Scholarships and Awards

Dr Diana Toderita and Professor Anthony Bull,
Centre for Injury Studies

*Open to applications from Imperial students

Understanding the post-injury musculoskeletal function of lower limb traumatic amputees
The post-amputation musculoskeletal function is disrupted as the loss of joints, muscle volume and physiological muscle attachments lead to muscular adaptations required for successful task completion. Such strategies may lead to regional muscle atrophy and hypertrophy through chronic under or overuse of muscles compared to able-bodied individuals. Detrimental loading of the joints and muscles often lead to musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis and low back pain. There is currently limited knowledge of the muscle adaptations to amputation and loading profiles of the lower limb amputee musculoskeletal system. The aim of this project is to quantify muscle and joint parameters of persons with lower limb amputations using high-resolution MRI scans. The developed anatomical datasets will be then used to understand the muscle and joint loading of lower limb amputees through musculoskeletal modelling, thus enabling the development of strategies that promote and enhance functional capability and joint health of persons with limb loss.

Project on imaging, sensing, and robotics in medical engineering 
Applications are invited for a research placement focused on imaging, sensing, and robotics in medical engineering. Students will engage with pioneering research in areas including neurosurgery, cancer therapy, lower GI endoscopy, and orthopaedics. The specific project focus will be developed in partnership with each student, aligning their skills, ambitions, and the Centre’s research priorities to ensure a maximally impactful eight-week experience. This unique opportunity offers hands-on experience in transformative healthcare technologies and the chance to contribute meaningfully to projects at the cutting edge of medical innovation.

Measurements of circulating vitamin D catabolites by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for their exploration as physiological biomarkers
Vitamin D2 is sourced through the diet, or by conversion of the precursor metabolite 7-dehydrocholesterol to vitamin D3 by ultraviolet B exposure. Vitamin D itself is not considered biologically active, and is initially converted to the major circulating form 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in the liver, which is the current established biomarker for vitamin D status.

Aside from this well-established classical pathway, the metabolism of vitamin D also incorporates several other metabolic pathways, including metabolites formed beyond 25OHD and 1,25(OH)2D that could have an impact on vitamin D physiology.

This project will explore the CYP24A1 catabolites of 25(OH)D3 and 1,25(OH)2D3 as potential physiological biomarkers by developing a LC-MS/MS method for the measurement of these metabolites in human serum.

Professor Anna Randi,
National Heart and Lung Institute

*Open to applications from Turkish students

National Heart and Lung Institute - Vascular Diseases
Professor Anna Randi, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Head of Vascular Science, invites applications for research placements at her laboratory based at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London.

The laboratory investigates the molecular pathways that regulate endothelial homeostasis, angiogenesis and vascular stability. The Randi lab is particularly interested in the transcriptional and epigenetic pathways which control endothelial homeostasis and how these are disrupted in disease, to develop novel strategies to prevent or treat vascular diseases. This unique opportunity will provide an insightful and hands-on eight-week experience working alongside Professor Randi and her team.