Supervisors

Dr Genevieve Williams (primary supervisory)

Dr William Young (primary supervisor)

Prof. Sallie Lamb (Senior supervisor)

*Please note that supervision will not be limited to the persons named.

Project description:

Falls can be devastating at any point in life, but especially in later life when they are more likely to result in serious injury. Falls are more common in later life as balance and mobility can become less adaptable.  

These PhD studentships will offer the opportunity to join a world-leading falls prevention research team on a prestigious European Advanced Grant project called STEPPING OUT, led by Prof. Sallie Lamb and working with experimental psychologists, biomechanists, physiotherapists and mathematicians within the National Institute of Health and Care Research Exeter Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Exeter BRC). The successful studentships will also be part of the Dunhill Medical Trust Doctoral Training Programme for Ageing Research, providing additional opportunities for training and development. The projects will be focused on understanding and identifying high risk situations (behaviours and intentions) that can lead to falls, and the strategies (cognitive and motor responses) that older people can implement to correct or avoid those situations (and hence avoid falls).  We will use the findings to develop a new generation of fall prevention interventions. The study involves collaboration with the University of Heidelberg and Bologna. The base will be the University of Exeter.

We anticipate that the PhD content will lead to a career in academia, public sector or industries to improve movement through the application and development of Virtual Reality or sensor feedback technologies.
As such, we are looking to recruit up to two PhD candidates with a keen interest in human movement science. We are seeking candidates with a strong academic background and specialist skills and interest in:
1) Biomechanics, biomedical engineering, or similar. For example, those with experience in biomechanics (including analysis of kinematics, kinetics and muscle activity with strong numerical skills).
2) Experimental psychology, sensory processing/integration. For example, eye tracking techniques, virtual reality, manipulation of sensory information (ideally in context of balance/gait), measures of physiological arousal such as galvanic skin response.
3) Ability to communicate well with other team members and members of the public; and able to deal with people with different conditions in an experimental setting.
 

The aims of these PhDs will be to:-

1. Review of the state of the art and evidence relevant to fall prevention in your specialist area.
2. Develop and pilot simulations of scenarios that represent situations where older adults often fall. These will primarily take place in our globally unique VSimulators facility and have a particular focus on creating mechanical perturbations.
3. Design experimental protocols that scrutinise factors that contribute to loss of balance in simulated adaptive balance/gait tasks
4. Develop and evaluate fall risk prevention or identification strategies based on experimental findings
University of Exeter Commitment 

This studentship will provide the opportunity to work with world-leading researchers and have access to state-of-the-art facilities. The University of Exeter is committed to developing and nurturing a diverse and rich pipeline of talented researchers by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to excel and contribute significantly to the local and national economy via the delivery of high-quality and impactful translational research. Expertise will be harnessed from across the institution to deliver the best possible training and career development opportunities, with the student provided the opportunity to be embedded in a rich research culture, with a growing body of early career researchers.
 

Fees and funding

For eligible students, the studentship will cover Home tuition fees only, plus an annual tax-free stipend of at least £19,237 (in alignment with standard Research Council UK rate) for 3 years full-time in addition to a Research Training and Support Grant (RTSG). The student would be based on the St Lukes Campus in the Medical School building in Exeter and the VSimulator suite at Exeter Science Park.

This Frontier Research Grant (guaranteed funding for an ERC Advanced Grant) was funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee grant number EP/Y029143/1

Timeline

The closing date for applications is midnight on Friday 5th July 2024.

Interview panels will be held virtually w/c 15th July 2024.

Start Date: Between September 2024 and January 2025

Contact details

If you would like to discuss the studentships further, please contact G.Williams or W.Young using details as stated in the advert. If you have any queries surrounding the application process or the BRC more generally, please contact Dr Sophie Gould (NIHR Exeter BRC Training and Events Manager) at S.L.Gould@exeter.ac.uk.

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 a discipline related to biomechanics or experimental psychology.

If English is not your first language you will need to meet the required level as per our guidance at https://www.exeter.ac.uk/pg-research/apply/english/

How to apply

In the application process, you will be asked to upload several documents.

1. CV – all aspects below must be included, if applicable.

• Contact details
• Education history
• Work history
• Work experience (voluntary and/ or paid)
• Professional development and skillset e.g. certification, courses, workshops, conference attendance/ presentations
• Publications and awards

2. Letter of application (~500 words, maximum 2 pages).
Please note that your application will be assessed on research ‘potential’ as opposed to research ‘experience’ to allow candidates who have not had the resources or opportunities to have internships or study for a master’s degree to be assessed on equal terms with those who have had these opportunities.

Please use the guiding questions/areas below to structure your letter of application.

• What it is about this particular research area that interests you (e.g. your interest/understanding of the research question, your skills/experience that fit with this project)?
• How will this PhD studentship help you achieve your future career goals?
• Examples of your achievements in research related activities (e.g. undergraduate, internships, masters or postgraduate work experience).
• Example of your achievements in non-research related activities (e.g. outside of academic study).
• Any additional relevant information to support your application. Including, any mitigation factors you wish to make the selection committee aware of for consideration during the assessment of your application e.g. career breaks due to parental leave or periods of illness, reduced time for career progression due to disability or caring responsibilities, or reduced opportunities to career support.

The University recognises that you may be reluctant, or uncomfortable disclosing relevant information that is sensitive. However, you should bear in mind that that we are unable to take into account factors that you do not disclose. Please be assured that information provided by you is sensitive and will be treated confidentially and in line with General Data and Protection Regulations (GDPR).

3. Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained (this should be an interim transcript if you are still studying).

4. Names of two referees familiar with your academic work. You are not required to obtain references yourself. We will request references directly from your referees if you are shortlisted.

5. If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need to submit evidence of your proficiency in English

Our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Commitment

The University of Exeter, NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and Dunhill Medical Trust strongly adhere to Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) principles. They share a fundamental objective to empower better health outcomes for all patients and the public by translating scientific breakthroughs into potential new treatments, diagnostics and medical technologies.

We are committed to ensuring that the consideration of EDI is second nature to all members of our experimental medicine and translational research community, fostering a fully inclusive environment where everyone feels supported, valued, and is provided the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Our strategy purposefully shares overarching EDI visions with those of the NIHR, UoE and NHS Trust partners to allow for collaborative working to reach our mutual goals. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underserved within our working community.

Summary