LMS Research Internship: The Chemistry of Osteoarthritic Bone
Closing Date: 23/01/2026

Please note: these internships are only available to current undergraduate students in Lancaster University Medical School.

This internship is offered as part of an exciting pilot of research opportunities for Medical School undergraduate students (MBChB and SaES). Each internship will be supervised by an academic member of staff. These opportunities are designed to give students experience of contributing to university research. These internships would be ideal for students considering postgraduate study, intercalated degrees or specialised foundation programmes. 

Project Summary

Osteoarthritis (OA) is increasingly prevalent, internationally (9.6% of females and 18% males have osteoarthritis globally), and in an ageing population these numbers will continue to increase, with significant impact on individuals’ quality of life and healthcare economics. There is an unmet clinical need to identify individuals at risk of painful, debilitating bone disorders, to enable early diagnosis in order to mitigate impact of disease, reduce pain and increase quality of life. This project aims to find out more progression of OA, with the potential for discovering new therapeutic targets. As we get older our bones degenerate, and may cause joints to become very painful, particularly hips, knees and fingers. We don’t really know what causes these changes.

My previous work in this area suggests it may be caused by a defective protein in the bone, collagen, and that this might be detectable by Raman spectroscopy. So far, as part of an Academy of Medical Sciences Springboard grant chemical (Raman spectra) and protein data has been collected from 10 individuals undergoing a total knee replacement for osteoarthritis and from 10 cadaveric donations. The aim of this project is to complete multivariate analysis on the Raman spectral data collected from the subchondral bone samples and compare the results to the protein expression analysis.

This will inform us about the chemical differences between the bones and confirm whether this is related to collagen changes, or not. This will support one publication and pave the way for future research into the development of osteoarthritis.

Interview date: Early February - TBC around exams
Start Date: Mid-February 2026
End Date: End August 2026
Working Pattern: Up to 25 hours per week
Duration: 16 weeks (with some flexibility over the vacation periods)
Location: Work from home, the campus library, or use the hot desk space in Health Innovation One.

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate:

• You must be a current student registered on BSc Sports and Exercise Science, MBChB Surgery, Medicine and Surgery with a Gateway Year and in Years 2-5 of study.
• Strong interest in undertaking research. Previous research experience is not essential as support will be provided, but a willingness to learn is essential.
• Basic Word and Excel proficiency.
• The ability to perform a basic search in search engines such as “PubMed”, “Google Scholar” and other health related databases.
• The ability to read and understand scientific articles and summarise them in a concise and simple manner.

Applicants should have good organisational skills, and academic experience in the following:

• Attending supervisory meetings
• Developing a plan of work
• Recording and presenting findings clearly

Please apply through ERS with:

1. A CV including your education history and any work experience (maximum of two full pages) and,
2. A cover letter that explains your interest in research, why you would like to be involved in this particular research internship, and how you meet the criteria outlined in the person specification.

For any informal information about this role please contact Dr Jemma Kerns - [email protected]