Top
Skip to Content
LOGO(small) - Queen's University Belfast
  • Our facebook
  • Our twitter
  • Our instagram
  • Our
LOGO(large) - Queen's University Belfast

School of

Nursing and Midwifery

  • Home
  • Study
    • Postgraduate Courses
    • Undergraduate Courses
    • Continuing Professional Development
    • How To Apply
    • Scholarships
  • Research
    • Research Environment
    • Research Impact
    • Honorary and Visiting Staff
    • Research Themes
    • Seminars and Events
    • Find a PhD Supervisor
    • Postgraduate Research
    • Postdoctoral Fellows
  • International
    • International Educational Links
  • Careers & Work Placements
    • Career As A Nurse
    • Career As A Midwife
    • Partnerships In Education
  • Facilities
  • Connect
    • Staff
    • Athena SWAN
    • Patient & Carer Education Partnership
    • Register of Temporary Assistants
    • COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
  • News
    • Archive
  • Events
    • Professorial Lecture Series 2022-23
  • Home
  • Study
    • Postgraduate Courses
    • Undergraduate Courses
    • Continuing Professional Development
    • How To Apply
    • Scholarships
  • Research
    • Research Environment
    • Research Impact
    • Honorary and Visiting Staff
    • Research Themes
    • Seminars and Events
    • Find a PhD Supervisor
    • Postgraduate Research
    • Postdoctoral Fellows
  • International
    • International Educational Links
  • Careers & Work Placements
    • Career As A Nurse
    • Career As A Midwife
    • Partnerships In Education
  • Facilities
  • Connect
    • Staff
    • Athena SWAN
    • Patient & Carer Education Partnership
    • Register of Temporary Assistants
    • COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
  • News
    • Archive
  • Events
    • Professorial Lecture Series 2022-23
  • Our facebook
  • Our twitter
  • Our instagram
In This Section
  • Research Showcase
  • RQIA MLU Audit Report
  • International Day of the Midwife
  • International Nurses Day

  • Home
  • School of Nursing and Midwifery
  • News
  • Archive

Archive

PHD Student awarded Santander Mobility Scholarship

1 March, 2016

PhD student Matt Carson has been awarded a £5,000 Santander Mobility Scholarship to expand his PhD research.  His project aims to find treatments for musculoskeletal conditions and bone trauma, such as osteoporosis and complex fractures by researching novel chemicals from marine creatures. Using extracts of marine invertebrates collected from the west coast of Ireland, project work so far has focused on testing these with osteoblasts (the cell responsible for bone formation in the body) grown in the lab to look for increases in growth and function.The Santander scholarship will allow him to test the most promising extracts using a zebrafish model at the University of Algarve in Portugal. Whilst cell work is useful it cannot completely replace animal research, as both cells and extracts can behave differently inside an organism. Therefore, zebrafish were chosen as an exciting model for assessing bone growth, as they have similar skeletal cells to humans. They also develop quickly, growing back fins 5 days after damage and producing easily viewed bones only 16 days after fertilisation. It is hoped that by growing fish in water containing extracts we can see how bone formation is affected, bringing these treatments one step closer to the clinic. 

The Santander scholarship will allow him to test the most promising extracts using a zebrafish model at the University of Algarve in Portugal. Whilst cell work is useful it cannot completely replace animal research, as both cells and extracts can behave differently inside an organism. Therefore, zebrafish were chosen as an exciting model for assessing bone growth, as they have similar skeletal cells to humans. They also develop quickly, growing back fins 5 days after damage and producing easily viewed bones only 16 days after fertilisation. It is hoped that by growing fish in water containing extracts we can see how bone formation is affected, bringing these treatments one step closer to the clinic. 

 

Share
Latest News
  • Three New PhD Opportunities
    25 January, 2023
  • New Collaborative PhD Studentship Opportunity
    23 January, 2023
  • Professorial Lecture by Professor Michael Brown
    20 January, 2023
  • Professor Joanne Reid appointed Director on All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Board
    18 January, 2023
  • Queen’s hosts Latin America,UK & Ireland Policymakers’ Exchange on comprehensive sexuality education
    12 December, 2022
Archive
  • News
  • Research Showcase
  • RQIA MLU Audit Report
  • International Day of the Midwife
  • International Nurses Day
Queen's University Belfast - Logo (small)
Contact Us

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Medical Biology Centre
97 Lisburn Road
Belfast 
Northern Ireland
BT9 7BL

GET DIRECTIONS

Email: nursing@qub.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)2890972233
Fax:+44 (0)2890972328

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Study
  • Research

Student Nursing Times Awards 2022 Logo

 

 

 

© Queen's University Belfast 2023
Privacy and cookies
Website accessibility
Freedom of information
Modern slavery statement
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Manage cookies