Here is a medical/public health statistical PhD opportunity available
now:

Simulation of the impact of obesity on population health

Aim
To estimate the impact of the obesity epidemic on the health of a model
population using computer-based simulation methods. 

Background
The rise in the prevalence of overweightness and obesity over the past
fifteen years has been large and almost pandemic. The consequence of
this rise in what is a risk factor common to many diseases is unknown.
Early signs show that the type 2 diabetes consequence will overwhelm
healthcare systems. Health policy can not afford to wait for the outcome
of cohort studies twenty years hence. Current research must therefore
estimate the impact of the obesity epidemic using intermediate markers
of disease outcome, and simulation methods. In addition to the findings
in obesity epidemiology, computer-based statistical simulation models in
epidemiology will be advanced through this work. 

Objectives
The objectives of the project are:
1. Literature review on population health simulation and emergent
obesity epidemiology. 
2. Collation of a library of relevant relative risks for adverse health
outcomes of obesity. 
3. Collation of datasets in which obesity interaction with treatments of
major chronic diseases could be investigated (eg GPRD, IMS, and
Salford), and selection of (a) model population(s) for the simulation
work. 
4. Construction of probabilistic sensitivity analyses and other
simulation models for a summary of population health impacts of obesity
and overweightness. 
5. Comparison of alternative approaches, possibly stochastic vs. machine
learning. 
6. Presentation of results optimised for different decision-making
processes in typical health systems, including public health vs.
clinical services management. 
7. Dissemination of results through at least two substantial papers in
the international literature, the network of the International Obesity
Taskforce, and a thesis. 

Applications via:
http://www.medicine.manchester.ac.uk/graduate/studentships/iainbuchan


Iain Buchan
Director & Senior Lecturer in Public Health Informatics
Northwest Institute for Bio-Health Informatics
Stopford Building (Medical School)
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
MANCHESTER M13 9PT
UK
 
Tel: +44 (0)161 275 5160 (PA 1132)
Fax: +44 (0)161 275 5145
Mobile: +44 (0)7802 85 33 67
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www.nibhi.org.uk