PhD Studentship: Developing and Evaluating a Co-designed Complex Intervention to Support Multidisciplinary Decision-making and Patient-centred Care in Gestational Breast Cancer (gBC).

Gestational breast cancer (gBC), defined as breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy, presents a rare and highly complex clinical challenge. Women and clinicians must make time-critical treatment decisions under uncertainty, balancing maternal and foetal outcomes across multiple specialties. 

Although clinical guidelines exist,1applying them consistently in practice is difficult, and many women report limited support in understanding options and expressing what matters most to them. 

Working with leaders in gBC research, this PhD will develop and evaluate a co-designed intervention to improve multidisciplinary team (MDT) decision-making and patient-centred care in gBC. The project will integrate analysis of real-world care pathways, evidence synthesis, and qualitative research with women and clinicians to identify gaps in decision- making and care coordination. 

These insights will inform the co-design of a novel intervention comprising two components:

(1) an MDT decision-support toolkit and (2) a patient-facing values-clarification and decision-support tool.

Working closely with NHS partners, clinical experts, and the national charity Mummy’s Star, the postgraduate researcher will use co-design and user experience methods to develop a prototype, followed by evaluation of its acceptability and usability in NHS settings. This interdisciplinary PhD offers training in co-design, qualitative and mixed-methods research, implementation science, and digital health development. The project has strong potential to improve care quality and patient experience in gBC, with wider relevance to other complex, multidisciplinary conditions.

Supervisors: Dr Jenny Harris and Professor Jo Armes

Entry requirements

Open to UK nationals only. Starting in October 2026. Later start dates may be possible, please contact Dr Jenny Harris once the deadline passes.

You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements for our PhD programme.

This PhD will co-design digital prototypes for cancer care and complex healthcare decision-making. We seek a candidate with quantitative or qualitative experience, ideally both. Digital tool experience is beneficial but not essential.

Applicants should be willing to develop complementary methodological skills. Training will cover data science, behavioural and implementation science, and mixed-methods research.

Applicants from health sciences, psychology, medicine, digital health, health informatics, or related disciplines are encouraged to apply. We welcome interest in interdisciplinary cancer research, patient-centred care, digital innovation, and decision-making.

Applicants should ideally hold a first-class or upper second-class undergraduate degree in a health sciences or related subject, and a postgraduate degree. Equivalent research or professional experience will be considered.

The successful candidate will join a team of researchers, clinicians, patients, and stakeholders. Communication, organisational, and project management skills, self-motivation, collaboration, and commitment to high-quality research are important.

Promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion is at the heart of the University of Surrey. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and actively encourage applications from people with diverse career paths, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics.

How to apply

Applications should be submitted via the above 'Apply' button.

In place of a research proposal, you should upload a document stating the title of the project that you wish to apply for and the name of the relevant supervisor.

Funding 

Fully and directly funded for this project only, UKRI standard stipend - £21,805 for 2026/27 academic year. Funding available for 3.5 years.

Application deadline: 12 July 2026 

Enquiries: Contact Dr Jenny Harris

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