Invest in ME Research Summer Student Bursaries 2025

We participated in a six-week summer student placement at the Quadram Institute on Norwich Research Park as part of the Invest in ME Research Summer Student Bursaries programme. These bursaries offered hands-on experience in cutting-edge research focusing on ME/CFS, a chronic and disabling condition that affects hundreds of thousands of both children and adults in the UK. The programme allowed us to work on these real-world projects that encompassed investigating viruses in both mucosal and gastrointestinal niches and investigating the role of fungi, all from the perspective of ME/CFS.

Mya:
My name is Mya Pearce; I am from Norwich and am currently in my third year of Biology at the University of York. A fun fact about me is that I am on an exchange studying in Canada!

Paige:
My name is Paige Cameron; I am about to enter my third year of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Southampton. My hometown is Stowmarket, and a fact about me is that I have a pet Chinchilla!

Mya:
My motivation to apply for a student bursary stemmed from both my academic interests and personal drive to expand my understanding of under-researched diseases. Much of my past interests have centred around idiopathic diseases, being drawn to the challenge of exploring conditions where the cause is not yet fully understood. When I first came across the opportunity, I also realised that like many, I knew relatively little about ME/CFS and saw the bursary as a chance to build upon my own awareness of the disease whilst also contributing, albeit modestly, in the research to address those knowledge gaps.

Paige:
My motivation to apply for the Invest in ME Research student bursary was my personal connection to ME/CFS. My sister’s diagnosis of CFS has given me insight into the impact this condition has on both patients and their families. The overlap between ME/CFS and Long COVID has added urgency for ME/CFS research, and I felt it was essential to contribute to necessary research. Academically, I have an interest in disease mechanisms and protein interactions. With some experience in code, this placement provided a unique opportunity to develop lab and computational skills directly relevant to ME/CFS research.

Mya:
I expected the bursary to provide valuable insight into what it means to be a research scientist – where I hoped to see first-hand what the career involves and how they approach their research, for it to be an informative experience when reflecting on my own future career path. I also saw it as a chance to gain experience beyond that of a traditional teaching lab, it being an opportunity to develop new skills and approaches that go beyond the scope of my current degree.

Paige:
Prior to starting the internship, I expected to gain hands-on experience in lab techniques, data analysis, and bioinformatics. Although I had some exposure to Biopython and R, I was entirely new to command line and applying my knowledge to real sequencing data. I was excited to experience a professional research environment and develop practical skills often inaccessible to undergraduates.

Mya:
As previously mentioned, my knowledge of ME/CFS was limited before starting my placement. However, after spending 6 weeks at the Quadram Institute, I have come to a much deeper understanding of the profound burden ME/CFS has on patients surrounding its degrees of severity, cognitive difficulties and the challenges of managing symptoms when there are no universally shared tools for diagnosis. Furthermore, to be able to learn about ME/CFS and its potential fungal pathophysiology was incredibly interesting, this being a highly unexplored area in comparison to other pathogen types.

Paige:
Before starting, I had a general understanding of ME/CFS and its symptoms due to my sister’s diagnosis. However, during my time at the Quadram Institute, I have gained a deeper insight into the disease’s pathophysiology and its association with the microbiome. In particular, I learnt about the potential role of viruses within the mucosal microbiome and how they may contribute to the cycle of inflammation and symptoms seen in ME/CFS.

Mya:
My placement was centred around the role of fungi in ME/CFS by investigating antibody reactivity to specific fungal antigens. This involved further refining preexisting skills such as the cell culture of different fungal species, DNA extraction and PCR, while also learning new techniques such as flow cytometry (Fungi-flow) to investigate the specifics of antibody reactivity in greater detail. Not only did I develop valuable laboratory skills I also continued to hone my presentation skills when I presented the research to the lab group.

Paige:
My placement focused on identifying viruses in the mucosal microbiome of ME/CFS patients. This involved writing code scripts to process patient sequencing data and identify viral sequences within samples. In the lab, I learnt how to extract DNA and RNA, synthesis cDNA from RNA, and perform qPCR to quantify viral genetic material in the samples. I also developed data analysis, presentation, and scientific writing skills, all invaluable skills for my degree and future career.

Mya:
Working with the ME/CFS research team was an incredibly positive experience, I found the team to be both welcoming and supportive- creating an encouraging environment where I felt confident to ask questions. They were always willing to share their knowledge and explain concepts to help me learn, think more critically about the topic and be curious!

Paige:
Working with the research team was a positive experience! Everyone was enthusiastic about ME/CFS, fostering a learning environment. I was encouraged to ask questions, learn about research projects beyond my own, and think critically about research. My mentor was patient and supportive as I developed my coding skills, making the learning process enjoyable and manageable.

Mya:
Working at the Quadram was an inspiring experience, that gave me first-hand insight into a community where collaboration and innovation combine. Seeing how the projects throughout the institute connect to real-world health challenges and how they make a tangible difference was motivating. Not only that, but the collaborative atmosphere alongside the cutting-edge facilities also made it an exciting place to learn!

Paige:
The Quadram Institute is a wonderful place to work. Beyond my project, I had the opportunity to attend seminars and talks on a range of microbiome topics, which broadened my knowledge and sparked new research interests. The atmosphere was very friendly and welcoming, and I felt comfortable asking anyone for help, from advice on future career paths to directions to the seminar room!

Mya:
Looking ahead, I have found myself particularly motivated to pursue a line of research that is patient focussed, and charity driven like this placement. After my bachelors, I aim to develop a greater expertise by completing a masters in immunology.

Paige:
This internship has strengthened my ambition to pursue a research career. After my degree, I plan to undertake a master’s in biomedical research related to disease mechanisms and protein biology, where I hope to continue building lab and computational skills.

Mya:
What I enjoyed most about my placement was the opportunity to partake in live research, especially when learning new techniques like Fungi-flow and how it can be applied to answer a meaningful line of investigation. Equally, I loved working alongside such an enthusiastic team of scientists, in combination this made the placement a truly rewarding experience!

Paige:
What I enjoyed most was the opportunity to contribute to research while developing various skills in qPCR and bioinformatics. I particularly found writing a script, watching it run, and seeing the results satisfying. Engaging both computational and lab work has allowed me to appreciate the variety of approaches used in research. I loved being on such an enthusiastic team, which made my time at Quadram Institute rewarding and inspiring.