UK: PhD Research Studentship at Institute of Health , University of East Anglia
Institute of Health , University of East Anglia
Research synthesis for evidence-based practice (Ref: UEA01)
Applicationsare invited for a PhD research studentship in evidence based healthpractice. This is a joint studentship between the School of AlliedHealth Professions and the School of Medicine , Health Policy andPractice. Funding includes UK/EU tuition fees, maintenance expenses of£12,000 and some training costs.
Youare eligible if you have a 2:1 degree and a background in ahealth-related discipline, or in other science subjects such asmathematics, statistics, biological science, economics, or socialscience. Previous research experience or a Master degree would be anadvantage.
The first supervisor willbe Dr Fujian Song who is a Reader in research synthesis in chronicillness and rehabilitation. Dr Song has extensive experience inresearch synthesis including heterogeneity in meta-analysis,publication and related bias, indirect comparison, and quality ofnon-randomised studies (http://www.uea.ac.uk/~wo158/).
Thesuccessful candidate is expected to undertake methodological researchrelated to evidence synthesis such as systematic reviews,meta-analysis, or decision analysis modelling . According to yourinterests and experience, you can select a research topic from thefollowing: systematic review of qualitative research, indirectcomparison for estimating relative efficacy of competing healthcareinterventions, publication and related biases in health relatedresearch, methods for synthesizing data from diverse sources,theory-driven research synthesis, and computer simulation modelling forresearch synthesis. Potential candidates are also welcome to suggestother research proposals related to evidence synthesis.
The Institute of Health
TheInstitute of Health is comprised of the following Schools of study:Allied Health Professions (AHP); Medicine, Health Policy and Practice(MED); and Nursing and Midwifery (NAM).
TheInstitute plays a leading role in developing professional excellence atundergraduate and postgraduate levels. It promotes interdisciplinaryteaching and learning and offers a wide range of programmes including:pre-registration degree courses for occupational therapists,physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, nurses, and midwives;a five-year MB/BS programme; a modular MSc in Health Sciences for thecontinuing professional development of a wide range of health careprofessionals; a doctoral programme (ClinPsyD) in clinical psychology;the degrees of PhD, M Phil and MD, awarded by thesis or by portfolio ofpublished work.
• Chronic Disease & Rehabilitation
• Education & Learning
• Evidence Based Practice
• Infection and Immunology
• Policy & Decision Making
• Psychological Health
Researchin the Institute is well integrated within the University. It hasexcellent working links with clinicians, professional bodies and with awide range of UEA Schools with an interest in health and disability.
The School of Allied Health Professions (AHP)
TheSchool of Allied Health Professions at the University of East Angliaopened in 1990 as the first joint School in the country with a sharedcurriculum. The School has excellent facilities housed in apurpose-built building that includes a computing suite, gymnasium information technology resources and a sensory stimulation environment.
Thesupport, high quality tuition and supervision of research students andtheir projects reflect the breadth of research and clinical experienceamong the members of faculty and a commitment to interdisciplinaryteaching and learning. AHP were graded 23 out of a possible 24 in thelast Subject Review carried out by the Quality Assurance Agency forHigher Education. The research programme aims to produce high qualityresearch that supports the clinical effectiveness of healthprofessional practice, especially within the processes ofrehabilitation.
TheSchool of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice (MED) was formed inAugust 2001 through a merger of two previously existing components, ie:the School of Medicine, itself relatively new (2000), and the School ofHealth Policy and Practice, established in January 1994 as amulti-disciplinary centre for health research and teaching. Theresulting new School has over 80 members of academic, research andsupport staff - and a large number of active NHS secondees and honoraryappointees - from a wide range of disciplines (including healtheconomics, psychology, epidemiology, statistics, biological sciences,medicine and surgery).
Researchsynthesis is a process involving systematically identifying, assessingand integrating research evidence. With the rapid expansion of thehealth-related research literature, research synthesis (eg, systematicreviews, meta-analyses and modelling) becomes increasingly im portantfor evidence-based practice and to inform pr im ary research.
MEDhas a track record of undertaking systematic reviews which have beenfunded by a variety of sources, including the NHS Health TechnologyAssessment Programme. Dr Christina Jerosch-Herold in AHP has experiencein applying systematic review methods to outcome measures and studiesinvestigating clinimetric and psychometric properties of outcomemeasures especially in relation to the upper limb dysfunction. Somemethodological research related to evidence synthesis is also inprogress. An increasing number of academic staff is involved inCochrane Review Groups. Professor Miranda Mugford is chair of convenorsof the Campbell and Cochrane Economics Methods Working Group. Dr FujianSong (Reader in Research Synthesis) is a member of the CochraneMethodology Review Group. Professor Ian Harvey (Professor of PublicHealth), Dr Yoon Loke (Senior Clinical Lecturer in ClinicalPharmacology) and Drs Richard Holland, Jane Smith and MarcusKeogh-Brown have also conducted systematic reviews. The development ofresearch synthesis as an important methodology has been furthersupported by the appointment of a new lecturer in Research Synthesis,Dr Lee Hooper, in January 2005. In addition, an East Anglia ResearchSynthesis Group (EARS) has been recently formed by academics andresearchers who are interested in research synthesis in the Instituteof Health , with regular meetings and journal clubs to discuss researchissues related to evidence based practice in general and evidencesynthesis in particular.
For general enquiries about the PhD programme please contact Dr Maggie McArthur, Postgraduate Research Student Co-ordinator, m.mcarthur@uea.ac.uk , 01603 593299.
Applications,together with an outline proposal and academic CV, should be submittedto Sue Colman , School of Allied Health Professions, University of EastAnglia, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, email: sue.colman@uea.ac.uk , 01603 593447. Application forms may be downloaded Here
Closing date for applications is 14 th November 2005 .
Reference:
http://www.ahp.uea.ac.uk/research/studentships.shtml
