Developing Psychological therapies for symptoms of psychosis in people with Dementia - Medicine - MPhil/PhD (Funded)

The University of Exeter’s Medical School is inviting applications for the Bateman Family Trust PhD studentship in Medicine to commence in September 2018 or as soon as possible thereafter. The studentship will cover tuition fees (UK/EU/International) plus an annual tax-free stipend of at least £14,553 for 3.5 years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study. The student would be based in the Medical School at the St Luke’s Campus in Exeter.

Academic Supervisors:

Professor Clive Ballard

Professor Linda Clare

Project Description: More than 50% of people with dementia living in nursing homes experience psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations (eg seeing and hearing things that aren’t there) and delusions (eg suspicious and paranoid ideas). Psychosis often leads to irritability, aggression and social isolation, and causes distress and impaired quality of life for the person with dementia and for family and professional caregivers. The mainstay for treatment has been the use of sedative antipsychotic medications, which have only modest benefits in treating the psychosis, and cause numerous serious adverse events including an increased risk of death, stroke, pulmonary embolism, parkinsonism and accelerated cognitive decline. Safer and more effective treatments are urgently needed. Over the last decade there has been a huge advancement in the development of effective psychological therapies for the treatment of psychosis in younger adults. As part of the proposed PhD studentship we will adapt these treatment approaches to the needs of people with dementia, undertake a feasibility study and then evaluate the intervention in a pilot clinical trial evaluating the impact of optimized psychological therapies on symptoms of psychosis in people with dementia. If successful this approach would lead to a step change in the treatment of psychosis in people with dementia, improving symptoms and quality of life, and avoiding the harms associated with antipsychotic treatment.

This award provides annual funding to cover tuition fees (UK/EU/International) and a tax-free stipend of at least £14,553 per year. The studentship will be awarded on the basis of merit for 3.5 years of full-time study to commence in September 2018.

Entry requirements:

Applicants for this studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of science or technology.

If English is not your first language you will need to have achieved at least 7.0 in IELTS and no less than 6.0 in any section by the start of the project. Alternative tests may be acceptable (see http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/).