Welcome to the Ageing and Movement Research Group (AMRG). We are really delighted that you are considering working on a project with us. We are a multidisciplinary team of researchers broadly study disease and conditions associated with ageing. The majority of our studies focus on Parkinson’s disease looking specifically at falls, frailty and dysautonomia. We also have a workstream that seeks to innovate undergraduate teaching and learning in geriatric medicine. We use different research methods including randomised controlled trials and cross sectional studies.

If you choose to your Student Choice placement with us. During the 6 weeks, you will be introduced to research within the field of Ageing and the practice of Geriatric Medicine and/or Parkinson’s Disease.

The placement with us will allow you to work independently, with structured weekly focus and contact hours which will guide you through the project. This approach will mean that you can draw on the expertise of clinicians and researchers all of whom have published papers and abstracts and are committed to supporting you in your project.   

The typical outline for the 6 weeks will be as below. This will be supplemented with relevant teaching on randomised controlled trials, evidence based medicine, NICE guidelines, etc. according to interest and relevance to the projects chosen.

Week 1:

• Introduction to the Ageing and Movement Disorders Research Group
• Introduction to your project (aims, expectations and what you wish to learn)
• Project Planning – Why, how and who cares
• How to undertake a literature search
• Deliverables: Project Plan incl. timeline and search strategy

Week 2:

• Organising the results
• How to write a paper (sections, strategies, style, formats, referencing)
• Critical thinking – or ‘how to reach those top marks’
• Literature search and review (doing the work)
• Deliverables:
  • Outline of report completed
  • Methods section completed

Week 3:

• Team meeting: check up on progress
• How to ‘Analysis and Results’
• Continue literature review
• Deliverables: Introduction for report

Week 4:

• Team meeting: check up on progress
• Summarising literature search
• Deliverables: Results for report

Week 5:

• Team meeting: progress and peer review discussion
• Mid-week deliverable: discussion and conclusion
• Peer review

Week 6:

• Team meeting: responding to peer review
• Finalise the report
• Submit report.