Health Sciences PhD
Anaemia is a major public health concern in developing countries; primarily affecting young children, adolescent females, and pregnant women. Anaemia in childhood and adolescence can affect physical growth and cognitive function, with likely further impacts on reproductive health in women. While many of the causes of anaemia are treatable, especially iron-deficiency which is the commonest cause, in India the anaemia prevention and control programmes have been unable to reduce its prevalence. The reasons for this are unclear, but are likely to involve many health, environmental and sociological aspects. Data-science approaches offer a new opportunity to explore this further, with the potential to reveal previously unrecognised patterns of anaemia over time.
The Pune Maternal Nutrition Study (PMNS) has recruited 800 pregnant women, across six villages around Pune city, Maharashtra, India. Over 650 children born to these women were also recruited, tracked from birth, and followed-up at 6, 12 and 18 years. The successful candidate will be involved in the Maharashtra Anaemia Study 3 (MAS 3) that will analyse data collected as part of the PMNS. The team will apply methods in epidemiology as well as methods in AI and machine learning, to these data to investigate nutritional, economic, and environmental impacts on anaemia, and both physical and cognitive development in Indian children.
The main objectives of this PhD are:
- Identify nutritional, economic, and environmental impacts on anaemia and development in children.
- Examine micronutrient trends (Iron, Folate and Vitamin B12) during pregnancy and childhood to assess and inform health programmes and policies.
- Apply machine learning and advanced analytics to identify population stratifiers and subgroups that can better direct patient management and improve outcomes.
This PhD would be attractive to candidates with experience and training in data science, and also for those from an epidemiological or statistical background looking to increase their knowledge and experience in data science. Applicants are expected to hold a minimum upper second-class undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in epidemiology, statistics, data science, computing or a related field. A Master’s degree in a relevant subject/discipline is desirable.
The successful candidate will work with a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Surrey and its UK and India based collaborators. The project is expected to yield a number of high-impact publications. Support will be provided for developing skills in research design, data analysis, and peer reviewed publication.
A 3.5-year fully funded studentship open to applicants worldwide starting in October 2022. Funding includes stipend, full fees and a research grant.
More information on the School of Health Sciences.
Entry requirements
A good honours degree (first or upper second) in an appropriate discipline, but prior experience in research or health and social care may be acceptable.
English language requirements: An IELTS Academic of 6.5 or above with 6 in each individual category (or equivalent qualification from other agencies).
How to apply
Applications should be submitted via the online application portal for Health Sciences
This project is part of the Faculty-funded studentship scheme and you can express interest in one or two of the projects available via this scheme. When completing your application, in place of a research proposal, please provide a 1-page (maximum) document containing the reference numbers(s), project title(s) and supervisor name(s) of the project or two projects you have selected, together with an explanation of your motivations for wanting to study for a PhD and your reasons for selecting the project(s) you have chosen.
The reference number for this project is FHMS PL - BM - 23.
For those interested in the project described above, we strongly encourage informal enquiries to be sent to Dr Ahankari ([Email Address Removed]).
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