AICRIstart PhD programme provides unique collaboration opportunity
By Sophie Carlin
Tuesday, 12 August 2025
My name is Sophie Carlin, and I am a third year AICRIstart PhD student. AICRI or the (opens in a new window)All-Island Cancer Research Institute is a virtual institute that fosters cancer research collaboration between the north and south of Ireland. AICRI aims to improve the collaborative relationships between the north and south of Ireland and increase the outputs within various types of cancer research. From this, they developed (opens in a new window)AICRIstart, which funds 10 PhD students and 10 post-docs across the island of Ireland. Within the AICRIstart PhD programme, they fund 10 students for four years and provide them with the opportunity to attend a home institute for three years and an external host institute for one year.
For me, I have been provided with the amazing opportunity to complete three years at the Derry/Londonderry Campus, Ulster University with Dr Kyle Matchett and complete my external year at Systems Biology Ireland, UCD with Prof Jonathan Bond. My project focuses on the disease acute myeloid leukaemia which is an aggressive form of blood cancer associated with high mortality and relapse rates for both adults and children affected. My PhD project aims to identify novel epigenetic synergistic drug combinations in paediatric AML. Once identified, mechanistic studies will potentially help us understand the mechanism of actions of our novel combinations. Thanks to AICRI, I get the work with two established labs towards this project. I get the chance to learn new skills and techniques with the Bond Lab in UCD while continuing my training at Ulster University.
First outing with the Bond Group, 2024
I am so thankful for AICRI to have provided me with this opportunity to attend an external institute for the year. I was nervous to attend a different lab environment as I have worked with Kyle in Ulster University since my placement project back in 2021! However, I had nothing to worry about once I was introduced to everyone in the Bond Lab and also to everyone in SBI. Everyone has been so supportive and encouraging. I have had endless opportunities to engage with people with different areas of expertise that I wouldn’t have available back home. I have learned so much and have made some amazing connections and friends. I do not have enough thanks for the members of the Bond Lab who have helped and supported me through this year (and also show me all the best food spots on UCD campus). Attending UCD alone was a daunting thought due to the size of it. However, the Bond Lab members took me under their wing and now UCD feels like another home.
Another final thing I find so unique about the AICRIstart programme is how it allows all the AICRIstart PhD students and post-docs to get to know each other at a research level and also at a friendship level. AICRI always provide us with in-person and online events that 1) aid to helps us develop our skillset as scientists and b) engage with each other. This allows the PhD students to get advice from the post-docs on future career paths and also allows the PhD students to help and motivate each other during this journey. I have really made some amazing friends from the AICRI programme. At every ACIRI event we always make time to socialise with everyone from the students all the way to the organisers. AICRI has really created a wholesome environment that allows you to flourish as a researcher and connect with people along the way either at the same stage as you or introduce you to people that can help. One great example that shows this was the AICRIstart Innovation Award. It allowed all students to join as a team and develop any idea that they can poetically make a reality. For me, I had the fantastic opportunity to collaborate with Caoimbhe Burke, from Prof William Gallagher’s lab in the UCD Conway Institute, to work on an idea to help early career researchers incorporate PPI into their studies. Both Caoimbhe and I were over the moon to be awarded joint 1st place with another amazing team on our idea. AICRI were so supportive of everyone’s ideas that they awarded all groups to develop their innovation ideas into reality.
With past and present Matchett Lab members (2023)
On a final note, I am very honoured to be a member of the AICRIstart community. They have allowed me to meet some amazing people and make connections. AICRI have also allowed me to have the opportunity to work with a great supervisory team. Thanks to Kyle, Jonathan, Declan and Seodhna for believing in me and supporting me to become the researcher I am. Thanks to AICRI, I have met so many incredible researchers and people from both Ulster University and SBI that have been a delight to work with and get to know throughout my PhD project. Most importantly I have AICRI to thank for allowing me to work with two incredible teams of PhD students and post-docs, the Matchett Lab (Rachel, Evie, Áine, Seodhna and Ruairidh) and the Bond lab (Alanah, Tânia, Theodora, Ciardha, Luke, Claire, Cosmin, Peter, Inas, Krishn and also Amélie). I am sad that my external year at SBI is coming to an end, but I have made some amazing connections and friends that I am sure to be making some surprise visits.
AICRIstart first symposium, Galway 2022
About the author
Sophie Carlin is an AICRIstart PhD student studying acute myeloid leukaemia in the Bond Group at SBI and the (opens in a new window)Matchett Group at Ulster University. You can find her on X @sophie_carlin4 or (opens in a new window)LinkedIn.