PhD opportunities in health sciences

Do you have a proposal for research that could make an original contribution to healthcare knowledge and go on to improve the health of our society?

Our Research Degree (PhD), offered in partnership with and awarded by Solent University, could be your opportunity to undertake valuable original research, supported by our experienced academic team.

Choosing to undertake your PhD with us means you’ll experience the many benefits of being part of a specialist health sciences university. We train a wide range of health-related professionals and, uniquely, provide multiple clinical services. Our students have access to highly specialised on-site facilities, such as our Integrated Rehabilitation Centre and Open Upright MRI, within which a range of health-related research is embedded. Our specialised and experienced staff will become your supervisory team and support your research, training and academic development.

Why study for a Research Degree at AECC University College?

During your degree you’ll not only have access to our wide range of teaching facilities but our world-class academic and clinical staff too. Research Degree (PhD) students have the opportunity to get experience in a range of places including our on-site clinics, which includes our £4.5m Integrated Rehabilitation Centre, specialised clinical imaging facilities and student-led clinics, such as podiatry and chiropractic.

Focused Health Research

We have an internationally recognised team of researchers in many health-related subject areas including musculoskeletal health, medical imaging, rehabilitation, health promotion, osteopathy, psychology and sport. As we develop our growing portfolio and expertise, as an institution, emerging areas are digital health, health education and patient-centred care.

Innovative

We are a specialist health sciences University and our research strategy reflects our goal to position ourselves as a first-choice partner for research and innovation in health sciences. We are keen to attract and support talented graduates and experienced clinicians in helping us reach that goal.

Great Facilities

Our campus has two large clinics serving our local community including an established musculoskeletal condition focused clinic seeing around 1000 patients per week and our Integrated Rehabilitation Centre. This patient base provides a valuable resource for clinical studies and service evaluations combining research, health education and health provision all on one site.

Our Community

With a strong team based across our Bournemouth and London sites, we’re a well-connected and integrated community of students, academic and clinical staff. This encourages’ cross-disciplinary research ideas. We have professional links with our local health care community and have a network of researchers we collaborate with both nationally and internationally.

Natural Beauty & Great Connections

AECC University College Parkwood Campus is situated on the south coast of England and is a 5-minute walk from the beautiful beaches of Bournemouth. We are close to two national parks and the world heritage site of the Jurassic Coast. We are a 2-hour train ride from London with two international airports (Bournemouth and Southampton) less than 30 miles away.

Our London campus is situated on London Borough High street, offering unparalleled access to the vibrant heart of the capital. Surrounded by iconic landmarks like the Tower of London and Borough Market, students benefit from a dynamic cultural hub. Excellent transport links ensure easy exploration of London’s diverse attractions. From historic sites to culinary delights, the area provides an enriching experience for students seeking academic excellence in a vibrant city setting.

Key Research Areas

We have expertise in chiropractic, psychology and mental health, physiotherapy, sport exercise and health sciences, dietetics, podiatry, radiography, ultrasound, breast imaging, clinical reporting, sport rehabilitation, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. You can find our latest research taking place in our academic schools on our institutional repository.

Our research is focused around two broad themes:

1. Helping people to improve their health, wellbeing and quality of life through non-pharmacological treatments and interventions.
2. Enabling people and teams to improve their performance.

We will support PhD projects that contribute towards these themes. If you’re passionate about generating knowledge and innovation that impacts the healthcare of tomorrow, our Research Degree programme provides the opportunity to undertake original research related to health sciences.