Overview Is diet really so important? Critics of nutritional epidemiology have made strong claims that associations between dietary factors and chronic disease risks are driven by biases and greatly overrated. Fortunately, modern data analysis approaches such as mediation, Mendelian randomization, or more data-driven methods will help overcome such biases. Applying these approaches, and accounting for essential, but understudied background factors such as routine medication and genetic predisposition, we will disentangle associations between dietary factors and risks of chronic diseases as well as disease-free survival using large-scale population-based studies. The PhD project will be mainly based on analyses of data from the UK Biobank, a large population-based cohort study. An integrated approach using questionnaire and biomarker data will be applied to evaluate diet in relation to risks of major chronic diseases and life expectancy. As ancillary methods, we will use systematic reviews and smaller intervention studies. Candidates should have a basic interest in modelling epidemiological data, although statistical methods can be acquired during the project, and enthusiasm for nutritional science, epidemiology and prevention is most important. The project will be carried out in close collaboration with partners in Heidelberg (Germany), Zurich (Switzerland), and Lyon (France), with opportunities for short-term research visits. The project will be supervised by Dr. Tilman Kuhn and co-supervised by Prof. Aedin Cassidy. Biological Sciences overview The School of Biological Sciences provides PhD and MPhil (research degree) programmes in subjects ranging from basic biochemistry, molecular genetics and cancer research, to agricultural science, marine ecology and the economic evaluation of ecosystem services and food retailing. If you have a topic or research question in mind, please use the Find a Supervisor link (see Apply tab) to identify the most appropriate member of staff to support your idea. If not, don’t worry, we regularly advertise funded projects and there is no harm in browsing our academic staff profiles for inspiration and then contacting whoever seems best: we are very open to applications from suitably qualified people interested in scientific research. In every case, a PhD or MPhil course provides the means of being part of a cutting edge scientific research team and contributing to genuine new discoveries or the development of new methods for practical use. If you cannot study full time, we offer pro-rata part time research degree programmes as well. There are three broad themes to research at the School: – Agri-Food Systems and Human Nutrition– Understanding Health and Disease– Sustaining Ecosystems and Biodiversity Agri-Food Systems and Human Nutrition: This theme focuses on how Agri-Food systems can be better positioned to provide safe, authentic and healthy diets with high-quality plant, livestock, and aquaculture products, whilst supporting human and animal health in a way that is sustainable and resilient to climactic changes. Underpinning these goals, the disciplinary expertise of the theme integrates basic and applied research from animal health and welfare, nutrition, performance, and environmental and social impact (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions from livestock) to chemical contaminant and natural toxin detection, food microbiology, food fraud detection, and food systems traceability and transparency, integrated into a holistic total systems approach. Supporting by underpinning expertise in cutting-edge molecular, genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic technologies, artificial intelligence and simulation modelling, the goal of the theme is to support the transformation of global Agri-Food systems. This is with the purpose of maximising the benefits both to animal and human nutrition and health, while simultaneously reducing environmental impact, protecting ecological resources, supporting livelihoods and access to affordable safe foods, and upholding social, cultural, and ethical values. A system based on the principles of measurable integrity and impact. Understanding Health and Disease: The Understanding Health and Disease research theme covers humans, plants, and animals with research strengths in prevention, diagnostics, surveillance, epidemiology, and treatments. We study how health can be improved through food and nutrition and how diseases can be tackled by understanding their fundamental molecular mechanisms, including those underpinning the biology of pathogens and parasites. Our researchers work in human cancer and genetic diseases, in infections caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites, and in how global health and disease will be affected by global warming and climate change. We recognize that the only way to tackle the problems we face as a society is to take an interdisciplinary approach to our research. This means we have expertise in broad areas including molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, genomics, transcriptomics, modelling, bioanalytical chemistry, proteomics, metabolomics, microbiology, parasitology, and plant biology. We work internationally with researchers and partners in universities, charities, non-governmental organisations, industry, and government agencies to tackle local and global challenges. Sustaining Ecosystems and Biodiversity: This theme covers research in biodiversity and ecosystem services for environments ranging from tropical forests to deep oceans, using field techniques and skills such as wildlife tracking, taxonomy, geostatistics, molecular and genetic ecology, environmental microbiology, microbial ecology, food web analysis, microcosm and mesocosm experiments, and mathematical/computational methods. Within this theme we also study the behaviour and temperament of wild, agricultural or domestic animals and their implications for welfare and ability to respond to environmental change. Potential research projects include phylogenetic analysis of rare and newly discovered species, examination of ecological interactions in tropical systems, agricultural soils, or marine communities, using state-of-the-art genetic analysis, surveys using drones or satellite tagging, or experiments in tanks and field plots, including careful and ethical examinations of animal behaviour. Projects range from theoretical analysis of stability in ecosystems, through discovery of new species and mechanisms of interaction, or responses to climate change, to the assessment of agri-environment schemes, development of new methods for commercial fisheries management and economic evaluations of conservation measures. Projects very often have an international dimension and include collaboration with other researchers worldwide. Biological Sciences Highlights Industry Links The School has a wide range of strong, international links with governments, academia and industry, into which postgraduate research students are integrated. World Class Facilities Research students will have access to laboratory space as required (in our state-of-the-art research laboratories) and where relevant, also a range of field study sites and equipment (e.g.
