Fully Funded ESRC PhD Studentship
Campylobacteriosis: elucidating the disease burden, risk perception and costs to rural communities and their families
University of Aberdeen/London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Supervisors:
Dr Norval Strachan, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen
Email: n.strachan@abdn.ac.uk; Tel: 01224 272699
Dr Colin Hunter, Geography & Environment, University of Aberdeen
Email: ch69@st-andrews.ac.uk; Tel: +44 (0)1334 464017
Professor Jenny Roberts, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Email: Jenny.Roberts@lshtm.ac.uk; Tel: 020 7927 2227
Overview:
This is a fully-funded PhD studentship, awarded under the UK Research Councils' Rural Economy & Land Use (RELU) programme. The studentship is tied to the particular RELU project, ‘Reducing E. coli O157 risk in rural communities'. The successful candidate will be registered for a PhD at the University of Aberdeen , but will also spend some time at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The PhD project is interdisciplinary in nature, and reflects the expertise of the supervisors in epidemiological risk assessment, the social perception of disease risk, and the economic cost of disease to society. The successful candidate will also benefit from direct and regular interaction with members of the larger E. coli O157 RELU project team, including attendance at project team meetings.
Project Outline:
This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference in understanding and investigating methods for preventing a gastrointestinal pathogen that causes an estimated 350,000 human cases of disease in the UK annually. Campylobacter infections have been associated with consumption of contaminated poultry, but recent advances have demonstrated an increased risk to rural families of human campylobacteriosis from environmental sources.
The research will address four key research questions :
- Can the risks to the rural population and their families be quantified?
- What are rural stakeholder perceptions of this pathogen, their understanding of the risks and their willingness to manage/ameliorate the risk?
- What is the socio-economic burden of this disease to the rural population?
- Do cost-effective educational/awareness raising interventions exist that can prevent the disease?
The project will use methodologies in risk assessment/epidemiology, social science and economics that are being applied in our £1.25 million E. coli O157 RELU award. The project offers an outstanding opportunity to learn and apply a range of skills to address an important public health problem, and full training will be provided to the successful candidate in appropriate methodologies.
Rather than focusing on prior training in a particular subject or degree, we are looking for candidates from a wide range of backgrounds who have the aptitude and dedication to work across traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Funding Notes:
Candidates must be eligible for UK/EU fee status (EU students MUST have been in the UK for at least three years prior to commencement of the studentship) and should hold a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree, a Masters degree or an equivalent qualification.
Application Procedure:
An application form must be completed. This is available on-line from the following link: www.abdn.ac.uk/sras/postgraduate/apply.shtml .
Please ensure that the project title (above) is included in the application form.
Completed applications forms should be sent to:
Ms Sandra Skilling
Senior Postgraduate Secretary
School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen
Cruickshank Building , St Machar Drive
Aberdeen AB24 3UU.
Tel: 01224 272686
Email: s.skilling@abdn.ac.uk
To obtain further information, or for an informal discussion about the project, please contact one of the supervisors – Norval Strachan, Colin Hunter or Jenny Roberts using the contact details provided above.
Closing date for applications: 16th May 2008.
Useful References:
Roberts JA, Cumberland P, Sockett PN, et al. The study of infectious intestinal disease in England : socio-economic impact. Epidemiol Infect 2003;130:1-11.
Strachan, NJC; Miller, G; Dunn, GM, et al. Are environmental sources of Campylobacter important for human infection? a CaMPS study ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2007;54 , 40-40.
Strachan NJ , Dunn GM, Locking ME, Reid TM, Ogden ID. Escherichia coli O157: burger bug or environmental pathogen?. Int J Food Microbiol 2006;112:129-37.
Miller G, Dunn GM, Smith-Palmer A, Ogden ID , Strachan NJ . Human campylobacteriosis in Scotland : seasonality, regional trends and bursts of infection. Epidemiol Infect 2004;132:585-93.