Students embark on innovate research projects

Eight undergraduate students have been selected for hands-on research opportunities in a new initiative funded by Santander Universities.

The Undergraduate Research Scheme sees students undertake projects supervised by academics at the university. Some of these are already underway, with students selected for all but one of the projects.  

Academic schools and Centres for Research and Enterprise Excellence (CORE) were invited to submit proposals to the scheme.

Each project lasts six weeks over the summer break and participating students will receive a bursary of £1000 plus an additional £200 from the School or CORE, equating to a weekly stipend of £200.

The projects are:

• Identification and quantification of microplastic abundance in the River Thames catchment. Project lead: Dr Annie Ockelford, School of Environment and Technology. Student: Peter Fourie.
• Destressing yeast for higher biofuel yields. Project lead: Professor David J Timson, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science. Student: Will Yeates.
• Scoping study to develop a prototype of off-site manufactured foundation system in Moulsecoomb site. Project lead: Ruoyu Jin, School of Environment and Technology. Student: Cameron Lake-Gouhar.
• Examining Police fatal incidents involving roads policing and vehicles. Project lead: Professor Peter Squires, School of Applied Social Science. Student: Olivia Holtman.

• Novel foundation system for offshore wind turbines. Project lead: Dr Maria Diakoumi, School of Environment and Technology/Sustainability and Resilience Engineering Research and Enterprise Group. Student: Tom Skea.
• Effect of exercise on paracetamol metabolism. Project lead: Dr Fergus Guppy, Centre for Stress and Age-Related Diseases/School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science. Student: TBC.
• Co-producing 3D Content for Augmented Reality Experiences to Enhance Engagement of Communities with Cultural Environment. Project lead: Dr Karina Rodriguez, Centre for Secure, Intelligent and Usable Systems. Student: Laurie Dibble.
• A novel approach to the cryopreservation of articular cartilage. Project lead: Dr Peter Bush, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science. Student: Alexia Lamorgese.

Dr Karina Rodriguez said: “The Undergraduate Research Scheme offers a great opportunity to students as they get to interact with academics and researchers at the university in order to enhance their learning journey.

“Through the scheme, students engage in research activities where they can make a contribution while developing important skills, including technical and analytical skills, communicating and working as a team. Hence, the outcomes of the project benefit both the research team developing the project as well as the student who get a valuable experience.”