This project is funded jointly by the Dunhill Medical Trust and the Advanced Care Research Centre Academy. The Advanced Care Research Centre (ACRC) is a multi-disciplinary, £20M research centre at the University of Edinburgh. The ACRC will lead society’s response to the grand challenge of an ageing population that is growing in size, longevity and needs through the pursuit of research intended to deliver “high‐quality data‐driven, personalised and affordable care to support the independence, dignity and quality‐of‐life of people living in their own homes and in supported care environments”.
This project sits within the ACRC Academy , a dedicated Centre for Doctoral Training, co-located with the ACRC, whose students will deliver key aspects of the ACRC research agenda through a new doctoral-level research and training programme that will also equip them for careers across a wide range of pioneering and influential leadership roles in the public, private and third sectors.
The PhD with Integrated Study in Advanced Care is a structured, thematic, cohort-based, programme of 48 months duration. Each PhD research project within the Academy has been devised by a supervisory team comprising academic staff from at least two of the three colleges within the University of Edinburgh. Each annual cohort of around twelve will include students with disciplinary backgrounds spanning from engineering and data science to humanities, social science, business and commerce, social work, medicine and related health and care professions. This unique level of diversity is a key attribute of our programme.Delirium is a major public health issue characterised by a sudden and catastrophic loss of cognitive ability, attention and awareness that affects 1 in 4 old patients in hospital. Despite that, the aetiology, the mechanisms and underlying biology that triggers such devastating effects are poorly understood.
Project description
As for most complex diseases, variation in delirium risk among patients is likely determined by genes, hence it is imperative to link relevant genetic variation to variation in risk of developing delirium. Yet there is very little understanding of the role of genetic variation in delirium, with only small studies with inconclusive results published. The aim of this project is to use state of the art resources and techniques to identify genes that contribute to the risk of delirium.
Once we can identify what genes are relevant to delirium we can use techniques that identify drugs that could be used to treat delirium. As these drugs would be already licensed to treat other conditions, this would speed-up clinical trials and benefit patients in a much shorter time span.
Eligibility
We require a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a relevant subject.
We may also consider your application if you have a UK 2:2 honours degree, or its international equivalent, and sufficient relevant work experience.
We welcome applications from practitioners with an interest in research: medical, nursing, OT, physio, social work, care home staff, and those with academic backgrounds in social sciences and nursing, medicine, medical anthropology and allied health professions.
Please use this Application Form to apply.
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