The effect of hot and or hypoxic environmental conditions in individuals with type 2 diabetes

The total cost of direct and indirect care of individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the UK is ~ £20 billion, equating to 8% of the annual NHS budget. It is anticipated that by 2030, 439 million individuals will have T2DM worldwide. With the population growing and the proportion of individuals with T2DM expanding, these costs are likely to become unsustainable.

T2DM is a disease of progressive hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia is strongly associated with macrovascular (e.g., cardiovascular disease) and microvascular (e.g. retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy) complications. However, strategies to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health in this clinical group have the potential to reduce these vascular complications, which will could help reduce the associated economic and health burden.

Simple, inexpensive interventions to improve glycaemic control are needed. Environmental stressors, and the physiological responses induced with exposure, have potential to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health in humans. However, little research has been conducted in clinical cohorts. This projects presents an exciting opportunity to work within a multidisciplinary team to examine whether environmental stressors provide a therapeutic strategy for maintaining cardiovascular and metabolic health in clinical cohorts.

The research environment will be the world-leading extreme environments laboratories at the University of Portsmouth, with further collaboration with the Portsmouth Diabetes and Endocrine Centre at the Queen Alexandra Hospital. Additional testing and analysis will occur within the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences. The student will work in a team with his/her supervisors and clinical staff and will be fully immersed in running clinical trials and the analyses.

Candidate specification:
• A taught Masters degree in a relevant discipline, involving a dissertation of standard length written in English in the relevant subject area with a minimum of a merit profile: 60% overall module average and a minimum of a 60% dissertation mark;

In addition to at least one of the following:
• Experience conducting research in a clinical setting;
• Experience conducting research using extreme stressors;
• Experience working with individuals with T2DM;

Interview date: w/c 12th March

How to apply:
We welcome applications from highly motivated prospective students who are committed to develop outstanding research outcomes. You can apply online at www.port.ac.uk/applyonline. Please quote project code SPES3940218 in your application form.