Safiyyah Mahmood

I applied to this internship as I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to understand better how a research team works, as research underpins evidence-based medicine. I have a profound interest in exploring neurodiversity and how it impacts patients, so applying to be an intern on Prof Lucy Bray’s neurodiversity project seemed fitting. My main role within the team was to collate a literature review for the project, providing the evidence needed to validate the need for the research project taking place. At the data-gathering session I attended, I noticed the fidget toys and props that had been utilised to help the participants feel more comfortable within the session, which highlighted how important understanding previous research is. The team understood how fidget toys and props were beneficial for individuals with neurodiversity based on previous research and applied it to this project for the best outcomes. I found that the conference at the end of the internship was an amazing opportunity to build the skill of formatting the data collected into an academic poster and familiarise myself with presenting to academics and researchers of various backgrounds and interests.