MRC London Intercollegiate Doctoral Training Partnership (MRC LID) Studentship 2026–27: PhD Opportunity at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is inviting purposes for a totally funded PhD studentship beneath the prestigious MRC London Intercollegiate Doctoral Training Partnership (MRC LID). The 2026–27 challenge, supervised by main researchers in epidemiology and inhabitants well being, presents an distinctive alternative to contribute to cutting-edge analysis on hypnotic drug use and the danger of dementia.

This doctoral alternative is right for academically robust candidates with backgrounds in epidemiology, medical statistics, well being information science, or associated fields. The programme presents world-class coaching, interdisciplinary supervision, and entry to main UK well being information sources.

Project Title

Do hypnotic medicine improve the danger of dementia?

Supervisory Team

• Dr Anne Suffel
  Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, LSHTM
  Email:
• Dr Helen Strongman
  Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, LSHTM
  Email:
• Professor Charlotte Warren-Gash
  Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, LSHTM
  Email:

Project Summary

Hypnotic medicine, together with benzodiazepines and z-drugs, have been linked to the next danger of dementia in a number of research. However, the underlying trigger of this affiliation stays unclear. It is unknown whether or not the elevated danger is because of the medicine themselves, the sleep disturbances for which they’re prescribed, or interactions with different drugs akin to antidepressants and antipsychotics.

This challenge goals to handle these data gaps utilizing giant, routinely collected digital well being file datasets from UK main and secondary care. By inspecting prescribing patterns, drug interactions, and potential dose–response relationships, the analysis seeks to tell safer prescribing practices and cut back dementia danger in populations with sleep disturbances.

Key Research Themes

• Dementia and cognitive decline
• Hypnotic drug prescribing
• Sleep and medicine interactions
• Pharmacoepidemiology
• Health information science
• Machine studying for healthcare

Skills Students Will Acquire

The chosen PhD scholar will acquire superior coaching in:

• Managing and analysing giant linked digital well being file datasets
• Conducting pharmacoepidemiological cohort research
• Using multivariable regression, causal inference, and machine studying fashions
• Quantitative bias evaluation and strategies to cut back confounding
• Research ethics, information governance, and safe information dealing with
• Advanced statistical software program expertise (R, STATA, or comparable)

Study Routes and Structure

• +4 PhD route out there (direct entry into PhD)
• 1+4 route not out there
• Suitable for each full-time and part-time study

Students will likely be based mostly onsite at LSHTM Bloomsbury, London. Occasional convention journey is supported.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants should:

• Meet LSHTM’s institutional necessities for doctoral study
• Hold, or count on to carry earlier than the begin date, a related MSc diploma with robust grades in fields akin to:
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Data Science
  • Medical Statistics
  • Or equal {qualifications} and expertise

The challenge is open to eligible candidates making use of by way of the MRC LID programme.

Data Sources and Research Infrastructure

The scholar will work with:

• Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Aurum
• Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)
• Office for National Statistics (ONS) mortality information

LSHTM maintains annual entry licenses and supplies complete help by way of its Electronic Health Records Group.

UK Biobank could also be used if wider linkage to main care and prescription information turns into out there.

Project Objectives in Detail

1. Describe prescribing patterns
   • Analyse traits in hypnotic use by drug class, demographics, and underlying situations.
2. Identify clusters of co-prescribing
   • Use machine studying to detect combos of hypnotics with different drugs linked to dementia danger.
3. Evaluate dementia danger
   • Conduct matched cohort analyses to match:
     • Users with completely different indications (sleep vs nervousness)
     • Individuals with various cumulative drug publicity
     • Combinations of hypnotics with high-risk co-prescribed medicine

Causal inference instruments akin to propensity rating matching and directed acyclic graphs will likely be utilized.

Further Resources and Pre-Application Materials

Applicants are inspired to overview related articles and the supervisors’ recorded briefing earlier than making contact.

How to Apply

Applicants ought to go to the official MRC LID application page to submit their supplies:

MRC LID How to Apply
MRC LID Project

For enquiries, contact the MRC LID administration staff at email:

About the MRC LID Partnership

The MRC London Intercollegiate Doctoral Training Partnership is a collaboration between:

• LSHTM
• St George’s, University of London
• City, University of London

The partnership is dedicated to coaching future analysis leaders in inhabitants well being, information science, and biomedical science.

For different alternatives, click on right here.

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