MPBE Summer Studentship: Multispectral imaging of skin reaction in radiotherapy

Student: Charlotte Wei
Degree: MEng Biomedical Engineering
Project Title: Multispectral imaging of skin reaction in radiotherapy
Supervisor: Professor Adam Gibson

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Project and My Role

I chose to participate in the project titled ‘Multispectral Imaging of Skin Reaction in Radiotherapy‘ due to my profound interest in the medical and physiological aspects of biomedical engineering. Additionally, this project perfectly aligned with my enthusiasm for medical imaging. The project aimed to explore the potential of multispectral imaging in predicting and monitoring local adverse skin reactions following radiotherapy. In this endeavour, my role primarily entailed building upon the foundations of a successful undergraduate project, conducting extensive literature reviews, and optimizing experimental methods. My goal was to enhance the existing experiment to yield superior results while exploring various image processing and analysis techniques.

Independent Work and Supervisor Support

While I mainly worked independently, I enjoyed the consistent support and invaluable guidance of my supervisor. Our weekly one-on-one meetings provided a platform to discuss research progress, study outcomes, encountered challenges, and the strategic steps forward. Moreover, all the lab work was guided by the supervisor. The eight-week duration of this project allowed me to fully immerse myself in its intricacies. Furthermore, it provided me with the opportunity to develop experimental methods based on comprehensive literature reviews and engage in hands-on laboratory work. This aspect of the project was profoundly fulfilling.

Benefits and Key Learnings

This experience has been exceptionally beneficial to my academic growth. Despite having previously completed an A* EPQ project, my prior endeavours primarily revolved around literature reviews with limited exposure to hands-on experimentation and raw data analysis. Engaging in this project offered me invaluable insights into the workings of undergraduate projects and the approach to academic research within a university context. It has significantly bolstered my confidence and readiness for my upcoming third-year undergraduate project.

During the project, my understanding of what constitutes a successful research project evolved significantly. Initially, my focus was on quickly obtaining definitive results. I now understand that the true essence of success in academic projects lies in more than just conclusions. Completing a project, I learned, is a complex and lengthy undertaking that can span years, involving meticulous and often unexpected twists. It is normal to not find an answer, but each endeavour contributes to the larger body of knowledge. Even proposing novel research directions or methodologies that give clearer results can be regarded as a significant achievement. This change in perspective has proven to be an invaluable lesson, one that will undoubtedly shape my approach to future academic and professional pursuits.