BSMS > Postgraduate > Research degrees > PhD opportunities

PhD opportunities

All our current PhD studentship opportunities are listed on this page.

In order to apply, please visit the University of Brighton website by clicking the “Apply Now” link below, and select “Doctoral College” as the School. You should then select the project that you wish to apply for.

Apply for your PHD here >

We are also happy to consider applications from self-funded individuals, and for personally developed projects, we recommend an approach to a lead supervisor, following which you will have help and support with your application.

For self-funded and speculative applications, we require that you submit a research proposal alongside your application. Within this you should take the opportunity to clearly outline your research idea; your research methodology and critical approaches; experience; and original contribution to knowledge and key themes, concepts and ideas. See our guidance on writing a research proposal >

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Evaluating value-for-money of policy interventions to strengthen health system resilience to extreme weather events in South Africa

Supervisors: Dr Saeideh Babashahi, Dr Collins Iwuji, Prof D Kniveton

Application deadline: Friday 28 February 2025

Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

About the Project

Applications are invited for a 3-year funded PhD studentship at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. This PhD will be nested within the ASTRA project, an NIHR-funded project led by BSMS investigating health system and community resilience to extreme weather events amongst people living with HIV (PLHIV) and or tuberculosis in South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique.

Project details

Climate change is now a top global priority with the WHO stating that it is the biggest health threat facing humanity. Climate change is projected to further increase the number and severity of heat waves, floods and droughts, causing disproportionate increases in injury, illness and death in vulnerable populations already burdened with wide-ranging health conditions. Future health risks will be determined not just by the hazards created by a changing climate, but also by the (in)ability of healthcare services to meet the needs of different population groups. While much is understood about the direct impact of extreme weather events (EWEs) on ill-health, less is known about indirect routes, such as population displacements and damage to infrastructure which could equally impact the health of vulnerable populations (e.g. HIV/TB) through interrupting access to or hindering health service provision.

ASTRA is an NIHR-funded research project that aims to engage and involve stakeholders, including the community, to co-design and deliver research that proposes, prioritises and evaluates interventions to strengthen community and health system resilience to EWEs to reduce negative impacts on people living with HIV and/or tuberculosis in Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia.

The PhD will be nested within ASTRA and aims to estimate the costs of proposed interventions to strengthen health system resilience to the impacts of climate change versus the costs of inaction (baseline scenario) in South Africa using economic evaluation methods and systems dynamic modelling as well as the effectiveness of the proposed interventions using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) as part of the larger research project of ASTRA.

Research Environment

The ASTRA project is led by the University of Sussex (UOS) with collaborators from South Africa [the Africa Health Research Institute, (AHRI), KwaZulu-Natal), Zambia (Zambart, Lusaka) and Mozambique (Aurum Institute).

AHRI is an independent non-profit research institution supported with core funding from the Wellcome Trust for over 20 years. AHRI’s strategic scientific focus areas include HIV, tuberculosis, neglected and emerging infections, adolescent mental health, non-communicable diseases and climate change and health. UOS and AHRI have an established research collaboration since 2017 fostered by Prof Iwuji. The student will be provided with a workspace at AHRI and Brighton and Sussex Medical School. At AHRI, the student will become part of a network of PhD students and will have access to seminars and training courses when at AHRI.

The primary supervisor, Dr Babashahi, is based full-time at UOS but leads another climate and health research at AHRI that is estimating economic impacts (e.g. productivity losses) following EWEs. She is a health economist and an expert on the MCDA approach that will be used by the student.

The secondary supervisor, Professor Collins Iwuji, is the principal investigator of ASTRA, and although employed by University of Sussex, splits his time between AHRI and University of Sussex. He is an expert on how climate change impacts HIV. He will provide insight into service provision for HIV care during EWEs. It is envisaged that the student will spend about 18 months at AHRI during the PhD.

The tertiary supervisor, Prof Dominic Kniveton, is based full time at University of Sussex. Dom is a climate and systems modeller who is a member of the Lancet Countdown: Tracking the connections between public health and climate change. He has been lead and co-supervisor for 17 PhD students.

Although the student will spend part of their time at AHRI, they would have the opportunity to interact with the multidisciplinary team collaborating on this multi-country projects, through both face-to-face and online meetings.

Entry requirements

This studentship is suitable for those with background in Economics, Climate Science, and other relevant background in Social Sciences. We invite applications from students who have received or are on target to achieve a relevant undergraduate degree with minimum 2:1 classification (or equivalent). Proficient mixed-method analysis background and experience in coordinating multi-stakeholder workshops are desirable but not essential.

How to apply

Applicants must apply through the University of Brighton application Portal (StudentView) where they can submit a CV and complete the application form. The deadline for applications is 28 February 2025. Interviews will be held on TBC. Informal enquiries are welcome and should be submitted to Dr Saeideh Babashahi (S.Babashahi@bsms.ac.uk) and Prof Collins Iwuji (C.Iwuji@bsms.ac.uk).

Funding Notes

This is a 3-year PhD studentship funded by Brighton and Sussex Medical funded, starting on 1^st October 2025. Funding will cover tuition fees for UK students (at the Home rate), a stipend at the UKRI rate and a research allowance which will cover research running costs. International applicants are welcome to apply but will be required to cover the difference between Home and International fees.

References

1. Trickey A, Johnson LF, Fung F, Bonifacio R, Iwuji C, Biraro S, Bosomprah S, Chirimuta L, Euvrard J, Fatti G, Fox MP, Von Groote P, Gumulira J, Howard G, Jennings L, Kiragga A, Muula G, Tanser F, Wagener T, Low A, Vickerman P. Associations of inter-annual rainfall decreases with subsequent HIV outcomes for persons with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in Southern Africa: a collaborative analysis of cohort studies. BMC Infect Dis. 2023 Dec 19;23(1):889. doi: 10.1186/s12879-023-08902-9.

2. Collins Iwuji, Kathy Baisley, Molulaqhooa Linda Maoyi, Kingsley Orievulu, Lusanda Mazibuko, Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson, H. Manisha Yapa, Willem Hanekom, Kobus Herbst, Dominic Kniveton. The impact of drought on HIV care in South Africa: an interrupted time series analysis. EcoHealth 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-023-01647-6

3. Orievulu KS, Ayeb-Karlsson S, Ngema S, Baisley K, Tanser F, Ngwenya N, Seeley J, Hanekom W, Herbst K, Kniveton D, Iwuji CC. Exploring linkages between drought and HIV treatment adherence in Africa: a systematic review. Lancet Planet Health. 2022 Apr;6(4):e359-e370. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00016-X.

4. Kingsley Orievulu, Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson, Nothando Ngwenya, Sthembile Ngema, Hayley McGregor, Oluwafemi Adeagbo, Mark J. Siedner, Willem Hanekom, Dominic Kniveton, Janet Seeley, Collins Iwuji. Economic, social and demographic impacts of drought on treatment adherence among people living with HIV in rural South Africa: A qualitative analysis. Climate Risk Management. 2022 Feb; Volume 36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2022.100423.

5. Orievulu KS, Iwuji CC. Institutional Responses to Drought in a High HIV Prevalence Setting in Rural South Africa. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Dec 31;19(1):434. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010434.

6. Babashahi S, Carey N, Edwards J, et al. (2024). Comparative cost-effectiveness analysis of non-medical prescribing by dietitians and therapeutic radiographers in England: a decision tree model. European Journal of Health Economics, Upcoming.

7. Babashahi S, Hansen P, Peeters R. (2022). External validity of multi-criteria preference data obtained from non-random sampling: measuring cohesiveness within and between groups. Ann Oper Res. 10.1007/S10479-022-05026-2

8. Babashahi S, Hansen P, Sullivan T. (2021). Creating a priority list of non-communicable diseases to support health research funding decision-making, Health Policy, 125(2), 221-8. 10.1016/J.HEALTHPOL.2020.12.003

9. Romanello M, Di Napoli C, Drummond P, Green C, Kennard H, Lampard P, Scamman D, Arnell N, Ayeb-Karlsson S, Ford LB, Belesova K, Bowen K, Cai W, Callaghan M, Campbell-Lendrum D, Chambers J, van Daalen KR, Dalin C, Dasandi N, Dasgupta S, Davies M, Dominguez-Salas P, Dubrow R, Ebi KL, Eckelman M, Ekins P, Escobar LE, Georgeson L, Graham H, Gunther SH, Hamilton I, Hang Y, Hänninen R, Hartinger S, He K, Hess JJ, Hsu SC, Jankin S, Jamart L, Jay O, Kelman I, Kiesewetter G, Kinney P, Kjellstrom T, Kniveton D, Lee JKW, Lemke B, Liu Y, Liu Z, Lott M, Batista ML, Lowe R, MacGuire F, Sewe MO, Martinez-Urtaza J, Maslin M, McAllister L, McGushin A, McMichael C, Mi Z, Milner J, Minor K, Minx JC, Mohajeri N, Moradi- Lakeh M, Morrissey K, Munzert S, Murray KA, Neville T, Nilsson M, Obradovich N, O'Hare MB, Oreszczyn T, Otto M, Owfi F, Pearman O, Rabbaniha M, Robinson EJZ, Rocklöv J, Salas RN, Semenza JC, Sherman JD, Shi L, Shumake-Guillemot J, Silbert G, Sofiev M, Springmann M, Stowell J, Tabatabaei M, Taylor J, Triñanes J, Wagner F, Wilkinson P, Winning M, Yglesias- González M, Zhang S, Gong P, Montgomery H, Costello A, (2022). The 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: health at the mercy of fossil fuels.The Lancet, 400(10363), pp.1619-1654.

10. Romanello M, Di Napoli C, Drummond P, Green C, Kennard H, Lampard P, Scamman D, Arnell N, Ayeb-Karlsson S, Ford LB, Belesova K, Bowen K, Cai W, Callaghan M, Campbell-Lendrum D, Chambers J, van Daalen KR, Dalin C, Dasandi N, Dasgupta S, Davies M, Dominguez-Salas P, Dubrow R, Ebi KL, Eckelman M, Ekins P, Escobar LE, Georgeson L, Graham H, Gunther SH, Hamilton I, Hang Y, Hänninen R, Hartinger S, He K, Hess JJ, Hsu SC, Jankin S, Jamart L, Jay O, Kelman I, Kiesewetter G, Kinney P, Kjellstrom T, Kniveton D, Lee JKW, Lemke B, Liu Y, Liu Z, Lott M, Batista ML, Lowe R, MacGuire F, Sewe MO, Martinez-Urtaza J, Maslin M, McAllister L, McGushin A, McMichael C, Mi Z, Milner J, Minor K, Minx JC, Mohajeri N, Moradi- Lakeh M, Morrissey K, Munzert S, Murray KA, Neville T, Nilsson M, Obradovich N, O'Hare MB, Oreszczyn T, Otto M, Owfi F, Pearman O, Rabbaniha M, Robinson EJZ, Rocklöv J, Salas RN, Semenza JC, Sherman JD, Shi L, Shumake-Guillemot J, Silbert G, Sofiev M, Springmann M, Stowell J, Tabatabaei M, Taylor J, Triñanes J, Wagner F, Wilkinson P, Winning M, Yglesias- González M, Zhang S, Gong P, Montgomery H, Costello A, (2023). 2023. The 2023 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: the imperative for a health-centred response in a world facing irreversible harms. The Lancet, 402(10419), pp.2346-239

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Utilising statistical principles to improve design and analysis of laboratory experiments

Supervisors: Dr C I Jones, Prof S Newbury, Dr Ben Towler

Application deadline: Monday 17 March

Competition Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

About the Project

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated PhD student to join our team at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. The candidate will work closely with researchers with extensive expertise in genetics, molecular and developmental biology, gene expression measurement techniques, data analysis, and statistics (1-4).

Gene expression measurement/comparison techniques such as quantitative PCR (qPCR) and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) are widely used in studies involving cancer tumour profiling, biomarker identification, drug response prediction, immune cell profiling, and stem cell regeneration. Robust experimental designs and analyses are essential for generating results that are reproducible and can be used for translational or personalised medicine, and have the potential to be developed into interventions for use clinical trials. Gene expression data from patient material can be very variable, due to variations in sample collection/preparation, and genetic variation between patients. Moreover, methodologies such as long read (Nanopore) and short read (Illumina) sequencing can have their own biases due to particular chemistries involved. Therefore, the statistical and experimental design of such experiments needs to be robust to ensure results are reproducible and reflect the true underlying cellular basis of the disease/mechanism being studied. Unfortunately, many studies do not pre-define hypotheses or consider sample size/power, and are analysed with an oversimplified focus on “statistical significance”. This leads to biased results and directly contributes to the replication crisis, where the published results of many studies are unreproducible (5).

This project will, in collaboration with the NIHR Statistics Laboratory Studies group, contribute to work currently being conducted to improve design, analysis and presentation of gene expression experiments, including analysing the effect of robust experimental designs for qPCR, RNA-seq and other high-throughput methods for specific clinical/molecular biology research questions. The project will involve performing qPCR and short/long read RNA-seq experiments in the lab using state-of-the-art equipment (Illumina NextSeq and Nanopore PromethION 2 solo), statistical modelling/simulations, and bioinformatic analyses. The student will develop novel computer simulations to model real-world and ideal experimental conditions using Stata, R, or Python. The simulations will involve creating datasets representative of real populations and then drawing samples from these to simulate performing experiments with differing designs. The research carried out will be of fundamental importance in the increasing use of genomics and personalised medicine for the prognosis and diagnosis of human diseases, including cancer.

Aim 1: To perform robustly designed and powered experiments (qPCR/RNA-seq, aligned with ongoing work in the SFN/BPT labs) and use this data to quantify the effect of guidelines for robust qPCR experimental analysis by comparing different methods. Existing and simulated datasets will be used to quantify the effect of robust guidelines vs less appropriate methods to see how results and conclusions change, and how this affects published results and their reproducibility.

Aim 2: To quantify the effect of outliers and replicates in gene expression experiments (qPCR, short/long read RNA-seq). Experimental designs involve varied numbers of technical and biological replicates and varying methods are used to deal with outliers. Using new data, existing datasets, and simulations, this aim will consider how these methods affect conclusions and reproducibility, and determine the most robust approaches for each technique.

Aim 3: To assess the effect of modelling approaches and outliers on sample size/power to produce further guidance for researchers designing qPCR and RNA-seq experiments, to ensure conclusions on fundamental biological processes that are relevant to human disease. Different modelling methods (e.g., including adjustment for additional variables, mixed effects modelling etc.) will be considered. This aim seeks to leverage sophisticated statistical techniques to increase the efficiency and power of gene expression data analysis approaches, compared to commonly used simplistic techniques.

The student will be based in the BSMS Primary Care and Public Health department alongside interdisciplinary statisticians and health researchers, and gain hands-on experience in generating data using the relevant laboratory techniques in the Newbury/Towler labs. They will join the Sussex RNA group and Sussex Cancer Research Centre and collaborate with the NIHR Laboratory Studies group. The supervisory team have extensive experience in molecular techniques, statistics, and bioinformatics and work closely with clinical academics studying the genetic basis of cancers such as myeloma and glioma. The student will develop a strong understanding of statistical approaches across different research areas, with a unique understanding of biological/patient sample preparation and laboratory techniques.

Entry requirements

This studentship is suitable for those with a background in lab science or statistics (experience is not required in both). We invite applications from students who have received or are on target to achieve a relevant undergraduate degree with minimum 2:1 classification (or equivalent). Previous laboratory or statistical experience is desirable but not essential.

How to apply

Applicants must apply through the University of Brighton application Portal (StudentView) where they can submit a CV and complete the application form. The deadline for applications is 17th March 2025. Interviews will be held on 15th and 16th April 2025.

Informal enquiries are welcome and should be submitted to Dr Chris Jones: c.i.jones@bsms.ac.uk.

Funding Notes

This is a 3-year PhD studentship funded by Brighton and Sussex Medical funded, starting on 1st October 2025. Funding will cover tuition fees for UK students (at the Home rate), a stipend at the UKRI rate and a research allowance which will cover research running costs. International applicants are welcome to apply but will be required to cover the difference between Home and International fees.

References

1. Ioannidis, JPA (2005) Why Most Published Research Findings Are False. PLoS Medicine 2:e124. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0020124

2. Moher D, Hopewell S, Schulz KF, Montori V, Gøtzsche PC, Devereaux PJ, Elbourne D, Egger M, Altman DG. (2010) CONSORT 2010 Explanation and Elaboration: updated guidelines for reporting parallel group randomised trials British Medical Journal 340:c869 https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c869

3. Jones CI, Zabolotskaya MV, King AJ, Stewart HJS, Horne GA, Chevassut TJ and Newbury SF (2012) Identification of circulating microRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers for use in multiple myeloma. British Journal of Cancer, 107 (12). pp. 1987-1996. https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2012.525

4. Jones CI, Pashler AL, Towler BP, Robinson SR and Newbury SF (2016) RNA-seq reveals post-transcriptional regulation of Drosophila insulin-like peptide dilp8 and the neuropeptide-like precursor Nplp2 by the exoribonuclease Pacman/XRN1. Nucleic Acids Research, 44 (1). pp. 267-280. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkv1336

PhD studentships now recruited

Coping Strategy Enhancement - adapting the intervention for the treatment of hallucinations in the context of dementia
Developing a co-designed brief, low cost and scalable intervention for student carer mental health and wellbeing
Optimising infection prevention and control in healthcare settings through applied genomics and prediction
Determining the role of long non-coding RNA in the pathogenisis of high-risk gain(1q) positive, multiple myeloma
Detection and characterisation of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM)
Development of a new treatment for osteoarthritis
Substance use in relation to the mental and sexual heath of vulnerable adolescents and young adults under 25 in coastal areas of Kent and Sussex
The mental health and wellbeing needs of looked after and displaced children in southeast England
Helping young people to live successfully with long-term health issues
Resourcing Resilience: Positive psychology among adolescents living with HIV
Widening access to psychological interventions for diverse communities: exploring the potential of community-led interventions
Co-producing stigma-proof mental health interventions with and for newcomers (asylum seekers, refugees and migrants) in southeast England
Defining Mycobacterium tuberculosis in lung tissue – a novel discovery platform for new vaccine and drug targets
Epidemiology of cancer in the elderly (aged > 65 years) in England
The roles of oxidative stress and redox regulation in chronic inflammatory disease (Supervisors: Dr Lisa Mullen, Prof Pietro Ghezzi, Prof Kevin Davies)
Pillars of Expertise: Visual Perception & Memory (Supervisors: Dr Natasha Sigala, Prof Mara Cercignani
Investigating the genetic basis of osteosarcoma in children & dogs (Supervisors: Prof Sarah Newbury, Dr Peter Bush, Dr Chris Jones)
The embodiment of unconscious knowledge in maladaptive behaviour (Supervisors: Prof Hugo Critchley, Dr Sarah Garfinkel, Prof Dora Duka)
Can simulation clarify diagnostic skills for newly qualified doctors? (Supervisors: Dr Inam Haq, Dr Wesley Scott-Smith)
Impact of oxytocin on emotional regulation in binge drinking and alcoholism: behavioural, physiological and fMRI investigations (Supervisors: Prof Hugo Critchley, Prof Dora Duka)
Developing an algorithm for predicting children with severe asthma (Supervisors: Prof Somnath Mukhopadhyay, Dr Katy Fidler)
Development of a refined model of neuropathic pain: a model without frank nerve injury (Supervisors: Dr Andrew Dilley, Prof Pietro Ghezzi)
Role of secreted oxidoreductases in osteoarthritis, rheumathoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (Supervisors: Prof Pietro Ghezzi, Dr Manuela Mengozzi)
Measuring quality of life in severe dementia: validation of DEMQOL-Proxy in family and professional carers of people with severe dementia (Prof Sube Banerjee, Prof Naji Tabet)
Stigma in health care: Does it influence the way general practitioners record consultations? (Supervisors: Dr Elizabeth Ford, Prof Helen Smith, Prof Flis Henwood)
Interoception and preventative intervention for anxiety in adults with autism (supervisors: Dr Sarah Garfinkel, Prof Hugo Critchley)