Funded PhD: Asthma management and adherence to medication in children in the UK

Project in brief

There is a real clinical need for new thinking in cases of childhood asthma, a condition that affects up to 1 in 11 children in the UK. Despite major investments in care a substantial morbidity persists mainly because of poor day-to-day control. This has led current expert opinion to suggest that the future for improving asthma care lies in a major shift towards a stratified, individualized approach to management. A key step to designing individualized approaches is to better define the sub-populations of children for whom there is a poor response to commonly used medications, including inhaled β2-agonists, and steroids. Currently, poor control is determined by a snapshot assessment through objective measurement in the clinic (e.g., clinical score, lung function), or by parent reported observations, which is often unreliable.

A unique collaboration with Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) Medicine/Global Health will employ medical anthropological techniques to explore individual problems in children such as inconsistent use of prescribed medication, or physically and emotionally unhealthy living conditions, to help develop novel insights that improve asthma control, beyond solely relying on cross-sectional in-clinic or carer-based diagnostics.

Key Facts

Location Moulsecoomb campus and BSMS, Brighton

Research centre Centre for Precision Health and Translational Medicine

Project themes Asthma, patient care, children, anthropology, Translational medicine

Deadline Thursday 29 February 2024 at 16.00 GMT

Interviews March 2024

Find out how to apply

Supervisors

Dr Ananth Pannala

Based at the University of Brighton, Dr Pannala's supervisory interests include drug delivery research group works in the development of new technologies to provide solutions to emerging global health priorities. In broad terms his research includes investigation and development of novel technologies for targeted drug delivery via various routes of drug administration.

Prof Shahaduz Zaman

Based at BSMS, Professor Zaman's supervisory research interests include hospital ethnography, socio-cultural aspects of communicable and non-communicable diseases, death dying and end of life, refugee health, role of art in heath interventions, health policy and health systems in low income countries and medical history.

Dr Victoria Hall

A socio-cultural and medical anthropologist based at BSMS, Dr Hall's supervisory interests extend across ethical and moral issues in health and practices of care and socio-political and socio-economic difficulties amongst migrant, refugee, and socially vulnerable groups.

Prof Somnath Mukhopadhyay

Based at BSMS, Professor Mukhopadhyay has supervisory research interests across children’s asthma, allergy and respiratory medicine, including precision medicine strategies for asthma and related diseases in children.

Entry requirements

Academic entry requirements

Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:1 undergraduate degree and desirably hold or expect to achieve excellent grades in a Master’s degree in a relevant subject from a UK university or comparable qualifications from another recognised university.

Applicants are also required to submit a CV and a 1250 word (max) statement outlining (a) a proposed project approach and (b) a personal experience and expertise summary (see our Guide to making your application below).

Residential eligibility

Applications from both Home and non-UK resident students can be accepted. Please note, non-UK residents can only undertake full-time study.

If successful, students must live in the UK and within reasonable access to the University.

English language entry requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English must have successfully completed a Secure English language Test (SELT) in the last two years. Applicants who are currently studying for a UK degree or who have obtained a UK degree in the last three years may apply without a SELT. However, the university may request a SELT is taken as part of any award made

English language IELTS requirements are minimum of 6.5 in each component.

If you have an English language qualification other than IELTS, please contact us to see if you are eligible to apply for a studentship

See UK Government guidance for full details.

Funding

Each studentship provides a tax-free stipend for living expenses at UKRI rates (£18,622 per year for full-time study in 2023-24) and covers tuition fees for the duration of the studentship (three years for full-time PhD study or six years for part-time (Home students only) study).

Contact us

For any questions or further information about the project, please contact the lead supervisor Dr Ananth Pannala (see profile for contact details).

If you have any questions about the funding or application process, please contact DoctoralCollege@brighton.ac.uk.

Guide to making your application

What to include in your application

Please complete all relevant fields on the application form and include the following:

Documents to be uploaded:

copies of your bachelors and master certificates, including transcripts (upload in Education section)
copy of your IELTS (or equivalent) certificate (if applicable) (upload in English Language section)
copy of your passport (upload in any section)

two written documents as follows:

We require two written documents: a two-part narrative text (1) and your CV (2). To complete this requirement, please adhere to the guidance on this page rather than the generic guidance on the application form. Please upload the following as two attachments rather than entering text in the box on the application form.

Your proposed project approach (a) and personal statement (b): in the Personal Statement section of the form, please upload a narrative (total 1250 words max) that has two components:
- (a) a description of how you intend to approach the project and key questions that will need to be addressed (500 words max);
- (b) a summary of your experience, personal attributes, current knowledge and research skills (750 words max)
Your CV: in the Research Proposal section of the form, please upload a two-page CV. Please also ensure you have completed the two fields requesting supervisor name and project title. You do not need to include a full research proposal; we require a project approach within the Personal Statement section as outlined above.

Two references:

One reference must be an academic reference from your most recent period of study; both references must have been dated within the last year. You can submit your references either by providing contact details of your referees or by uploading a scan of a formal signed reference.

How to start your online application

To start your application please follow these steps:

1. Click the 'apply online now' button, on the right.
2. Select 'register and start a new application', to create your user account.
3. Once you are logged in, select 'apply to a new course'.
4. Select the type of course 'research degree'.
5. Select mode of study 'full-time' (Home students shortlisted for interview will have the option of changing their preferred mode of study to 'part-time')
6. Select 'Doctoral College'
7. Select ‘Applied Sciences studentship’
8. Click 'apply'.

You will now be able to complete the online application form.

Apply Online Now