PhD Studentship: Assuming Associations From Old Data- The Case of ADHD and Drug Use. MRC GW4 BioMed DTP PhD Studentship 2024/25 Entry, PhD in Public Health and Sports Sciences.

The GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP is offering up to 22 funded studentships across a range of biomedical disciplines, with a start date of October 2024.

These four-year studentships provide funding for fees and stipend at the rate set by the UK Research Councils, as well as other research training and support costs, and are available to UK and International students.

About the GW4 BioMed2 Doctoral Training Partnership

The partnership brings together the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff (lead) and Exeter to develop the next generation of biomedical researchers. Students will have access to the combined research strengths, training expertise and resources of the four research-intensive universities, with opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary and 'team science'. The DTP already has over 90 studentships over 6 cohorts in its first phase, along with 38 students over 2 cohorts in its second phase.

The 80 projects available for application, are aligned to the following themes;

• Infection, Immunity, Antimicrobial Resistance and Repair
  • Neuroscience and Mental Health
  • Population Health Sciences

Applications open on 4nd September 2023 and close at 5.00pm on 1st November 2023.

Studentships will be 4 years full time. Part time study is also available.

Project Information

Theme Neuroscience & Mental Health

Summary:

Many research papers about ADHD include the sentence “ADHD is associated with increased risk of substance use”. However new analysis in UK datasets has shown no association between ADHD and adolescent drug/alcohol use. What is going on? Have we been getting it wrong for years, or are there societal changes impacting on people with ADHD? In this PhD you will unpick whether or not young people with ADHD have an increased risk of using drugs and alcohol, and why (not).

Description:

Society is increasingly recognising the importance of understanding how and why the human brain diverges from neurotypical development. Up to 7% of adolescents experience impairing symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and/or impulsivity, which can be diagnosed as ADHD. Individuals with ADHD are at increased risk of poor health and lifecourse outcomes: better understanding of their positive and negative experiences is vital to improve health and wellbeing.

An established body of research has found that ADHD is linked to increased risk of using drugs in adolescence. Scientists have theorised this could be due to increased risk-taking, or ‘self-medication’. Given that adolescent substance use is known to raise risks for adult mental and physical health, and may explain some relationships between ADHD and adverse outcomes, understanding the current relationship between ADHD and substance use may lead to improving lifetime health for those with ADHD. However, when we recently explored this in a representative UK dataset, we were surprised to find no evidence of an association between ADHD and substance use. Now we want to know why. Was this just a spurious (chance) finding from one dataset, or has the relationship between ADHD and substance use changed over time? Recent advances also show that symptoms of ADHD may dip and then peak again repeatedly over time: perhaps these trajectories are related to substance use.

This PhD project will explore this in depth.

Advert information