pregnancy PhD Projects, Programs & Scholarships

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Research Group. Centre for Mind and Behaviour https://aru.ac.uk/science-and-engineering/research/institutes-and-groups/aru-centre-for-mind-and-behaviour.

Prevention of Gestational Diabetes in Obese Pregnant Women; Targeting Early Pregnancy Intervention to Women at Risk

King’s College London
Department of Women's Health

Dr S White, Dr A Flynn

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Obesity in pregnancy increases the risk of gestational diabetes (GDM) and associated adverse outcomes. NICE guidelines recommend that all obese women have an oral glucose tolerance test at 24-28 weeks' gestation for detection of GDM.

Law enforcement and dispute resolution following pregnancy and maternity discrimination at work in the UK: experiences of pregnant workers and new mothers

University of Reading
School of Law

Prof G James

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

It is estimated that 77% of working mothers in the UK have a negative or possibly discriminatory experience during pregnancy, maternity or when returning to work and that annually as many as 54,000 mothers feel forced to leave their jobs as a result of such behaviour (EHRC/BIS, 2016).

Dietary sugars / sweeteners during pregnancy and their impact on long term metabolic and reproductive health

University College Dublin
School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science

Dr C Reynolds

Application Deadline: 10 July 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

There is significant evidence that an unhealthy diet greatly increases the risk of complications during pregnancy and predisposes offspring to metabolic dysfunction and obesity.

Building the human endometrium in vitro: The role of macrophages in receptive and decidual endometrium to optimise reproductive health

The University of Manchester
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Dr E Mann, Dr Peter Ruane, Prof J Aplin, Dr L Mohiyiddeen

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

The human endometrium is a highly dynamic tissue that rapidly generates over ~20 days and differentiates to form a uterus lining receptive to embryo implantation, further transforming into decidua to support embryonic development, or breaking down before regenerating a few days later.

Investigating the mechanisms contributing to placental dysfunction in pregnancies complicated by diabetes: role of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway

The University of Manchester
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Prof M Westwood, Prof J Aplin, Dr J Myers

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Maternal diabetes is a major risk factor for fetal overgrowth, which is associated with poor outcomes including stillbirth, neonatal morbidity and increased risk of diabetes in adulthood.

Health Opportunity for Patient Empowerment in Gestational Diabetes (HOPE-GDM)

University of Bradford
Faculty of Life Sciences

Research Group: Chemistry and Biosciences

Prof A M Graham, Prof R Qahwaji, Prof A Locke

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Gestational Diabetes is a temporary condition diagnosed at 24-28 weeks gestation, where the body is unable to maintain normal blood glucose levels due to insulin resistance during pregnancy.

In vivo 3D imaging and computational engineering to study life influences on bone quality in children and tweenagers

University of Southampton
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Research Group: Bioengineering

Dr P Schneider

Application Deadline: 31 August 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

Supervisor. Philipp Schneider. Co-supervisor Nicholas Harvey, Kate Ward, Cyrus Cooper. Project description.

Understanding the impact of placental aging on placental function

The University of Manchester
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Dr A Heazell, Dr M Dilworth, Dr M Desforges

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Prolonged pregnancy (>41 weeks gestation) is associated with an increase in perinatal mortality (the death of a baby before or shortly after birth) from a nadir of 1 per 1,000 births at 39 weeks’ to 3 per 1,000 births at 41 weeks which continues to rise beyond this time.

Precision Medicine DTP: Data-driven personalised care for Gestational Diabetes

University of Edinburgh
College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

Research Group: Centre for Cardiovascular Science

Prof R Reynolds, Dr D Wake, Dr A Manataki, Dr R Lindsay

Application Deadline: 1 June 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

16% of women in the UK develop high levels of sugar in their blood during pregnancy (gestational diabetes (GDM)) and rates are increasing due to rising obesity levels among women.

3D image based modelling of drug transfer through placental nanopores

University of Southampton
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Dr B Sengers

Application Deadline: 31 August 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

Supervisor. Bram Sengers. Co-supervisor Rohan Lewis (Medicine). Project description. How pharmaceuticals and environmental toxins cross the placenta is not clear in many cases and this has a direct impact on drug safety in pregnancy and any medical advice given by doctors.

PhD Studentship on Complex Networks

Queen Mary University of London
School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science

Dr R Clegg

Application Deadline: 15 July 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Applications are invited for a full PhD Studentship starting in September 2020 to undertake research in the area of Complex Networks.

Long-acting drug delivery from intravaginal rings for treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

Queen’s University Belfast
School of Pharmacy

Prof K Malcolm, Dr P Boyd

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

Building on our world-renowned expertise in vaginal drug delivery, the aim of this project is to develop a long-acting vaginal ring device for treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Characterizing the heterogeneity of stem cells in the normal breast and breast tumours

The University of Manchester
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Dr A Ucar, Prof K R Brennan

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Tissue-restricted stem cells are crucial in supporting the development and maintenance of normal tissues. This is also true for tumours, as only a small population of tumour cells, which are known as cancer stem cells, have the unique stemness features and tumour-initiating capacity.

Epigenetic mechanisms of behavioural, placental and cognitive impairment in a neurodevelopmental model for schizophrenia

The University of Manchester
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Dr R Hager, Prof J Neill, Dr J Glazier

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

A fundamental question in disease research is how stressors experienced during critical developmental periods influence the genesis or ‘programming’ of adult disease (Estes & McAllister 2016).