MB-PhD Summer Placement Project Outline

his one‑week, in-person placement is designed to provide an undergraduate medical student with immersive exposure to laboratory-based cancer research, using an existing project in the lab as a framework. The placement centres on how lung cancer cells sense mechanical cues from their microenvironment and how these signals can influence gene expression, focusing on the adhesion protein Mena, a key regulator identified in the host lab’s ongoing research programme. 

The student will gain an understanding of how mechanobiology questions are addressed in cancer cell biology, how hypotheses are translated into experimental approaches and how data are interpreted in the context of tumour biology. Through shadowing a Clinical Research Training Fellow, the student will observe, and undertake, established assays used to investigate mechanosensitive gene regulation in non-small cell lung cancer cells. These experiments will be performed alongside observation of ongoing analyses of patient tissue samples, including histopathology, immunohistochemistry and gene expression studies.  

The student will end their placement with a clear sense of how fundamental biology experiments are designed, executed and discussed within a research team, alongside an appreciation of how laboratory cancer research integrates with clinical questions, providing a realistic insight into undertaking a future MB‑PhD project within the group. 

Key activities

• Shadowing laboratory work: Observe day-to-day laboratory activities undertaken by a clinical PhD student, including routine lung cancer cell culture and preparation of cells for mechanobiology experiments using defined‑stiffness culture substrates. 
• Observation of core assays: Watch demonstrations of established techniques used in the project, such as basic cell culture workflows, sample preparation for gene expression analysis and simple microscopy-based readouts linked to cell morphology and adhesion. 
• Cancer biology experiments: Perform lab-based assays to measure gene and/or protein expression in NSCLC cells grown under different experimental conditions. 
• Research skills exposure: Learn how experiments are planned, recorded and discussed, including maintaining lab notebooks, understanding controls and recognising common sources of experimental variability. 
• Data interpretation: Take part in informal data discussions with supervisors, focusing on how mechanosensitive gene expression data are analysed and interpreted within the broader context of lung cancer biology. 
• Wider lab integration: Attend lab and data meetings during the week to gain exposure to other projects in the group and to understand the collaborative nature of the research environment.
• Reflection and communication: Produce a short reflective summary or informal presentation at the end of the placement, outlining what was learned about cancer research, experimental design and the clinical relevance of mechanobiology. 

Supervisor style

The lab provides a supportive, collaborative training environment. As principal investigator, I offer strategic oversight and regular engagement, while day-to-day supervision will be led by a clinical PhD student with support from an experienced postdoctoral cell biologist. Our multidisciplinary research focuses on cancer cell adhesion, mechanobiology and tumour microenvironment signalling.