16 Undergrad Vacation grants awarded
Nutrition
Optoelectronics
We’re pleased to announce the award of 16 Undergrad Vacation grants, six funded by our Nutrition Committee and ten by our Optoelectronics Committee. Over the summer of 2026, the successful students will hone their research skills while contributing to groundbreaking work on topics ranging from ketogenic diets and bioengineering to healthcare technology and colour vision in the digital age.
Congratulations to all our winning students and supervisors:
Nutrition & Crop Science
Naeema Austin-Quiery & Dr David Bartlett, University of Surrey: Dietary protein intake and gut permeability in young and older adults
Annabel Smyth & Dr Jordan Cuff, Newcastle University: Nutrient limitation of arthropod predators across arable fields: implications for natural pest control
Tiye Salgado Swabey & Dr Lucas Frungillo, The University of Edinburgh: Assessing bioengineered plant nutrition
Harry King & Dr Mark Hearris, The Manchester Metropolitan University: Investigating the effect of a high-fructose breakfast on liver glycogen storage: Insights from 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Em Mareschal de Charentenay & Professor Uta Paszkowski, Dr Miguel Santos, University of Cambridge: Dissecting evolution: Why did the karrikin receptor gain control of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis?
Stephanie Smith & Professor Dylan Thompson, Dr Lucy Rogers, University of Bath: Does synbiotic supplementation improve the effects of a ketogenic diet?
Optoelectronics & Vision Science
Emillie Galbraith & Dr Akhil Kallepalli, University of Strathclyde: Speech from light: Non-invasive near-infrared sensing for subvocal communication
Hannah Robinson & Professor Mark Fox, Dr Savvas Germanis, The University of Sheffield: Coherence of quantum dots in slow-light photonic crystal waveguides
Kirstyn Reid & Dr Rair Macêdo, University of Glasgow: Measuring negative refraction in natural crystals
Henry Scott & Professor Degenaar, Patrick, Newcastle University: Optoelectronics for visual prosthesis
Macy Pike & Dr John Maule, University of Sussex: Colour vision in the digital age – do screens change how we see colour?
Aleksey Aleynik & Dr Brian Patton, University of Strathclyde: Decreasing the costs of diamond-based vector magnetometers
Diya Sharma & Professor Jonathan Sinclair, Professor John Marsh, University of Lancashire: Light on balance: Precision optoelectronic evaluation of transcranial photobiomodulation in older adults
Vanessa Ussalim & Professor Mark Oxborrow, Imperial College London: Optically-pumped maser in a matchbox
Nathanael Brown & Dr Jay Patel, King’s College London: Confocal photoluminescence microscopy of alloyed semiconductors
Thea Salins & Dr Javier Porte Parera, University of Strathclyde: AI enhanced speckle thermometry
Our Undergrad Vacation grant gives students the chance to experience what it’s like to work in research by providing them with paid, hands-on research experience during the summer before their final year. It encourages supervisors to get students directly involved in the day-to-day activities of their research group or lab, and gives the supervisor a valuable helping hand too.
The Undergrad Vacation grant is currently closed for applications but the 2027 round will open later in the year.
