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 31 January, 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 1^st February 2025. Interviews will be held on Friday 28 February 2025. 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

Investigating the effect of stress hormones in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia

Supervisors: Dr Emma Kennedy, Prof Andrea Pepper, Prof Melanie Flint

Application deadline: Friday 31 January, 2025

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.

Project details

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) is the most common leukaemia in the UK. It is not discriminatory and anyone can be affected. The majority of patients who are diagnosed with CLL are not treated immediately, but instead are actively monitored; treatment only starts once their disease shows signs of progression. This time of active monitoring is highly variable between different patients and has been coined the ‘watch and wait’ (W&W) approach. For many patients, this period of uncertainty carries an enormous emotional burden, due to living day-to-day with an ‘untreated’ malignancy. Therefore, despite having indolent and early-stage disease, quality if life (QOL) studies have shown W&W patients often score worse than later-stage patients in ‘active treatment’ (AT) in terms of depression and anxiety.

Stress is known to negatively influence treatment outcomes in solid tumours, yet little is known about its effect in CLL. This project is designed to study the role of stress hormones (SH) (i.e., glucocorticoids/catecholamines) in CLL disease progression and response to therapies. Aim 1 will investigate both ‘perceived stress’ (from patient reported questionnaires) and SH levels in patient saliva (acute stress) and blood (chronic stress) in both W&W and AT patients. Aim 2 will analyse the effects of culturing patient-derived CLL cells with SH, in the laboratory, and look at their effect on CLL cell proliferation (ability to multiply), survival and response to therapies. Aim 3 will explore associations between these parameters and disease progression, QOL and treatment responses.

We predict that stress is a contributor to CLL disease progression and/or treatment failure. The long-term aim of this study is to use the findings to encourage physicians treating patients with CLL to include more stress reducing therapies in their treatment strategies. Examples would include exercise, behaviour therapy and betablockers or glucocorticoid receptor blockers.

Research questions

Is there a relationship between perceived stress and stress hormone levels in CLL?

Do stress hormones contribute to disease progression and therapy resistance in CLL?

Research Environment

This project offers a unique opportunity to integrate into three highly collaborative teams with strong track records in their areas of research; the rapidly expanding blood cancer team at BSMS led by Professors Chris and Andrea Pepper supported by Dr Emma Kennedy (https://www.pepper.science), the University of Brighton stress and breast cancer program led by Professor Mel Flint (https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/persons/melanie-flint) and the Sussex Health Outcomes Research and Education in Cancer (SHORE-C; https://shore-c.sussex.ac.uk) where Dr Helena Harder is a senior researcher. The project offers a wide range of training opportunities and the student will be able to acquire essential skills from a variety of areas including cell biology, cell signalling, drug targeting, translational haemato-oncology, stress hormone ELISA assays and analysis of quality of life questionnaires. This should provide the successful candidate with a diverse set of skills and substantial experience to make them a highly competitive candidate for a postdoctoral research position, especially in the field of translational oncology.

Entry requirements

This studentship is suitable for those with a background in biological, cancer sciences or another relevant subject area. 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). An MSc and previous laboratory experience are desirable but not essential.

How to apply

Applicants must apply through the University’s application Portal (StudentView) where they can submit a CV and complete the application form. The deadline for applications is 31st January 2025. Interviews will be held in February 2025. Informal enquiries are welcome and should be submitted to Dr Emma Kennedy (E.M.Kennedy@BSMS.ac.uk).

Funding Notes

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Rethinking moral status in light of global health inequality

Supervisors: Dr Arianne Shahvisi, Dr Ulla McKnight, Dr Heba Youssef

Application deadline: Friday 31 January, 2025

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 under the supervision of philosopher Dr Arianne Shahvisi, sociologist Dr Ulla McKnight, and postcolonial scholar Dr Heba Youssef.

The concept of moral status in philosophy asserts that all human beings have equal inherent worth and deserve equal consideration. Our conceptions of health and wellbeing rely on the assumption that every individual's suffering should be weighted equally, and that access to healthcare and health resources should be distributed according only to need. This principle underpins many international declarations, health policies, and human rights frameworks. In reality, stark global health inequalities persist. Factors such as race and ethnicity, geographical location, socioeconomic status, and geopolitics continue to determine the quality and quantity of individuals' lives, as well as the degree to which their health needs are recognized and addressed. This disconnect between theory and practice reveals a troubling gap between our ethical principles and their practical application and demands a critical re-evaluation of how we conceptualize and apply moral status.

We propose a shift towards relational accounts of moral value, focusing on how social networks and power dynamics shape health outcomes. This approach offers fresh insights into:

How inequalities in health reflect broader social and economic disparities
Ways to foster social and political structures that promote global health justice

By bridging philosophy and social science, our findings will directly inform legal and political debates. We aim to influence regulatory and legislative developments, contributing to cross-national efforts in tackling health distribution and justice challenges.

Key Research Questions:

How does moral status currently influence health policies and outcomes?
What do emerging data reveal about the true extent of global health inequality?
Can relational theories of moral value offer a more effective framework for achieving health equity?

This project challenges us to rethink fundamental ethical concepts in light of real-world health disparities. By doing so, we can forge more effective strategies for achieving global health justice.

We are seeking a student with a serious interest in global health inequality who has a strong background in conceptual analysis and the ability to learn and apply other methodologies (critical realist review, systematic review, discourse analysis).

Research Environment

The student will work within the ethics team at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, which offers considerable expertise in philosophical bioethics and health justice, the sociology department at the University of Sussex, which has strengths in the study of health and inequality, and the Centre for Applied Philosophy, Politics and Ethics at the University of Brighton, which is noted for its anticolonial scholarship. The student will have access to the resources of all three.

All three supervisors have leadership roles within their departments in relation to equality and diversity, and will ensure that (a) the research culture they build is attentive to power, identity, and the broader social and political context, and (b) the study reaches beyond the Western canon and draws from a range of diverse epistemologies.

Entry requirements

This studentship is suitable for those with background in philosophy, bioethics, medical ethics, anthropology, sociology, development studies, or another relevant subject area. 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). A Masters level qualification in a relevant subject area is desirable but not essential.

How to apply

Applicants must apply through the University’s application Portal (StudentView) where they can submit a CV, provide a writing sample, and complete the application form. The deadline for applications is 31st January 2025. Interviews will be held in February 2025. Informal enquiries are welcome and should be submitted to Dr Arianne Shahvisi (a.shahvisi@bsms.ac.uk).

Funding Notes

This is a 3-year PhD studentship funded by Brighton and Sussex Medical, 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

Shahvisi, A., 2022. Toward an anticolonial feminist bioethics. In The Routledge Handbook of Feminist Bioethics (pp. 208-221). Routledge.
Milton, S. and McKnight, U., 2024. Crafting the unsayable: Making meaning out of racialised maternal health‐care encounters. Sociology of Health & Illness.
Shahvisi, A., 2019. Tropicality and abjection: What do we really mean by “Neglected Tropical Diseases”?. Developing world bioethics, 19(4), pp.224-234.
Shahvisi, A., 2020. Redistribution and moral consistency: arguments for granting automatic citizenship to refugees. Journal of Global Ethics, 16(2), pp.182-202.
van der Zaag, A.C. and McKnight, U., 2015. When Debility Provides a Future: Preventing Vertical Transmission of HIV. Feminist Review, 111(1).
Lane, S., Ayeb-Karlsson, S. and Shahvisi, A., 2021. Impacts of the Global Gag Rule on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the Global South: A scoping review. Global Public Health, 16(12), pp.1804-1819.
McKnight, U., 2022. Replacement feeding and the HIV Diaspora: a case of ontological multiplicity and fluid technologies. Sociology of Health & Illness, 44(1), pp.169-187.
Trueba, M.L., Bhutta, M.F. and Shahvisi, A., 2021. Instruments of health and harm: how the procurement of healthcare goods contributes to global health inequality. Journal of medical ethics, 47(6), pp.423-429.
McKnight, U., Farsides, B., Soni, S. and Will, C., 2024. Treating Mycoplasma genitalium (in pregnancy): a social and reproductive justice concern. Monash Bioethics Review, pp.1-16.
Shahvisi, A., 2020. Redistribution and moral consistency: arguments for granting automatic citizenship to refugees. Journal of Global Ethics, 16(2), pp.182-202.

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: Friday 31January, 2025

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 who have extensive expertise in gene expression measurement techniques (such as qPCR and RNA-Seq), data analysis, and statistics.

Robust experimental designs and analyses are essential for producing results that are reproducible and can be used for translational or personalised medicine. In applied clinical research, guidelines are comprehensive and statistical/analysis methods are well established1. These guidelines exist to ensure robust results can be obtained efficiently and ethically. In comparison, any guidelines for laboratory techniques tend to focus on technical aspects, rather than statistical design and analyses. Analyses are applied ad hoc, without pre-defined hypotheses or power calculations, and 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.

qPCR is a widely used technique for measuring gene expression in humans and animals. It is often applied in exploratory experiments with the aim of the results improving our understanding of how biological systems work, and identifying targets for medical interventions3,4. Due to its wide use, and lack of robust experimental designs, qPCR experiments often produce unreproducible results, and results are often presented poorly.

The overarching aim of this project is to improve design, analysis and presentation of qPCR, to ensure the results are reliable and reproducible. To achieve this, the specific aims of this PhD projects are:

Aim 1: To quantify the effect of guidelines for robust qPCR experiments by performing simulations, reanalyses of existing datasets, and performing representative experiments. The student will analyse new, existing and simulated data following the guidelines vs the original or less appropriate methods to see how the results and conclusions change. This aim will particularly focusing on type I (false positive) and type II (false negative) errors, and how these errors can lead to unreproducible results.

Aim 2: To assess the effect of outliers on qPCR experiments with varying numbers of technical and biological replicates using existing datasets, computer simulations and data from representative experiments. This aim addresses a typically unreported grey area in qPCR experiments: strategies for dealing with technical replicate outliers. Advice online is often statistically dubious (e.g., simply removing them). Inconsistent biological replicates are more likely to be addressed and documented but often using inappropriate methods (e.g., identified and removed based on statistical outlier tests). This aim seeks to quantify the extent to which decisions regarding outliers can affect results and conclusions.

Aim 3: To assess the effect of modelling approaches and outliers on sample size/power to produce further guidance for researchers designing qPCR experiments. This will use existing, simulated experiments, and representative experiments. Minimally Important Biological/Clinical effect sizes, the potential effects of errors/outliers, and modelling methods (e.g., adjustment for additional variables, mixed effects modelling to include both technical and biological replicates) will all be considered. This aim seeks to leverage sophisticated statistical techniques into increase the efficiency and power of qPCR data analysis approaches, compared to common simple techniques such as t-tests.

The aims will be achieved by analysing existing datasets provided by the supervisor and our collaborators, identified in online repositories, by performing “representative experiments” on real human tissue culture samples (aligned with ongoing work in the SFN/BPT labs), and by performing simulations. The student will develop novel computer simulations to model real-world and ideal experimental conditions using software such as Stata, R, or Python. The simulations will involve creating datasets representative of real populations and then drawing samples from these to simulate performing experiments.

The student will be based in the Primary Care and Public Health department (BSMS) alongside statisticians and health researchers. They will also spend time gaining hands-on experience in generating data using the relevant laboratory techniques in the Newbury (BSMS Medical Research Building) and Towler (University of Sussex Life Sciences) labs. The supervisory team have extensive experience in molecular techniques, statistics, and bioinformatics. The student will gain a strong understanding of statistical approaches across different research areas, with a particular focus on lab analyses.

Entry requirements

This studentship is suitable for those with a background in lab science or statistics. 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

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)