About the Project
The Department of Health Sciences, University of York, and Khyber Medical University (KMU) are inviting applications for a fully funded off-site collaborative PhD studentship, available on a full-time basis to start in October 2020 for 3 years.
The successful candidate will be enrolled in the Department of Health Sciences’ PhD programme at the University of York, UK. You will be based at the Institute of Public Health and Social Sciences (IPH&SS), KMU, Pakistan, for the majority of the enrolment period. You will be supervised by senior academics from the Diabetes and Depression Multimorbidity (DiaDeM) research programme in the UK and in Pakistan. The programme is funded by a NIHR Research and Innovation for Global Health Transformation award. You will have full access to the usual postgraduate training facilities, including library and IT services at York and KMU.
Project details
Proposals should complement the DiaDeM programme, a brief synopsis of which is given below.
Healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries face the rapid growth of mental and physical multimorbidity. People with long-term physical health conditions, such as diabetes, have a 2-3 fold increased risk of depression. Diabetes is rapidly increasing, particularly in South Asia, and depression in type 2 diabetes represents the largest combined mental and non-communicable disease burden. Depression comorbid with diabetes significantly worsens outcomes for both conditions. A joint approach to care is needed using a scalable intervention to recognise and treat depression, integrated with diabetes care. “Behavioural Activation” (BA) is a relatively simple, effective and culturally portable psychological therapy for depression, which can be delivered by non-specialists.
The DiaDeM programme
The aim of this 4-year programme is to develop and test a culturally appropriate approach to the recognition and treatment of depression in people with diabetes in Bangladesh and Pakistan, based on BA.
Interviews, literature review, consensus development and co-design will be used to adapt BA for delivery alongside diabetes care in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Decision modelling and value of information analysis will be used to inform the design of a trial of DiaDeM.
A feasibility trial followed by a definitive multi-centre pragmatic randomised controlled trial will be conducted comparing DiaDeM with optimised usual care for people with depression and type 2 diabetes to test clinical and cost-effectiveness. A mixed methods process evaluation will aid understanding of the causal mechanisms, implementation and scale-up. Community and public involvement will be embedded throughout the programme.
We will also build capability in applied multimorbidity research and policymaking through experiential learning, doctoral fellowships, bespoke training and ‘Research-Policy Forums’.
The successful PhD student will have the opportunity, depending on their area of interest, to gain experience in applied health research, including: multimorbidity, intervention development, behaviour change, systematic reviews, qualitative research, economic modelling, community and public involvement and randomised controlled trials. Students will also benefit from being based in a lively and supportive research and learning environment.
Essential and desirable requirements
Applicants will need to hold, or expect to gain, at least an upper second class honours (2:1) degree or equivalent. A Masters degree in a health/medical sciences related subjects is highly desirable, or alternatively, equivalent research experience in a relevant subject.
For students whose first language is not English there is a minimum requirement of an IELTS score of at least 6.5 in each component of the test and an overall score of at least 7.
Process for application
Applicants are required to submit a short research proposal (max 500 words) outlining their ideas in an area related to the DiaDeM programme. Applicants will not be considered if a proposal for study is not submitted.
Funding Notes
Studenships are available on a full-time basis, and open to applicants from low- and middle-income countries. The studentships provide a stipend per annum, plus University of York tuition fees at the overseas rate, for the duration of the PhD. Costs to support travel and accommodation in the UK to attend training and supervision and to attend for examinations, as agreed with supervisors, are included (approximately one visit per year). Visa arrangements will be the responsibility of students
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