Students from the University of Exeter Medical School have launched a new health research journal alongside peers from Bristol, Cardiff and Plymouth.
The ‘INSPIRE Student Health Sciences Research Journal’ features original research by students undertaken in world class facilities. The journal is produced by a team of student editors from the four universities and is part of the national INSPIRE scheme, which is funded by the Wellcome Trust. The scheme aims to encourage student doctors, dentists and vets to consider a career in research and providing a platform for the results of student medical research is an important element of a collaborative project under the INSPIRE programme.
The journal will also help medical students gain direct experience of academic peer review alongside developing professional skills. Amy Hough, a Year 4 Medicine student and one of seven senior editors, said:
“It has been a steep and challenging learning curve in getting this journal to publication, but I think the finished product is a remarkable taste of the huge variety of high quality student research going on in the South West. A huge amount of work by countless people has gone into the journal and I feel privileged to be a part of it, and to share it with our readers.”
Tamsin Ford, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry, University of Exeter, said: “INSPIRE has provided a unique platform from which we have successfully encouraged students to get involved in research; we are extremely grateful to the Wellcome Trust and Academy of Medical Sciences for supporting the students and us with this scheme.”
The first issue of the journal is already available online and includes reports on tackling the high numbers of maternal deaths in India, tooth donation and the future of dentistry and development of a laboratory cell culture system for studying the kidney disease cystinuria.
The student-led journal is just one of many local and regional efforts between this partnership of South West universities.
