Hospital Infection Society PhD Studentship
Mathematical Modelling of Healthcare Associated Infections in Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate for a PhD in mathematical modelling. This research project will involve the development and application of an individual-based transmission model to investigate the spread of Clostridium difficile (C diff) in hospitals, the community, and long-term care homes. Many people carry C diff in their guts, but antibiotics can disturb the gut flora, allowing C diff to multiply. This can result in symptoms ranging from diarrhoea to life-threatening inflammation. Hence C diff is a major hospital-acquired infection, which resulted in about 4,000 deaths in England and Wales in 2009. The economic burden of the disease has been estimated to be about £75 million per annum. The UK Government has identified reducing C diff as a key priority for the NHS. There is now a vaccine undergoing clinical trials, and this project will assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of this vaccine to prevent illness in vulnerable groups. The project is in partnership with the HPA and a number of hospital trusts. There has been mandatory reporting of C diff for all hospitals in England since 2004. This comprehensive surveillance system is run by the HPA and the data will be available to parameterise the mathematical model. The PhD therefore provides an excellent opportunity for the successful candidate to develop and make use of cutting-edge epidemiological methods and inform policy in this high-profile area.
This PhD will be based both at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the national infectious disease surveillance centre at the HPA in North London.
Eligibility & Award
The award is for 3 years and covers full-time home/EU fees and a stipend of over £16,000 per annum. The PhD is funded by the Hospital Infection Society.
The award is available to both UK/EU nationals and to overseas students. Overseas students will be required to prove at the point of application that they are able to fund the difference between home/EU and overseas fees via an official sponsor letter. For more information on fees please click here.
Applicants should have (or be about to finish) a relevant masters degree. Those with an undergraduate degree may be considered if they have considerable research experience in a relevant subject (mathematical modelling, statistics, or a related discipline with a strong quantitative component). Knowledge of infectious diseases and/or organisation of health care services would be an advantage. The ability to communicate to a range of different people is essential.
How to Apply
For an informal discussion, applicants should e-mail Prof John Edmunds [log in to unmask]
Those interested in being considered for the Studentship should make an application for study to the School, marking in the appropriate section of your application that you wish to apply for the award.
For more information on how to apply please see http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/prospectus/funding/hospital_infection.html in the first instance.
Deadline for Application: Wednesday 22nd June 2011.
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