17th July 2024 – Nawal Mohamouod

The introductory week of my internship at TwinsUK comprised of a collection of seminars and meetings that enabled me to be introduced to every component of the department. Whether that be shadowing the clinic team or aiding the admin department, I was able to truly understand the inner workings of TwinsUK.

We began with scrutinising the importance of research ethics. As an intern, I appreciated the idea that we start with a topic that is so fundamental to research and participant protection. What I particularly enjoyed was acting as an ethics committee alongside the other interns and work experience students. We were given an assortment of project proposals and were asked to contemplate factors such as consent, risks and benefits to decide if we should approve, issue a caveat or reject the proposal.

Subsequently, we were invited to an operations meeting that outlined upcoming tasks between each department. It was at this moment where I was able to appreciate the diversity amongst the different roles within TwinsUK. Next, we were quickly introduced to the communications and engagement team, where I was shown the numerous platforms in which TwinsUK not only engages with participating twins but also the wider public. I was also given a brief preliminary outline on the context surrounding the project that I will be working on in the coming weeks.

Moreover, I was introduced to the clinical department of TwinsUK. I had the opportunity to shadow a clinic visit which involved collecting blood, stool and urine samples. Furthermore, a plethora of tests were carried out, which hoped to measure memory and active recall. The visit concluded with a lung capacity test as well as a bone density scan that imaged the participants’ hip and lumbar vertebrae which was then followed by a full body scan. This proved to be the highlight of my week as through building a connection with the twins I can truly recognise that TwinsUK believe that participants are more than just data.

Alternatively, the administrative side to the department was where I saw the inception of how studies are carried out. I was directed to ways in which TwinsUK recruit as well as how they maintain participant retention for their longitudinal projects. Also I was able to organise sample testing kits and information booklets to be sent postally in preparation for clinic visits.

Lastly, I was able to sit in a department seminar that hosted external speakers who presented their research topic. I was enlightened to see the scaling of information and complexities from my undergraduate degree.

To conclude, I thoroughly enjoyed my induction to TwinsUK and I’m excited to see the progression of the project throughout this placement.