Two Weeks with the Brain Health ARC

Written by Poppy McCusker, Immunology Student at the University of Glasgow, who interned with the Brain Health ARC for two weeks in June.

Poppy McCusker

As a third-year Immunology student at the University of Glasgow, I have always been fascinated by the immune system’s role in brain health and its impact on neurological diseases. This summer, my curiosity led me to a unique opportunity to dive into the world of science research, particularly focusing on brain health. Under the mentorship of Professor Terry Quinn, Brain Health ARC Director, and his team, I was given an immersive experience into all aspects of research management. I had the incredible opportunity to meet inspiring individuals, learn new information, and engage in a variety of exciting activities.  

The Brain Health ARC is currently leading an exciting project to map brain health across Scotland. Jinzhou Wu, a master’s student in Medical Visualisation who is interning at the ARC, is designing an interactive map which will be a powerful tool for researchers across Scotland, and potentially around the world, to understand what brain health work is happening across Scotland. Before the data can be mapped, it needs to be collected, and I was fortunate to be involved in this. I was tasked with gathering data for the Glasgow area, which gave me the opportunity to learn about the incredible work of individuals in Glasgow and the various research groups at the University of Glasgow, including the Stroke Group and Cognitive Impairment & Dementia Group. Jinzhuo and I discussed his vision, delving into the coding and visualisation programs he planned to use. Through this conversation, I picked up valuable knowledge and tips on structuring data, choosing the best graphs and plots for visualising information, and the criticality of cleaning data for accurate visualisations. This has broadened my technical skills and deepened my understanding of the connection between data science and brain health research.  

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The Brain Health ARC also recently hosted a webinar series aimed at those starting their research careers or are new to research. I was tasked with reviewing the webinars from an outsider's perspective and providing feedback on what worked well and what could be improved. This assignment allowed me to watch a range of informative sessions and learn insightful information from the topics discussed.  
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During my two weeks with the ARC, I had the opportunity to shadow Kalliopi Mavromati (Data Manager for the Bio-Hermes Data Challenge and Research Assistant at the University of Glasgow). Kalliopi's role in her research projects fascinated me, and I was very impressed with her dedication and hard work. Through meeting Kalliopi, I gained invaluable tips for steering my own career in the right direction.  

Following this, I met Stelios Lamprou, who explained his work within the Brain Health ARC for the Bio-Hermes Data Challenge. Stelios showed me the programs he uses for data coding alongside the coding script and language used to write code to create connections in the data. This gave me an insight into the complexity of coding such an extensive dataset!  

I also met Millie Mather (Communications Officer for the four ARCs). We discussed her role within the Brain Health ARC, including website management, newsletters and social media updates. Millie highlighted the importance of using accessible language to make complex information relatable and engaging for the public, in turn encouraging more people to get involved and contribute to the ARC’s mission. I also met Sheena McGowan, Brain Health Project Manager, who gave me an insight into planning aspects of research management. 

The highlight of my internship was attending the annual Scottish Dementia Research Consortium conference in Dundee, held in collaboration with the Neuroprogressive and Dementia Research Network. This was my first conference, and I was amazed by the passion everyone showed for their topics.

I left feeling inspired by the talented researchers plus those with lived experiences of brain disorders like Parkinson’s, MND, Huntington’s, and dementia.   

​From this conference I gained a range of knowledge and had the opportunity to see a variety of incredible research posters, ask questions, and attain valuable networking experience. 
The presentations  made me understand the importance of keeping the audience engaged by ensuring nerves and notes do not become a barrier to communication. Assisting Sheena with the timekeeping during presentations was also beneficial as I observed how speakers managed their time under pressure and picked up valuable techniques for my own future presentations. 

Overall, this two-week internship has been a rewarding experience. I gained practical skills, deepened my understanding of brain health research, and made important connections that will help shape my future career.  

Join the Brain Health ARC mailing list for news and opportunities. ​