PhD project description

Background
The challenges for healthcare systems are unprecedented, exacerbated by the burdens of infectious and chronic disease, ageing populations, inequalities, fragmented systems and workforce shortages. New technological approaches are needed to harness the potential of routine and novel health data and digital solutions to enable transformational improvement of care pathways and outcomes.

Our doctoral training programme will address this deficit by creating a new coordinated training curriculum, partnering with world-leading academic and NHS organisations and industry, such that graduates can co-create and ideate, design, develop, evaluate and implement evidence-based digital health technologies.

Aim
The digital health revolution necessitates a holistic approach to research and innovation, bringing together cutting-edge research spanning mathematical and data sciences, AI and machine learning, through to materials, sensors and medical devices, human-computer interaction and behavioural science, avoiding traditional disciplinary silos. We have designed this doctoral training programme to provide this multidisciplinary base, providing breadth and depth of expertise and substantial and diverse partnerships with industry and healthcare organisations, while addressing the needs of diverse, pan UK, healthcare and economic environments. Challenge-led areas have been identified through a co-creation process with our healthcare and industry Project Partners, identifying themes for student training and PhD projects underpinned by technology innovations as diverse as wearables and apps for home-monitoring of health and disease, digitally-enabled sensors for public health assessment, real-time patient algorithms and AI models to guide treatment.

Our graduates will be adept at: (1) Identifying unmet needs by engaging end-users and co-creating research questions with them; (2) Undertaking discovery research in engineering and physical sciences, bringing together approaches from different disciplines to tackle health challenges; (3) Understanding technology translation to the market via innovation and entrepreneurship; (4) Understanding the translational pipeline for sustainable digital health technologies, including ideation, development, evaluation, trials, regulation and adoption.

Students will be registered at either University College London (UCL) or Ulster University (UU) (anticipated 50:50 intake, with an option for transfer of institution if appropriate). Early in year 1, students will have an individual skills assessment which will inform a personal training plan for the 4 years. In this first year students will also conduct a combination of whole-cohort training as well as individual training and a 3-month secondment with industry. PhD projects will be selected and commence in month 9, continuing to the end of year 4, with ongoing training and engagement opportunities. 

Person specification

• Applicants are preferred to have first-class undergraduate and/or master’s degrees (or equivalent) in a numerate discipline, preferably in mathematical, computational, engineering or physical sciences subjects or a related discipline, with an interest in using technology to solve health problems.

• Excellent organisational, interpersonal and communication skills, along with an interest in interdisciplinary research, are essential.

• Experience in computer programming is essential.

• Fluency and clarity in spoken English as well as good written English in accordance with UCL English requirements (TOEFL>92 or IELTS>6.5).

Eligibility

Students who are eligible to pay fees at the UK rate are welcome to apply (e.g. UK students or EEA or Swiss nationals who are “settled” or “pre-settled” within the UK in accordance with the EU Settlement Scheme).

International students are welcome to apply for a studentship. Please note: UKRO funded centres can only offer 30% of the total number of studentships to international students – this is a UKRI condition and cannot be waivered.

How to apply

For Ulster applicants: For Ulster applicants, please see more information here. The deadline for Ulster applicants is Monday 24th February 2025 at 4pm.

For UCL applicants:

Eligible applicants should submit a formal PhD application via the UCL website.

You will need a CV, transcript of your undergraduate marks, names and contact details of at least two academic referees, and a personal statement giving your reasons for applying and an outline of your research interests.

• Please be advised that for this programme research degrees start 01 October 2025. Applications are not accepted on a rolling basis.

• The funding for this studentship is the ‘tech4health programme’

• In your ‘personal statement’ consider:

• How this experience will prepare you for your next steps

• What your understanding of what digital health means is

• You do not need to upload a ‘research statement’

• Please write ‘tech4health’ in the ‘proposed supervisor’ box on the application form

• References from referees should be received by January 31 2025

• We expect to shortlist and interview candidates by April. We will interview all candidates online. Candidates will learn the outcome around a week after their interview.

• If you have any questions email: j.kozak@ucl.ac.uk