The COVID pandemic continues to have a detrimental impact on lives. As of January 2022, the ONS estimated that there are 1.5 million people in the UK experiencing Long COVID. Around 65% of these have symptoms which lead to an adverse effect on day-to-day activities.
Understanding of Long COVID is however still in its early stages and there are many unanswered questions. Can we group people by severity of their symptoms and how long they persist? Are different variants of the COVID-19 virus related to different symptoms? Can we identify factors associated with more debilitating forms of Long COVID?
This intradisciplinary project will bring together techniques from pure mathematics, statistics and data science to address these questions, in full collaboration with clinicians and patients. It will make use of data from cohort studies and electronic records.
The project will develop ideas from graph theory and topological data analysis to produce groups of similar patients called clusters. These will allow the identification of Long COVID sufferers and of factors indicating an increased Long COVID risk. The project will also provide easy-to-use computer tools to implement and visualize the methodology. Appropriate training in pure mathematics, statistics or computing will be provided.
The project’s results will benefit the NHS, allowing treatments and rehabilitation to be targeted at the most affected people.
Eligibility
Applicants should have a first or upper second class honours degree in an appropriate subject and preferably a relevant Masters qualification.
If you wish to discuss this project further informally, please contact Dr Nathan Broomhead, [Email Address Removed]
For further information on research studentships at the University of Plymouth and to apply for this position please visit: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/student-life/your-studies/research-degrees/postgraduate-research-studentships and select the studentship you would like to apply for. Please clearly state the name of the DoS and studentship that you are applying for on your personal statement.
Please see here for a list of supporting documents to upload with your application.
For more information on the admissions process generally, please contact [Email Address Removed].
The closing date for applications is 12 noon on 04 May 2022. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview shortly after the deadline. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications. Applicants who have not received a response within six weeks of the closing date should consider their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
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