British Heart Foundation (BHF) Health Promotion Research invites application from students who wish to study for a PhD (a DPhil at the University of Oxford) in a research area allied to their interests. The focus of the studentship is “Predicting the future burden of cardiovascular disease in England using an integrated model of behavioural risk factors”
The quality of applications will be determined by relevance of the research questions to the Group’s aims and the appropriateness of the methods for answering the research questions. We will usually invite potential students to visit us to discuss their proposed projects if their application is of high quality.
Eligibility
Students interested in studying for a PhD must meet the following general entry requirements:
- Candidates must have (or expect to achieve) either a good honours degree (first or high second) from a UK university (or equivalent from a university outside of the UK); or a Masters degree in a relevant area; or several years of experience in a professional role.
- Candidates with qualifications from outside the UK or experience rather than qualifications must demonstrate that these can be equated to an honours degree from a UK university (at least), and at what level.
Research areas of interest:
The Group is primarily, but not exclusively, interested in the following areas of research:
Evaluating health promotion: Nutrition
The ways consumers are informed about the content of foods and the effects of foods and their components on human health e.g. through food labelling
The marketing of foods e.g. through TV advertising and commercial activities in schools
The nutritional content of foods e.g. through fortification and the development of functional foods
The availability and price of foods, e.g. through agricultural subsidies and differential taxation
Evaluating health promotion: Physical activity
Systematic reviews of interventions and correlates of physical activity for children and adults
The cultural and social determinants of physical activity
The development of measures between the environment (policy, regulatory, built, natural) and physical activity
The evaluation of policy and population approaches to promote physical activity and prevent obesity
The relationship between the environment (policy, regulatory, built, natural) and physical activity
Assessing the burden of cardiovascular disease
Barriers and motivation to change in behaviour related to chronic disease risk factors
Change in chronic disease mortality, morbidity and risk associated with urbanisation of rural environments
Descriptive research of current burden of non-communicable disease
Historical trends in mortality from cardiovascular disease
Modelling the current and future burden of non-communicable disease (with a focus on CVD)
The regulatory environment and risk factors for chronic disease.
Evaluating the connections between public health and environmental sustainability
Systematic reviews of the impact of the food system on environmental sustainability
Systematic reviews of the impact of travel interventions on health and environmental sustainability
Modelling projects of the health and environmental impact of nutrition and physical activity interventions
How to Apply
For further details of the studentship and how to apply, please email Pete Scarborough([email protected])
For a link to the scholarship announcement, click here.