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Pembroke Undergraduate Rhiannon White Receives Prize from the Rank Prize Funds for Summer Research Internship
NEWS |
This week we are celebrating the recent success of Pembroke undergraduate Rhiannon White, (BA Experimental Psychology, 2014). Rhiannon was awarded a prize from the Rank Prize Funds for her summer research project that was supported by both the Rank Prize Funds and the Rokos Awards.
The Rank Prize Funds covers the area of optoelectronics (the study and application of electronic devices and systems that source, detect and control light) and support a number of students in their penultimate year of undergraduate studies at UK universities which have a major commitment to teaching and research in optoelectronics, including vision and the eye. This scheme enables students to integrate in day-to-day activities of a research group or laboratory. The Rokos Awards are available to Pembroke students studying STEM subjects, and support those who wish to enhance their studies and scientific knowledge through research internships.
Rhiannon undertook her internship in the Perception Laboratory in the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford (20th June- 9th September, 2016). Her project report was titled ‘Improving Fixational Stability in Cases of Central Vision Loss’. She addressed the problem that ‘poor fixation stability is one of the primary challenges to high-resolution in vivo imaging of human retina in cases of central vision loss’ and the project ‘tested the hypothesis that careful design of fixation targets may improve fixation stability’.
The Rank Prize Funds Committee awarded her a monetary prize of £500 and remarked that the ‘standard of competition was very high’. She was presented with the award by Professor Donal Bradley, the Chairman of the Optoelectronics Advisory Committee and Trustee of the Prize Funds.
Rhiannon said, ‘receiving the Rank Prize Funds prize was a lovely surprise! I really enjoyed my time over the summer and learnt a lot about the process of carrying out a research project. It was a great opportunity to work with patients, and I am definitely interested in pursuing similar research projects in the future.’
Congratulations, Rhiannon! Read her full report here.