Preconception planning, metabolic health and improving Assisted Reproductive Treatment Outcomes in a fertility clinic setting

Start date: As soon as possible

Infertility is a very common problem, affecting one in six couples globally during their reproductive years, with 40% of problems being due to the man. If untreated, it has devastating effects on patients’ physical and mental health from diagnosis for the rest of their lives. It has recently been suggested that failure to conceive may be related to metabolic health, with an association being observed between delayed conception and type 2 diabetes risk, alongside plausible underlying mechanisms linking the two, including inflammation and insulin resistance. Whether couples attending infertility clinics have already planned pregnancy and changed their lifestyle in order to maximise chances of conception is also relatively understudied, with one relatively old study suggesting there were gaps in knowledge even in a highly motivated population. A major cause of male infertility is oxidative stress. A Cochrane review in 2014 aimed to evaluate the effect of oral supplementation with antioxidants for male partners of couples undergoing ART, but concluded that further studies are needed to confirming encouraging early findings. In this project, the role of metabolic ill health in infertility will be explored, as will to what extent couples attending fertility clinics understand the importance of pre-pregnancy planning. Finally the role of antioxidant supplementation in improving ART outcomes will be explored.

REQUIREMENTS

ACADEMIC

Candidates should have or expect to obtain a 2:1 or higher Honours degree or equivalent in a relevant biomedical or life sciences subject.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Candidates applying from countries where the first language is not English should produce evidence of their competence through a qualification such as IELTS or TOEFL score.

The minimum recommended score for the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science is:
• IELTS score of 6.0 with not less than 5.5 in each of the four component elements of listening, reading, speaking and writing taken within the last 2 years;
• TOEFL score of 80+ (internet basted test), taken within the last 2 years, with minimum component scores of; Listening 17, Reading 18, Speaking 20, Writing 17);
• A valid Certificate of Proficiency in English grade A or B;
• A valid Certificate of Advanced English grade A; or
• A first or upper second class honours degree from a university based in the UK, Republic of Ireland or other suitably quality assured location in a country deemed by the UK Border Agency to be majority English speaking.

For a list of English Language qualifications also accepted by the School and University please see the following link:
http://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/Applying/English-language-requirements/

The English Language Unit (ELU) offers both pre-sessional and in-sessional courses in English for academic purposes and study skills. Courses vary in length and full information can be obtained from the ELU http://www.qub.ac.uk/tefl/