Project Code MRCPHS25Br Wade Research Theme Population Health Sciences Project Summary Download Summary Alarmingly, the incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is increasing rapidly in the UK. This rise may be, in part, attributable to obesity but exactly how obesity…
Metabolomic characterisation of adiposity across the life course
Project Code MRCPHS25Br Timpson Research Theme Population Health Sciences Project Summary Download Summary Adiposity, measured by body mass index (BMI), is linked to a range of health outcomes, but the underpinning biology is less understood. Metabolomics (the large-scale study of…
Using genetics to understand mental health outcomes in children from a clinical birth cohort
Project Code MRCPHS25Br Stergiakouli Research Theme Population Health Sciences Project Summary Download Summary This project will provide in-depth training in genetic epidemiology, childhood mental health, cohort studies and cleft. The student will have the opportunity to develop into one of…
Quantifying the impact of chronic pesticide exposure on disease susceptibility
Project Code MRCPHS25Br Siviter Research Theme Population Health Sciences Project Summary Download Summary Humanity has endured several outbreaks of infectious diseases that threaten population health. Environmental factors can influence disease susceptibility, but quantifying the impact of specific stressors is extremely…
Exploring the interplay and mechanisms between sleep, circadian rhythms and physical activity in relation to physical and mental health
Project Code MRCPHS25Br Richmond Research Theme Population Health Sciences Project Summary Download Summary Understanding the interplay between physical activity and sleep is important for improving physical and mental health. A proposed mechanism linking physical activity with improved sleep is through…
Shining a light on the un-common to identify novel health risk-factors
Project Code MRCPHS25Br Nivard Research Theme Population Health Sciences Project Summary Download Summary Complex traits such as body mass index and height are influenced by a mixture of genetic and environmental factors. By first predicting what an individual’s BMI or…
Using diverse cohorts, methods and novel measures to understand the relationship between diet, physical activity and health outcomes
Project Code MRCPHS25Br Munafò Research Theme Population Health Sciences Project Summary Download Summary Certain aspects of diet (e.g., high salt intake) and lower physical activity are known to cause poorer health outcomes. However, the impacts of other specific food types…
Uncovering the role of epigenetics in modifying disease risk
Project Code MRCPHS25Br Min Research Theme Population Health Sciences Project Summary Download Summary Genetic and environmental factors influencing our health outcomes. Independent effects of genetic and environmental factors on diseases are well known but studies where both genes and environment…
Under pressure: Investigating the role of tissue density and mechanics in breast cancer development
Project Code MRCPHS25Br Lloyd-Lewis Research Theme Cross-CuttingInfection, Immunity, Antimicrobial Resistance and RepairNeuroscience and Mental HealthPopulation Health Sciences Project Summary Download Summary A high breast mammographic density is a major risk factor for breast cancer, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain…
Automating knowledge synthesis in biomedical literature using AI and Large Language Models
Project Code MRCPHS25Br Liu Research Theme Population Health Sciences Project Summary Download Summary There are millions of new scientific findings published every year, and the evidence they contain vary by their study designs and analysis methods (e.g. randomised trials, Mendelian…