PhD Studentship: Heat impacts on pregnancy outcomes: an interdisciplinary and cross-species approach

Title of studentship: Heat impacts on pregnancy outcomes: an interdisciplinary and cross-species approach

The project:

There is increasing appreciation that extreme weather events such as heatwaves increase mortality risks in humans and a range of organisms. Less well understood, however, is how such events affect other aspects of health, particularly those in potentially heat-vulnerable categories such as pregnant women. Recent research across a range of organisms has shown that fecundity outcomes are even more sensitive to temperature variation than survival. Moreover, there is emerging evidence that pregnant women exposed to heat are more likely to have miscarriages or give birth pre-term. We can gain powerful insights by using animal models to understand underlying physiological mechanisms in tandem with epidemiological studies in human populations. Heatwaves are increasing in frequency and intensity across the globe and miscarriage and pre-term birth have major consequences for short- and long-term wellbeing of mothers and children. Taken together, a new understanding of how heat affects pregnancy outcomes is important for estimating how climate change will impact human health in the future.  

We propose an exciting PhD project that will use an interdisciplinary approach to understand the consequences of heat exposure on pregnancy outcomes in humans and other organisms. This project will also investigate whether such effects depend on the timing in pregnancy (heat exposure around conception, or in a particular trimester).

How to apply:

Please make an online application for this project at http://www.bris.ac.uk/pg-howtoapply. Please select Biological Sciences (PhD) on the Programme Choice page. You should refer to the project title and supervisor in your application. You will be prompted to enter details of the studentship in the Funding and Research Details sections of the form.

Candidate requirements:  An upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in biological sciences or related discipline

Funding: The studentship will cover full tuition fees and a minimum stipend equivalent to the UKRI tax-free stipend of £17,668 per annum (22/23) for 4 years, and an additional £2000 p.a. contribution to Research and Travel costs.

Contacts:

Supervisory team:

Dr Sinead English sinead.english@bristol.ac.uk (School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences)

Dr Kate Birchenall katherine.birchenall@bristol.ac.uk (Bristol Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences)

Dr Eunice Lo eunice.lo@bristol.ac.uk (Cabot Institute for the Environment, Faculty of Science)

General enquiries: fls-pgenquiries@bristol.ac.uk

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