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Our Summer Research Programme for 2023 is now complete. We anticipate a confirmed list of projects to be released in December for Summer 2024 but in the meantime, please find the list of projects that were offered in 2023 below, as a point of reference. 

    Biochemistry - Genotyping tolerance to fast-acting bacteria wall inhibitors

    Supervisor: Dr Jesus Enrique Salcedo-Sora

    Bio: The PI is a medical doctor that practiced for four years of Tropical Medicine in hospital settings in South America. He was trained at doctoral level (Ph.D) in the University of Manchester. He has been an International Fellow in Tropical Medicine awarded by the Wellcome Trust which allowed him to undertake four years of research in malaria in South America. Returning to the UK he worked in the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (2005 – 2014) where he was involved in the biochemical characterisation of specific chemotherapeutic targets: initially, pathway-specific such as antifolates and later on unbiased drug screening using the “Malaria Box”, newly available at the time. Between 2014 and 2019 he was a Lecturer in Microbiology at Liverpool Hope University where he developed most of his initial transition from malaria onto different microorganisms, adopting  E. coli and S. cerevisiae as model organisms for hypothesis-driven research on response to antibiotics.  He has now relocated to the University of Liverpool as Research Fellow and managing the University of Liverpool Foundry GeneMill.

    Email: j.salcedo-sora@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Life Sciences

    Department: Biochemistry

    Module Code: 

    Suitable for Students Of: Life Sciences

    Desriable experience/requirements: A degree in sciences

    Places Available: 2

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023), Session 2 (3 July 2023)

    Project Length: 8 weeks

    Virtual Option: No

    Project Description: 

    New approaches to identify potential resistance-breaking antibiotics are needed.  Those approaches should involve the search for molecules that break the barrier of the bacterial cell envelope which prevents the penetration of large and hydrophobic compounds [1]⁠. We aim at finding new chemical spaces that can interact with the cell in a similar manner to the lipid-A binding polymyxins. Antibiotics that interact with the lipid interfaces of the cell wall and cytoplasmic membrane are the most effective (measured as the percentage of persisters after exposure) clinical and pre-clinical available antimicrobials [2]⁠.  This also has implied that they are reserved as the last line of treatment. Mainly used if other empirical antibiotic treatments have failed.  Polymyxins such as colistin, for instance, are the last line of treatment for infections of the lower respiratory tract.   Because antibiotic discovery is uniquely challenging due to the restrictive penetration barriers, this project will address the effects that colistin may exert on membrane transporters. We will use a number of genetic libraries of gene knockouts and gene promoter ladders in the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. This work will be based at the University of Liverpool's foundry GeneMill, a facility with state-of-the-art genetic manipulation tools and high throughput robotics to which the research student will be exposed  (https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/liverpool-shared-research-facilities/facilities/multi-omics/genemill/).  (1) Lewis, K. The Science of Antibiotic Discovery. Cell 2020, 181, 29–45, doi:10.1016/J.CELL.2020.02.056.  (2) Salcedo-Sora, J.E.; Kell, D.B. A quantitative survey of bacterial persistence in the presence of antibiotics: Towards antipersister antimicrobial discovery. Antibiotics 2020, 9, 1–36, doi:10.3390/antibiotics9080508.

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Biochemistry - Investigating the biochemical changes that occur at the neuromuscular junction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using IPSCs

    Supervisor: Dr Rachel Oldershaw

    Bio: Dr Rachel Oldershaw is a stem cell biologist and a lecturer at the University of Liverpool. Her research is focused on the role of stem cells in the maintenance of tissue health and function and how impairment in stem cell biology contributes to the onset and progression of disease. Her research is also focused on how adult, embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells can be used in the development of regenerative medicines that repair damaged tissues, with focus on the musculoskeletal system, the eye and cardiac tissues.

    Email: lrao1@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Life Sciences

    Department: Biochemistry

    Module Code: 

    Suitable for Students Of: Biomedical Sciences, Immunology. Stem Cell Biology, Nervous System

    Desriable experience/requirements: N/A

    Places Available: 2

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023), Session 2 (3 July 2023)

    Project Length: 8 - 12 weeks

    Virtual Option: No

    Project Description: 

    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease, is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that causes the loss of motor neurons resulting in progressive muscle weakness, wasting and loss of function and eventually death. Whilst genetic and environmental are thought to contribute to disease, up to 90% of cases have no known cause.  We can produce motor neurons from induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs), and can use these to make a 3D co-culture system with muscle constructs to model the neuromuscular junction. The summer placement project will use this model to investigate the disease-specific phenotype of ALS. The project will use combinations of laboratory techniques that include cell culture and differentiation to neuronal cell populations. Differences in gene and protein expression specific to neuronal phenotype and function will be measured by PCR, western blotting and immunocytochemistry.  Changes in the biochemical physiology of the cells that are specific to ALS disease will be measured using molecular probes that measure cellular REDOX activity. 

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Business Management - Doing diversity: A study of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) experts in UK higher education

    Supervisor: Dr Tomi Koljonen

    Bio: I work as a Lecturer in Organisation Theory at the University of Liverpool in the Work, Organisation and Management group.    My research focuses on organizations, occupations, and work. In particular, I am interested in how technology shapes and is shaped by occupational work, the mechanisms and lived experiences of organizational inequality, and qualitative research methods.    I undertook my doctoral studies in Organization and Management at Aalto University and received a Fulbright Pre-Doctoral Research Fellowship for which I visited Boston College in 2020.    Prior to my academic career, I worked in public relations and completed BSc and MSc degrees at Aalto University.

    Email: koljonen@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Management 

    Department: Business Management

    Module Code: 

    Suitable for Students Of: May be of interest to a broad range of students across the disciplines of management, education, sociology, psychology, and anthropology.  

    Desirable experience/requirements: No prior experience is needed, however, some familiarity and enthusiasm regarding qualitative research methods and interviewing may be useful. Interest in the topic of EDI is also a plus.  

    Places Available: 2

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023), Session 2 (3 July 2023)

    Project Length: 8 - 12 weeks 

    Virtual Option: Yes

    Project Description: 

    Society increasingly expects organizations to tackle issues related to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Unfortunately, research shows that such efforts are both inconsistently adopted by organizations and— even when implemented—fail to reach their goals. However, organizations now seek to better address EDI issues with the help of an emerging occupational group, EDI experts. This research aims at understanding how these experts choose the EDI initiatives they advance, how they get support for those initiatives, and how they legitimate their standing as experts on EDI issues. To answer these questions, this project examines the work of EDI experts in UK higher education via a semi-structured interview study.

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Computer Science - Creating Your Next Simulated Laboratory Robot Companion

    Supervisor: Dr Gabriella Pizzuto

    Bio: Dr Gabriella Pizzuto is an interdisciplinary researcher in robot learning and a lecturer in robotics and chemistry automation. She was the lead research associate on the ERC Synergy Grant 'Autonomous Discovery of Advanced Materials' (ADAM). Previously, she was also a research associate at the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics working on physics-constrained learning and uncertainty estimation in robot dynamics model learning. She obtained her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Manchester, where she was also a Marie-Sklodowska Curie early stage researcher and a visiting scholar at the University of Edinburgh and Italian Institute of Technology. She is broadly interested in different topics within the intersection of robot learning, vision and control, focusing on generalisation and safe human-robot collaboration, particularly for real-world environments such as physical sciences laboratories.

    Email: gabriella.pizzuto@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Electrical Engineering, Electronics, and Computer Science

    Department: Computer Science

    Module Code: 

    Suitable for Students Of: Computer Science 

    Desirable experience/requirements: Excellent programming skills (Python)

    Places Available: 3

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023)

    Project Length: 12 weeks 

    Virtual Option: Yes

    Project Description: 

    The potential use of robotics for laboratory experiments offers an attractive route to alleviate scientists from tedious tasks while accelerating the process of obtaining new materials, where topical issues such as climate change and disease risks worldwide would greatly benefit. While some experimental workflows can already benefit from automation, it is common that sample preparation is still carried out manually due to the high level of motor function required when dealing with heterogeneous systems, e.g., different tools, chemicals, and glassware. This work will continue on our previous outputs (https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.14875) by creating novel simulated robotic examples representative of laboratory robotic tasks. This project will be in close collaboration with other researchers at the University of Toronto, where it is envisioned that the novel outputs will result in a peer-reviewed article.

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Engineering - Investigate soft contact lenses' mechanical failure ON and OFF the human eye

    Supervisor: Dr Ahmed Abasss

    Bio: Dr Abass awarded his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Liverpool in 2011. Since he joined the University of Liverpool in 2007, he worked exclusively for Russell Group universities either in teaching or research (University of Liverpool & Cardiff University). He started his academic career in 1999, just after he graduated with a First-Class BSc Honours degree in Production Engineering and Mechanical Design (top of his class). Dr Abass joined the School of Engineering at the University of Liverpool as a lecturer in Biomedical Engineering in August 2018.    Dr Abass’ research projects contribute to a cohesive research plan focused on ocular topography and multi-scale modelling. In his engagements as a PhD, MSc and MPhil supervisor and examiner, Dr Abass extensively focuses on the link between the research activity and market need. With his experience in working with healthcare business partners in the UK and overseas, Dr Abass aligns his research to apply digital-based technology to ocular applications. Having access to an effective digital twin of a real-life ocular application allows for testing of either new or high-risk existing technologies and treatments on the digital twin in a safe environment at a much lower cost with no risk of infection or damage on the physical twin.    In his teaching, Dr Abass puts the focus on the students’ learning outcomes through intensive use of deep learning techniques and shows his students how to relate new ideas to prior knowledge and everyday experiences. He stresses the need for evidence to support conclusions and examine the logic of his students’ argument. As an academic lead in the School of Engineering Employability Group, Staff-Student Liaison Committee Convener, Chartered Engineer (CEng MIMechE), and as a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), he has special experience in active learning where students get involved in the learning process in a Student-Centred Learning model.

    Email: a.abass@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Engineering

    Department: Engineering

    Module Code:

    Suitable for Students Of: Engineering

    Desired experience or requirements: Matlab coding

    Places Available: 8

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023), Session 2 (3 July 2023), Session 3 (31 July 2023)

    Virtual Option: Yes

    Project Length: 4 - 12 weeks 

    Project Description 

    Soft contact lenses are medical devices largely used to correct eye refractive errors for more than 125 million people worldwide. Unlike spectacle lenses which are used in conventional glasses, soft contact lenses should be designed to fit the user's eye besides being able to correct his vision. Not cleaning the lenses properly leads to the accumulation of protein on the lens. These can cause irritation of the cornea and impaired visual acuity. During the cleaning and fitting process, the surface of the contact lens deflects significantly. Therefore, damage or spoilage of contact lenses is more common with soft lenses than rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses. Damage may occur in the form of tears, cracks and chips. These may cause local irritation of the cornea.    In this project, students will design the geometry, select the materials of a range of soft contact lenses, and then test their performance during the handling and fitting process. A MATLAB software code will carry out the product design process; however, the process of handling and fitting contact lenses to human eyes will be simulated by Abaqus finite element software, where the 3D change in the shape of contact lenses can be monitored and recorded. The student will then use the knowledge gained from this exercise to obtain design correction factors, in terms of dimensions and materials, that can be used to improve the performance of soft contact lenses during the handling process. 

    Additional Requirements 

    Candidates are expected to use MATLAB software and the commercial finite element package Abaqus or the free finite element software package FE-BIO. They will need to use an external hard drive to save their simulation data.

    Engineering - Wake effect on the drag of a bluff-body with ground proximity

    Supervisor: Professor Olivier Cadot

    Bio: Olivier Cadot is Chair in Aerospace Engineering in the School of Engineering of the University of Liverpool since 2017. His experimental research focuses on turbulence, wave-turbulence, wake transitions and flow control. His recent original contributions are related to understanding the turbulent wake dynamics of three-dimensional bluff bodies with application to automotive engineering.

    Email: cadot@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Engineering

    Department: Engineering

    Module Code:

    Suitable for Students Of: Fluid Mechanics, Aerodynamics 

    Desired experience or requirements: Lab based work with wind tunnel testing

    Places Available: 1

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023)

    Virtual Option: No

    Project Length: 12 weeks 

    Project Description 

    Wind tunnel testing will be conducted on a simplified car model involving flow velocity, wall pressure and aerodynamic force measurements.

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Engineering - Lattice-Boltzmann modelling of flow through porous media

    Supervisor: Dr Davide Dapelo

    Bio: After completing my degree in Theoretical Physics in Genoa, Italy, I started his PhD in Civil Engineering in Birmingham in 2012 and completed it in 2016. From 2015 to 2011, I was employed in a number of postdoctoral positions in Birmingham and in Bradford and, since 2022, I have covered lecturship positions in Bradford and Liverpool.  My scientific interest have been numerical modelling of multiphase non-Newtonian flow applied in water managing and, more specifically, anaerobic digestion for wastewater treatment. After using and developing finite-volume Computational Fluid dynamics (CFD) models, my focus shifted towards developing new models and methodologies for the Lattice-Boltzmann method, and I am now part of the OpenLB development team. My most recent interest consists of investigating the possibility of linking CFD to artificial intelligence. I have contributed securing a number of ResearchUK grants for an overall value of around £500,000.

    Email: d.dapelo@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Engineering

    Department: Engineering

    Module Code:

    Suitable for Students Of: Civil, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering

    Desired experience or requirements: C++, Unix

    Places Available: 1

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023)

    Project Length: 12 weeks 

    Virtual Option: Yes

    Project Description 

    This is a virtual-only project.  Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models allow detailed numerical solutions of fluid-flow problems. Among them, the Lattice-Boltzmann (LB) model is advantageous because of reduced numerical cost, easy treatment of complex boundaries and the ability of running over a large number of processors in parallel.  Within this project, a LB model for quasi-incompressible flow in porous media will be validated. In the model, the details of the porous matrix are averaged over a representative elementary volume and substituted with two scalars, thereby allowing a considerable amount of resources if compared to the fully-resolved models.  Students will developtheir own benchmark on OpenlB (www.openlb.net)  to validate the model. Validation will occur by running benchmark simulations of the model and of standard flow with fully-resolved porous matrix. The results will then be compared and the model assessed.

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Engineering - Analysing the Use-Value of Exhibited Objects in Liverpool Biennial 2023 from a Product Design Perspective

    Supervisor: Fazil Akin

    Bio: Fazil is a lecturer in Industrial Design at the University of Liverpool, School of Engineering. He is trained as industrial designer and interaction designer, holds a M.Sc. in Product Design from Middle East Technical University (Turkey), a MA in Product Design and Management from Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Switzerland), and a CAS in Interaction Design from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland. He continues his Ph.D. studies in the field of design and philosophy of technology at Hessen State University of Art and Design (Germany).     As a design educator, Fazil worked in several universities since 2015 on subjects of Designing for Experiences, Design Theory, Critical Design, Design Activism and Materialising Design Ideas. Occasionally he holds workshops for utilising design activities to discuss or develop ideas in several fields. A short list of these workshops is: New Experiences through Materials, Experience Design for the Digital Space, Resistant Design Practices for Cities, Critical Design Supermarket, Designing Imaginative Atmospheres, Designing Deliriously Happy Making Objects, Designing Theoretical Gifts, Design with a Theory in Mind. 

    Email: f.akin@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Engineering

    Department: Engineering

    Module Code:

    Suitable for Students Of: Industrial Design, Product Development, Product Design, Design Management 

    Desired experience or requirements: N/A

    Places Available: 6

    Start Dates: Session 2 (3 July 2023)

    Project Length: 4- 8 weeks 

    Virtual Option: No

    Project Description 

    Liverpool Biennial is one of the most important contemporary art events in the UK. The last edition of the Biennial is considered to be the ‘largest festival of contemporary visual art in the UK’ (Liverpool Biennial, n. d.). The 12th edition of the Biennial will be held between June to September 2023. The title of the Biennial ‘The Sacred Return of Lost Things’ gives clues about the thematic inquiries the event will hold in the field of object human relations.      Although art objects have distinct characteristics compared to everyday products, the materialisation process can be an inspiring source for industrial designers. Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby state that “I kind of feel that art exists because design has failed. In an ideal, utopian world, everyday life would be so rich, meaningful and challenging that we wouldn’t need this separate category called art.” (cited in Puolakka & Sutela, 2010). The relationship between art with usefulness is an ongoing field of discussion at least since Oscar Wilde’s famous ‘all art is useless’ claim (cited in Howard, 2020). On the other hand, the interest of the art world in the ‘use of art’ is very interesting (Byrne, 2016). Stephen Wright’s Towards a Usership Lexicon (2013) can be an example of this or other works around the Arte Útil formation.     The use value of objects and products are a key specification of product design. User-centered design is a well-established field within the design profession alongside human-centered design. It is very interesting to observe while the design profession widens its focus from the user to the impact of products on earth and other living entities beyond the users of the products, the art world is rethinking the role of art by discussing the use of art objects. This intersection area could be a very productive field for product designers to observe and learn from the art objects and implement this learning into their practice.     The researchers involved in this subject will look at the objects exhibited in one of the UK’s biggest contemporary art events from a very pragmatic view of point. Each researcher needs to develop first his/her field book by utilising several design methods interpreted according to his/her interest. Throughout their fieldwork, they will fill their book with the details they learned from the vast number of objects artists produced for the Biennial. The project will end with a discussion session where the observations and field notes are shared and possible uses of materials, techniques, and approaches are defined.         Byrne, J. (2016). Social Autonomy and the Use Value of Art. Afterall: A Journal of Art, Context and Enquiry (Autumn/Winter 2016), Vol. 42, pp. 60-69.     Howard, M. (2020). Uselessness is a Rarefied Thing. In Howard, M., & Parodi, L. (Eds.) Uselessness: Humankind’s most valuable tool? Berlin/Boston: Walter de Gruyter GmbH.    Liverpool Biennial (n. d.). Khanyisile Mbongwa Announced as Curator for Liverpool Biennial 2023. Retrieved on 20th of December, 2022 from https://www.biennial.com/news/khanyisile-mbongwa-announced-as-curator-for-liverpool-biennial-2023.    Puolakka, A., & Sutela, J. (2010). Science Poems. Helsinki & Paris: OK Do.     Wright, S. (2013). Toward a Usership Lexikon. Retrieved on 20th of December, 2022 from https://www.arte-util.org/tools/lexicon/.  

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Genetics - Fitness cost of co-infection by different pathogens in Drosophila melanogaster

    Supervisor: Venera Tyukmaeva

    Bio: 

    Email: venera.tyukmaeva@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Life Sciences

    Department: Genetics

    Module Code:

    Suitable for Students Of: Life Sciences

    Desired experience or requirements: Basic laboratory skills (pipetting, PCR, etc.)

    Places Available: 1

    Start Dates: Session 2 (3 July 2023)

    Project Length: 8 - 12 weeks 

    Virtual Option: No

    Project Description 

    Co-infection of individual hosts by multiple parasite species is common in natural populations. Unveiling the interactions which underlie the patterns of co-infection is an important key enabling us to understand the genetics of parasite susceptibility and host–parasite ecology and evolution. In this project, we propose to investigate the co-infection with two Drosophila pathogens, Jaenimonas drosophilae, a natural monoxeous trypanosomatid parasite [1], and Drosophila C Virus, a natural Drosophila pathogen commonly used in antiviral host defense studies in flies [2]. During the project, a set of susceptible and resistant lines from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel [3], chosen for their susceptibility to one of these pathogens, will be co-infected with another and several fly fitness traits will be evaluated. Using the molecular methods, the dynamics of the pathogens in the host will be traced. The results of the project will shed a light on the evolution of co-infections and parasite infection dynamics.    [1] Hamilton et al, mBio 6(5), 1-11 (2015)  [2] Chtarbanova et al Journal of Virology, 88(24), 14057-14069 (2014)  [3] MacKay et al, Nature, 482(7384) 173-178 (2012)

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Histories, Languages, and Cultures- Antisemitic Student Violence in East-Central Europe, 1919-1923

    Supervisor: Dr Roland Clark

    Bio: Roland Clark is a Reader in Modern European History at the University of Liverpool. He is the President of the Society for Romanian Studies, a Senior Fellow with the Far-Right Analysis Network, the Principal Investigator on the European Fascist Movements project, and the 2022 Lapedatu Fellow at the New Europe College in Bucharest. Clark specialises in the history of East-Central Europe, and of interwar Romania in particular. His research interests include fascism, social movements, violence, gender, theology, and lived religion. 

    Email: clarkr@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Histories, Languages, and Cultures

    Department: History

    Module Code:

    Suitable for Students Of: Histories, Languages, and Cultures

    Desired experience or requirements: Good reading knowledge of French, German, Croatian, or Yiddish is required.  Experience working with historical sources and/or searching historical newspapers is strongly recommended.    You need to be computer literate, able to process information quickly, highly organized, self-motivated, and able to work independently. As part of the project you will become skilled at searching digitized newspapers and using MS Access. Given that you will be working with historical sources, ideally you should be studying for a degree in History. 

    Places Available: 2

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023),Session 2 (3 July 2023),Session 3 (31 July 2023)

    Project Length: 4 - 12 weeks 

    Virtual Option: Yes

    Project Description 

    Between 1919 and 1923 a wave of antisemitic riots that swept through European universities in at least 11 different countries, and then coalesced into organized student movements that agitated for student control of the universities, the expulsion of Jewish students, and supported extremist right-wing parties. Many of these students later became activists in fascist political parties. Although scholars are aware of these riots within their national contexts, antisemitic student activism has never been studied as a transnational phenomenon and historians know very little about how these movements interacted with or supported one another.     The first step in designing a transnational research project of this nature is to identify as many instances of student violence as possible. As part of the research programme you will search digitized newspapers to identify instances of antisemitic violence and will input them into a pre-existing database using MS Access. This will involve going through foreign newspapers and reports, reading descriptions of student violence and deciding how to describe them. Newspapers will be in French, German, Croatian, or Yiddish, depending on your language skills, but not in English.  

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Law - Lifting the legal, policy and socio-economic barriers to green-energy investments: a comparative study of best practices to fulfil the climate change pledge

    Supervisor: Dr Aikaterini Florou

    Bio: Dr. Aikaterini Florou is a Lecturer in International Economic Law at the School of Law and Social Justice. Previously, she was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at the University of Hamburg. She is also the General Editor of the Journal of World Energy Law & Business. Prior to academia, Aikaterini worked for several years as a legal and policy officer at the European Commission in the fields of international investment law and energy. Moreover, she has served as a consultant with the OECD and the Columbia Centre on Sustainable Investment, where she contributed to large-scale empirical analyses of international investment treaties and arbitral awards, and has tutored at the Hague Academy of International Law. Aikaterini holds a PhD in international investment law and economics from Sciences Po Law School, in Paris, an LL.M. from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy and a Master's degree from Athens Law School. She has also completed studies at the University of Berkeley, the University of Bologna and Queen Mary University of London.

    Email: Aikaterini.Florou@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Law and Social Justice

    Department: Law

    Module Code:

    Suitable for Students Of: International Investment Law and Arbitration; International Energy Law

    Desired experience or requirements: Some background in energy law and international investment law 

    Places Available: 2

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023), Session 2 (3 July 2023)

    Project Length: 4 - 8 weeks 

    Virtual Option: Yes

    Project Description 

    Climate change is the undeniable challenge of our era. The clean-energy transition lies at the heart of combatting climate change by fulfilling the pledge of net-zero emissions by 2050. According to the International Energy Agency’s most recent Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector, to achieve the goal of net-zero emissions by mid-century requires nothing short of a total transformation of our economies. Transforming the global economy from one dominated by fossil fuels into one powered predominantly by renewable energy, like solar and wind, will require massive infrastructure investments, which governments must lead and incentivise. For example, the share of renewables in electricity generation is expected to rise from 29% in 2020 to 60% in 2030 and to nearly 90% in 2050. COP26 has also stressed the imperative need to encourage investments in renewables.    These ambitious international goals call for massive financing of clean-energy investments and robust International cooperation. A huge amount of this financing is expected to come from private foreign investors (including state-owned companies), who will need reassurances of legal stability for their investments and a reasonable profit in the long run. In this context, mobilising investments through international cooperation is key to achieving an orderly energy transition that can combat climate change by addressing also the socio-economic disruptions that this transition will bring to people’s lives, including those currently working in the fossil-fuel industry.  Against this background, this empirical, interdisciplinary project addresses the thorny and recurrent problem of making investments in clean energy sustainable in the long term. To this end, it focuses on the legal, policy and socio-economic barriers that have impeded the successful development of investments in the renewable-energy sector. By the same token, it aims at identifying best practices that have enabled sustainable renewable-energy projects. To achieve international cooperation in order to meet the global goal of a massive increase in renewable-energy investments requires mutual learning and cross fertilisation of the laws, policies and practices in various countries and regional integration organisations. 

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Modern Languages & Cultures - Urban Realms of memory: Reading Liverpool in the light of Pierre Nora

    Supervisor: Professor Charles Forsdick

    Bio: Charles Forsdick is James Barrow Professor of French at the University of Liverpool. He is currently Arts and Humanities Research Council theme leadership fellow for ‘Translating Cultures’ , a programme of over 120 projects focused on translation, interpreting and multilingualism. He has published on a range of subjects, including travel writing, colonial history, postcolonial and world literature, and the memorialization of slavery. Recent books include The Black Jacobins Reader (Duke University Press, 2016), Toussaint Louverture: Black Jacobin in an Age of Revolution (Pluto, 2017) and Keywords for Travel Writing Studies (Anthem Press, 2019). A member of the Academy of Europe, Charles Forsdick is chair of the editorial advisory board and a non-executive director at Liverpool University Press, for whom he also edits the Contemporary French and Francophone Cultures series. Between 2016 and 2018, Forsdick led an international project, with partners in France and Australia, on ‘ “Dark Tourism” in Comparative Perspective: Sites of Suffering, Sites of Memory’. This work explored the relationship between memory, place and cultural heritage. Charles’s particular focus in the project was on the cultures of penal and convict incarceration in France, the UK, Tasmania, French Guiana, New Caledonia and Vietnam. A co-edited book of relevance to the proposed project was recently published: Postcolonial Realms of Memory: Sites and Symbols in Modern France, ed. by Charles Forsdick, Etienne Achille and Lydie Moudileno (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2020). (ISBN: 978-1-789-62066-5) 

    Email: craf@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Histories, Languages, and Cultures

    Department: Modern Languages & Cultures

    Module Code:

    Suitable for Students Of: History, Geography, Modern Languages 

    Desired experience or requirements: The project will be particularly suited to students of history, geography and/or modern languages, although it would be of interest to any who wish to combine conventional academic study with more practical fieldwork. Creative flair – in terms of an ability to take photographs or record soundscapes – would be an advantage, as would a curiosity about uncovering the hidden, forgotten or disavowed aspects of urban space. Depending on the project developed, there would be opportunities for archival work or interaction with heritage institutions. 

    Places Available: 3

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023), Session 2 (3 July 2023)

    Project Length: 4 weeks 

    Virtual Option: Yes

    Project Description 

    The project will (i) allow students to become familiar with the work of Pierre Nora on realms of memory, (ii) encourage students to engage with a critique of Nora from the perspective of postcolonial thought, (iii) reflect on the implications of the concept of the ‘lieu de mémoire’ for a city such as Liverpool, focusing in particular (but not exclusively) on questions of slavery and colonialism, and shifting from a national focus to one that is local, (iv) conduct fieldwork in the city to identify tangible and intangible realms of memory (e.g., museums, monuments, sculptures, cemeteries, key sites [Anfield, Albert Dock, Matthew Street], Scouse/scouse), (v) select a small selection of examples of such sites that will study in depth, and (vi) present their findings in creative ways.

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Nursing - The REACHE Project – Research Engagement And Collaborative Health Enquiry

    Supervisor: Dr Carolyn Lees

    Bio: I am a lecturer in the School of Health Sciences nursing team leading on the research modules on both the UG and PG nursing programmes. I lead on the MSc nursing programme and I have an interest in pedagogy research, carer experience and learning disability. 

    Email: C.Lees4@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Health Sciences

    Department: Nursing

    Module Code:

    Suitable for Students Of: Health realted degrees

    Desired experience or requirements: Literature searching skills

    Places Available: 2

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023)

    Project Length: 12 weeks 

    Virtual Option: No

    Project Description 

    Facilitating the role of the public and patients with a learning disability in health care research in the implementation of the School’s research strategy to promote the use of PPI in research.

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Nursing - Nursing History Project

    Supervisor: Alison Marchbank

    Bio: I am a experienced lecturer and part of the undergraduate nursing team in the School of Health Sciences. There are several other people involved in this project so you will be well supported.  I am a registered nurse who has worked clinically in Emergency Nursing.   

    Email: a.g.marchbank@Liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Health Sciences

    Department: Nursing

    Module Code:

    Suitable for Students Of: We are willing to accept a student from any course who has an interest in this field and would like to support the project.  It will benefit history, nursing and sociology students. 

    Desired experience or requirements: Computer & IT skills  Literature searching skills  Good academic writing skills  Advanced communication skills both written and oral  Good time management & ability to meet deadlines  Team and autonomous working  Acceptance of constructive feedback  Innovation and self motivation  Organisational and negotiation skills.  

    Places Available: 2

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023), Session 2 (3 July 2023)

    Project Length: 4 - 8 weeks 

    Virtual Option: No

    Project Description 

    The project will explore an archive of interviews with nurses.  It provides the opportunity to develop skills  in the analyis of interview transcripts (oral history) and develop an undertstanding of nursing in Liverpool.  

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Nursing - Increasing participation in head and neck cancer research through engagement with underserved populations in Cheshire and Merseyside.

    Supervisor: Julie Crane

    Bio: Julie is a Senior Lecturer in Nursing and has recently returned from a two year secondment as Centre Manager for Liverpool Head and Neck Centre. Julie teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate students and currently has responsibility for a Research Methods module (MNURS703) and a Nursing Leadership module (NURS334).    Julie continues to work alongside her LHNC colleagues; in particular she has in interest in Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement and works closely with the long established HaNC PPIE forum. She has recently been awarded a grant from CRN NWC to support projects which aim to improve services for patients with Head and Neck Cancer, raise awareness of the disease and promote research capacity and capability amongst people with and at risk of HNC.  Additionally Julie is providing support with an evaluation of Speech Language Therapy service for patients with HNC in Cheshire and Merseyside.

    Email:  j.crane@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Health Sciences

    Department: Nursing

    Module Code:

    Suitable for Students Of: Healthcare  Psychology  Management  Research

    Desired experience or requirements: A genuine interest in developing healthcare services is important. A 'can-do' and flexible approach is required.

    Places Available: 2

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023), Session 2 (3 July 2023), Session 3 (31 July 2023)

    Project Length: 4 - 12 weeks 

    Virtual Option: No

    Project Description 

    The UK incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC) is increasing, with >12,000 new cases per year. Our region faces a particular challenge, Merseyside has a 30% higher rate of HNC than the rest of England, associated with high deprivation and lifestyle factors. Deprivation is linked to poor take up of support services in HNC. This is unfortunate, patients with HNC experience significant treatment-related side-effects e.g. disfigurement, difficulties with breathing, swallowing and speech.      The Liverpool Head and Neck Centre https://livheadandneck.co.uk/, established in 2018, brought together researchers and clinicians to improve outcomes for patients with HNC.  This project sits within LHNC and offers a number of areas which would provide fantastic opportunities for interns during the summer months.    There are two projects in particular which would be of potential interest:    1) We are working with the local community to raise awareness of head and neck cancer; which will require the development of marketing material.  To do this, we need to review the literature as to the most effective way of achieving this.    2) We are evaluating the implementation of a new way of working for Head and Neck Speech and Language Therapists.  There are likely to be opportunities for data collection / analysis and business case writing.  

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A

    Tropical Disease Biology - Impact of climate change on vector-borne diseases

    Supervisor: Dr Louise Kelly-Hope

    Bio: I am an epidemiologist with extensive research and training experience in tropical disease biology, ecology, surveillance and control in more than 20 countries in the sub-Saharan African, Middle Eastern and Asia-Pacific regions. My current research focuses on the landscape ecology and applied epidemiology of vector-borne diseases, neglected tropical diseases, and emerging zoonosis in humans in the context of environmental and climate change. 

    Email: L.Kelly-Hope@liverpool.ac.uk

    School: Tropical Medicine

    Department: Tropical Disease Biology

    Module Code:

    Suitable for Students Of: 

    Desired experience or requirements: Computer and IT skills, Ability to learn mapping skills, interest in climate change

    Places Available: 2

    Start Dates: Session 1 (5 June 2023), Session 2 (3 July 2023)

    Project Length: 8 - 12 weeks 

    Virtual Option: Yes

    Project Description 

    his desk-based project will examine the relationship between climate change, including natural disasters (e.g. floods, droughts) and communities affected by vector-borne diseases (e.g. malaria, dengue, rift valley fever, filariasis) in Africa, Middle East and/or Asia. All data will be obtained from publicly available data sources and examined using descriptive and statistical methods, and mapped using geographical information systems (GIS) software. The student will gain experience in the use of large-scale climate and disease datasets for public health, GIS mapping methods and Earth Observation data processing. This project will provide insights into the challenges that endemic communities and national control programmes face and help to plan mitigation strategies for future events. Therapists.  There are likely to be opportunities for data collection / analysis and business case writing.  

    Additional Requirements 

    N/A