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The CPH Summer Studentship Programme: June to September 2026

Now Closed

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.

The student will undertake a desk-based ecological analysis using routinely collected mortality data, with no requirement for travel or primary data collection. They will calculate age- and sex-standardised rates, produce small-area disease maps using GIS software, and conduct statistical analyses to assess spatial correlations between ALS and MS, adjusting for deprivation and urban–rural status. The project will provide training in epidemiological methods, spatial analysis, and statistical programming, and is expected to contribute to a conference abstract or draft manuscript.

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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.

The student will analyse an existing dataset of paired water and urine samples; no fieldwork or travel is required. They will conduct statistical analyses to examine exposure–biomarker correlations and compare methods for correcting urinary dilution (creatinine, specific gravity, and osmolality). The project will provide training in environmental epidemiology, biomonitoring methods, and statistical analysis, with the potential to contribute to a conference abstract or draft manuscript.

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A scoping review of concussion services in Northern Ireland - supervised by Dr Neil Heron

Concussion, a mild traumatic brain injury, represents a significant and growing public health concern. The pooled annual incidence of traumatic brain injuries is 295 per 100,000 of the population (95% CI 274 – 317). Indeed, in England and Wales more than one million people per year will attend emergency departments with a recent head injury, with most (>90%) being minor and diagnosed with concussion. Most people with concussions experience symptoms for around 2 weeks with many patients needing input on how to manage these symptoms in terms of returning to normal life, school, University, work and then sport. People from lower socioeconomic groupings are less likely to receive concussion care but every patient should have the ‘right to rehab’. Additionally, 10-30% of people will develop post-concussion syndrome and have symptoms beyond this initial period. Concussions also have a significant economic impact, with the total societal costs of acquired brain injuries (which includes concussion) estimated to be £43 billion, with concussion costs a significant proportion of this. Yet we know early neuro-rehabilitation is incredibly cost-effective, with every £1 spent, saving £16 in future costs. Thus the public need access to a concussion clinic to better manage the acute concussion symptoms as well as improve management of prolonged symptoms and ensure timely return back to life, school, University, work and sport. Despite increasing national guidance on concussion management, including UK Government guidelines for grassroots sport, there is no established, standardized concussion service to support timely assessment, multidisciplinary management and safe return to activity within the UK.

Aims and Objectives

To undertake a scoping review of concussion services available in Northern Ireland. This will involve undertaking a literature review as well as contacting service providers to understand what concussion services are available in Northern Ireland.

This information will then be used to help improve concussion services available locally.

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Weight stigma in online news media in NI and ROI - supervised by Dr Hannah O'Hara

Weight stigma is the social devaluation and denigration of individuals because of their excess body weight and it is prevalent across healthcare, education and in the workplace. Experienced weight stigma is associated with social injustice, poor mental health, low quality of life and even weight gain.

A person does not need to have a direct encounter with weight stigma to experience its negative impact. Exposure to stigmatising content in television and film, for example, can produce similar effects on psychological distress and calorie intake. News media shapes public perception of health issues and images contained within news media can perpetuate weight stigma by depicting individuals living with obesity in a negative way. The aim of this project is to explore the extent and nature of stigmatising images within online news articles about obesity in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI).

Image-containing online news articles about obesity hosted on the most visited online news outlets in NI and ROI will be systematically identified and evaluated. Content analysis will be used to describe the prevalence and nature of stigmatising imagery across outlets and regions. The student will be actively involved in data collection, coding, analysis, and dissemination of findings.

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Provision of oral healthcare for dependent older adults: a qualitative study - supervised by Professor Gerry McKenna

The oral health of dependent older adults living in nursing or residential care homes is significantly worse than their peers living in the community.  In Northern Ireland, oral care for dependent older adults is provided by the Community Dental Service organised across each health and social care trust area.  Throughout 2026 dental students from the Centre for Dentistry have undertaken outreach placements with the Community Dental Service to observe how care is delivered in this environment.  The qualitative research project aims to capture the views of dental students on their outreach placements and the role of the Community Dental Service.  Following training, the summer student will:

• Recruit dental students to the research project
• Coordinate focus groups with dental students using a topic guide
• Transcribe and analyse data from the focus groups
• Prepare a report for dissemination at a conference or as a scientific paper for a dental education journal

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Development and evaluation of an AI-enabled conversational agent for sexually transmitted infections and reproductive health in four African countries - supervised by Professor Rosalind Parkes-Ratanshi

Through the Hub for Artificial Intelligence in AI for Maternal, Sexual and Reproductive Health in Africa (HASH), our team in Uganda are working with colleagues in Kenya, Ghana and Ethiopia on a multi-country conversational agent for adolescent health. The tool has been tested in different countries and is now being combined into a multi-country agent. New languages and content are being added and a voice activated component layered on.

The student would be involved with testing the tool for accuracy and hallucinations as well as safety issues. Depending on their interests they would support analysis of data from the different countries in this area. They may also be involved in helping to test the voice related component of the tool and developing a user manual. There is also work to be done to generate content for demand generation for the tool (online or posters) that the student could get involved with. The student will be embedded in the development and evaluation team, and attend weekly online meetings with the international group.

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