PhD Studentship: Understanding how GLP-1 (Ozempic-type) medications may shape everyday social and economic decisions

The GW4 BioMed3 Doctoral Landscape Programme is offering up to 18 MRC funded studentships across a range of biomedical disciplines, with a start date of October 2027.

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

This project is in competition for place with the projects across the MRC GW4 BioMed3 Doctoral Landscape Award studentships.  There are a total of 18 studentships available across the partnership.  

Ozempic and Mounjaro (semaglutide and tirzepatide)—GLP-1 receptor agonists originally developed for diabetes—are now increasingly used for weight loss, with millions of people prescribed these medications. Yet we know almost nothing about how they affect economic and social decisions. Because these drugs act on the brain's reward system, they may quietly change how patient, risk-taking, cooperative or competitive people are—with consequences for work, money and society. This PhD combines economics, psychology and health science to look into this topic for the first time. You will gain skills in behavioural experiments, data science and health research through meta-analysis, online experiments, and more.

These studentships are funded through GW4 BioMed3 MRC Doctoral Landscape Programme and consist of UK tuition fees, as well as a Doctoral Stipend matching UK Research Council National Minimum (£21, 805 p.a. for 2026/27, updated each year).

Additional research training and support funding of up to £5,000 per annum is also available.

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