Ready for research? Four stories from undergraduate interns

Are you keen to help build knowledge that will make a positive difference to people’s health? Want to get paid while you do it?

Find out what clinical research is all about from four third year MBChB students currently interning at the Liggins Institute. This seminar is your chance to hear what they’ve discovered, find out what an internship involves, and get the details on how to apply.

Interns are paid for casual work during the semester and full-time work during the summer breaks.

Jake Fuyala (above left) has been working on a before-and-after study, investigating whether offering a small monetary incentive (Koha) increases participation in long term maternal and health research. This research is based on recruitment data from a 4.5-year follow-up study on the effects of different thresholds for gestational diabetes mellitus. He has gained experience using statistical software for data analysis and is completing the manuscript as a first author. Jake presented the findings of the study at the annual Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand congress in Perth earlier this year.

"It has been such an immense privilege to be a part of the Liggins Institute, learning from some of the knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced minds in the world of clinical research. This internship provides a unique opportunity to combine exciting clinical exposure with contributions to meaningful research."

Shana Singh-Anderson (above 2nd to left) has published a narrative review exploring how vaccines can shape the innate immune system beyond pathogen-specific protection. Her review examines how this primarily laboratory-based research topic applies within the current clinical and research landscape. Alongside her review work, Shana has also been involved in a trial investigating the safety and effects of anakinra in extremely preterm infants. She is supporting clinical laboratory processing, clinical data collection, and analysis within the trial.

“I never expected to become interested in research, but this internship completely changed that. One of the most valuable parts of being at Liggins has been the environment - working alongside people who are curious, collaborative, and unafraid to ask questions or learn from one another. This experience has shown me where I fit at the intersection between research and clinical medicine, and how evidence can shape not only individual patient care, but broader healthcare systems as well.”

Danielle Mayer (above 2nd to right) is involved in a quality improvement implementation study focused on enhancing the equitable delivery of preterm birth care. Her project is guided by Taonga Tuku Iho, a set of national best practice guidelines for preterm birth care developed by the Carosika Collaborative. Her project aims to enhance the translation of these guidelines into clinical practice, supporting consistent and evidence-based care for all patients. She is also assisting with screening for a systematic review analysing the short- and long-term maternal and child outcomes following diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus using different glycaemic criteria.

“This internship has provided the incredible opportunity to work alongside and learn from a wide range of passionate clinicians and researchers. I’ve developed a greater appreciation of the integral role that research plays within medicine and strengthened my interest in contributing to future research initiatives. This internship has also provided early clinical experience and educational seminars, which have been invaluable to developing my skills across both academic and clinical settings.”

Emily Broomfield (above right) has been working on two projects looking at antenatal supplement use in New Zealand and international mothers to identify opportunities to improve maternal nutrition support and education, and to better inform best practice guidelines for pregnant women. The first: a secondary analysis to investigate how maternal characteristics, including age, ethnicity, and deprivation index, are associated with antenatal supplement use in New Zealand mothers who delivered preterm infants. And the second: a systematic review examining national and international antenatal supplementation guidelines to better understand the recommendations across countries, the evidence supporting them, and how these guidelines may influence maternal and infant health outcomes.

"With an undergraduate degree in Nutrition, one of my goals when entering medicine was to integrate my nutrition background into the medical field. This incredible internship at the Liggins Institute has provided me with the opportunity to do just that, with a focus on antenatal supplementation and its contribution to the health and development of babies. The exceptionally high standard of research undertaken at the Liggins Institute has been incredible to be a part of and is teaching me skills that will be invaluable throughout my future career. I continue to be inspired by the people I have met throughout this experience and could not recommend this opportunity highly enough."

This seminar is hosted by Associate Professor Gergely Toldi.

Eager to apply for an Undergraduate Clinical Research Internship now? Find all the details here.