Tag: Patient & Public Involvement

My Imperial Global Development Fellows Fund Placement at Imperial

By Menka

Imperial Global Development Fellow 2025, PhD Research Scholar, Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research – MAX-MIME, New Delhi, India

About me

I am currently pursuing a PhD focused on determining the association between periodontal disease and Type 2 Diabetes among the urban slum population of New Delhi. My research aims to assess the effectiveness of a behaviour change intervention, based on the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation for behaviour change (COM-B) model, to improve both periodontal health and glycaemic control in underserved communities.

How did I come to be at the NIHR Imperial Patient Experience Research Centre (PERC)?

With agreement from Professor Sophie Day to act as mentor, I was able to apply to and win generous support from the Imperial Global Development Fellows Fund to complete a short-term research placement at the NIHR Imperial Patient Experience Research Centre (PERC), School of Public Health, Imperial College London from January to March 2025.

“I sound like Darth Vader and I cough up fur balls” How people living with Airway Stenosis have informed my research career so far.

In conversation with: Dr Gemma Clunie, Senior Clinical Academic Speech and Language Therapist working within: Sackler MSK Lab, Surgery & Cancer  and PERC Fellow (2024)

What is your research project about and what stage are you at?

Airway stenosis (AS) is a narrowing of the windpipe between throat and lungs. People with AS experience a range of distressing symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheeziness, a hoarse voice and swallowing difficulties. Many patients have complicated surgery to widen their throat and improve their breathing. The picture included below shows one of my PhD research participants immediately after this surgery.

Developing an implant to prevent breast cancer-related lymphoedema

In conversation with: James E Moore Jr., Principal Investigator; Alain Vella, Research Engineer; and Arushri Swarup, Research Associate, from the Moore Research Group in the Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London

What is your research project about and what stage are you at?

We have developed an implant to prevent the onset of breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL). BCRL is an under-represented condition that can occur following lymph node removal for the treatment of breast cancer. When lymph nodes are removed, lymphatic vessels (small vessels that transport fluid out of tissues) are damaged. In approximately 20% of patients this can lead to fluid build-up resulting in a swollen, heavy arm negatively impacting patients’ physical and mental health.