NIHR Newcastle PSRC Summer 2024 Interns
8 October 2024
NIHR Newcastle PSRC Summer 2024 Interns Vlog
NIHR Within the School of Pharmacy and the NIHR Newcastle Patient Safety Research Collaborative, Dr Charlotte Richardson, Dr Matthew Cooper, Dr Daniel Okeowo, Dr Anna Robinson-Barella, Professor Hamde Nazar and Dr Jason Scott (Northumbria University) secured funds from the NIHR to host 4 student internships. The internships are designed by the team to support the development of the students and to provide an opportunity for them to get involved in the innovative research they lead.
The students worked on two research projects (one led by Matthew and one by Charlotte) over the course of 8 weeks. The students, Liesel and Trinette (Stage 4), along with Eman and Bella (Stage 3), worked in pairs on the projects—an umbrella review on social prescribing and a qualitative project focused on the experiences of ethnic minority carers.
Liesel, Trinette, Eman, and Bella summarised their experiences below.
Our daily activities included research training through various activities such as the 4Ps Lite (a research training program provided by Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals Trust), a university-run PPIE workshop, and conducting interviews or extracting data. These experiences allowed us to refine our research skills while working toward the development of project manuscripts. Working in the PSRC enabled us to interact with many researchers at different stages of their careers, which provided us with valuable advice and a deeper understanding of the diverse career pathways available for pursuing research in the future.
Additionally, the internship provided us with the opportunity to attend a couple of conferences—the Great North Pharmacy Research Collaborative Regional Conference (GNPRC) conference, which focused on women's health, and the Newcastle University, School of Pharmacy conference, where we engaged with projects which were being run within the School of Pharmacy. These experiences offered us the chance to engage in discussions with other researchers and gain insights into the latest developments in this field. We also had the opportunity to present posters, which not only enhanced our presentation skills but also allowed us to receive constructive feedback and gain new perspectives for our projects. Looking ahead, we are excited to attend the Royal Pharmaceutical Society conference in November, where we hope to continue building on these experiences and further our knowledge in the field.