormal accumulation of the protein α-synuclein in the brain. There is a major need for simple and non-invasive biomarkers that can detect disease earlier and help track progression. The eye is directly connected to the brain and can be examined easily in clinic, making it a promising place to look for such markers.

Most previous studies have focused on structural changes in the retina (for example retinal thinning on OCT scans). However, Lewy body disease affects dopamine signalling and the autonomic nervous system early in the disease process. Because of this, tests of retinal function and visual processing (such as microperimetry, dark adaptation, electrophysiology, contrast sensitivity, and visual fields) and measures of ocular autonomic function (such as pupillary responses or retinal blood flow) may provide more biologically relevant markers than structural imaging alone.

This studentship will involve a scoping review to map the existing research on in-vivo eye tests as biomarkers of Lewy body disease. The review will focus on studies that compare eye measures with established biological markers of disease, such as dopaminergic imaging, fluid biomarkers, post-mortem confirmation, or progression from prodromal conditions (e.g. REM sleep behaviour disorder).

The student will conduct database searches, screen papers, extract key data, and produce an evidence map summarising which eye tests show the strongest links to underlying disease biology and where important gaps remain. The findings will help guide future research into accessible biomarkers for Lewy body disease.

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Shared Origins? Investigating the Ecological Association Between Small-Area Rates of Motor Neurone Disease and Multiple Sclerosis in England and Wales - supervised by Dr Dan Middleton

The causes of sporadic motor neurone disease - namely amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - remain poorly understood, although environmental factors are strongly suspected to contribute to disease risk. Given the invariably fatal prognosis of this devastating condition, identifying modifiable risk factors is of paramount importance.

Recent research has reported a geographic association between ALS and multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States. The causes of MS are increasingly well characterised and involve complex interactions between genetic susceptibility and environmental exposures. Strong evidence supports a role for prior infection with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) in the development of MS, and vitamin D deficiency has also been implicated as a potential risk modifier.

If the observed geographic association between ALS and MS can be replicated in other settings, it would suggest that the two diseases may share one or more causal mechanisms at some point along their aetiological pathways. This novel and promising investigation will use routinely collected mortality data for both diseases at a small-area level (local administrative districts) in England and Wales to examine statistical correlations and geographic patterns, producing comparable disease atlases for ALS and MS.

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Public Engagement and Patient & Public involvement (PPI) in the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal study of Ageing (NICOLA) - supervised by Dr Emma Cunningham

Patient & Public Involvement (PPI) is central to impactful ageing research and is now a core requirement in most research funding applications. This studentship will provide structured experience in supporting, evaluating, and enhancing PPI and public engagement activities within the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NICOLA).

The student will gain practical experience in how PPI is embedded within a large longitudinal study.

The student will contribute to:

PPI Coordination and Evaluation

• Synthesising and uploading feedback from the November 2025 PPI meeting into SPSS or Excel for structured documentation and review.
• Assist in planning and preparing materials for the next PPI advisory meeting

Public Engagement & Communication

• Assist with updating the NICOLA website to improve accessibility and participant-facing content
• Help with uploading PPI-friendly lay summaries for ongoing NICOLA projects.

Where possible, the student may:

• Help plan upcoming public engagement activities (e.g. community talks)
• Assist with preparing materials for the website

The student will work alongside a multidisciplinary team with broad expertise, including senior research staff, postdoctoral researchers, research assistants, data managers, administrative staff, and other students on summer projects, contributing to activities across different stages of the research lifecycle.

Skills gained:

• Science communication for diverse audiences
• Understanding of PPI frameworks
• Website content development

Evaluation of engagement activities

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The Research Lifecycle in the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing - supervised by Dr Gareth McKay

This studentship will provide hands-on exposure to the operational, governance, and administrative processes underpinning a large population study such as the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NICOLA).

The student will rotate through key components of the study, gaining structured insight into how a large longitudinal research programme is managed and maintained.

Research Governance & Administration

• Review study documentation and Standard Operating Procedures
• Understand ethical approvals and GDPR requirements in longitudinal research
• Observe documentation storage and management of Case Report Forms (CRFs)
• Learn about data security and participant confidentiality processes

Data processes

• Data entry and quality assurance checks
• Observing data cleaning

Meetings & Coordination

• Attending research team meetings

NICOLA Website & Communication

• Explore the importance of keeping participants, researchers, and students informed about study developments
• Brainstorm ways to enhance the website, e.g., updating study materials and revising online variable lists to include validated studies.

Skills gained

• Understanding research governance, insight into the operations involved in managing a large longitudinal study, and team-based research coordination.
• There may also be additional opportunities to discuss Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) and public engagement activities while working alongside a multidisciplinary team with broad expertise, including senior research staff, postdoctoral researchers, research assistants, data managers, administrative staff, and other students on summer projects, contributing to activities across different stages of the research lifecycle.

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Evaluating Urinary Dilution Correction Methods in Biomonitoring of Drinking Water Trace Element Exposure - supervised by Dr Dan Middelton and Dr Gareth McKay

This project will undertake an analysis of paired drinking water and urine samples to examine inorganic trace element concentrations among private drinking water supply users in Cornwall, UK. A suite of elements is available for approximately 200 participants from around 130 private water supplies. These include potentially harmful elements such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and manganese (Mn), as well as essential elements including selenium (Se), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn).

Correlations between trace element concentrations in drinking water and corresponding urinary levels will be assessed. Urinary concentrations will be adjusted for dilution using creatinine correction, specific gravity, and osmolality, allowing comparison of these correction methods in terms of their relative performance. This will provide insight into exposure–biomarker relationships and methodological considerations for biomonitoring studies in small, environmentally exposed populations.