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Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies (CFAS)Alzheimer’s Society Doctoral Training Centre
CFAS/Alzheimer’s Society are offering four fully funded Full time PhD studentships for 3 years one of which could be a clinical training fellowship for projects commencing 1st October 2015.
The studentships will provide an annual stipend, full home/EU fees and research costs. The studentships will be based at one of the CFAS collaborating universities in the UK. All PhD students will be encouraged to actively engage with CFAS Investigators and students based at other CFAS centres.
Applicants are encouraged to contact prospective supervisors for further information about specific projects before applying.
If you wish to apply please submit a copy of your CV along with a covering letter stating which CFAS DTC (code 01-06) you are applying for. Please submit the documentation to the CFAS DTC Applications panel by forwarding them to the National Coordinator, Linda Barnes at: [email protected]. The closing date for applications is 2nd April 2015. Interviews will be held via Skype/teleconference between 15th and 23rd April – dates and times will be confirmed to potential candidates by 9th April 2015.
Successful applicants will then be invited to submit a formal application to the appropriate Universities using their normal online application processes.
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CFASDTC 01: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in the population: New criteria and cohort effects – The aim of the project is to undertake a detailed investigation of the state of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in a current cohort of CFAS II individuals, including prevalence, dementia progression and risk factors for future cognitive decline. This PhD will be hosted at Newcastle University – Primary Supervisor/contact: Dr Blossom Stephan- [email protected]
CFASDTC 02: Social and psychological factors contributing to maintaining cognitive health and reducing risk of dementia – This project will use data from the CFAS II and CFAS Wales cohorts to examine the impact of different lifestyles and living situations on cognitive health, cognitive function, social engagement and psychological well-being (cross-sectionally) and on the incidence of mild cognitive impairment and dementia (longitudinally). By providing new evidence about risk and protective factors, the project will contribute to our active programme of developing and evaluating interventions aimed at reducing the risk of developing dementia. This PhD will be hosted at Exeter University – Primary Supervisor/contact: Prof Linda Clare - [email protected]
CFASDTC 03: The benefits and harms of multiple medication use in older people with dementia: understanding the risks and perceptions among patients and carers.
The number of older people taking multiple medications is increasing but there is little evidence as to how this affects the quality and quantity of life. People with dementia are at increased risk of polypharmacy and poor concordance with medication regimes due to cognitive impairment and co-morbid conditions. Recent studies have highlighted potential harmful effects of the long-term use of specific medications that, in the short-term, can often improve the quality of life of patients and their carers. It is important to understand how multiple medication use affects people with dementia, and how patients and carers understand and weigh up the risks and benefits of the medicines available to them. The successful candidate will work closely with a team working towards a better
understanding of the effects of medicine use in dementia (www.uea.ac.uk/drug-saftey-and-dementia). You will use data from the Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies to examine how multiple medication use affects survival and quality of life among people with dementia and how this has changed over the past 20 years. You will also conduct interviews to explore how patients, carers and prescribers understand the risks and benefits of multiple medicines. This PhD will be hosted at UEA – Primary Supervisor/contact: Dr George Savva – [email protected]
CFASDTC 04: Providing Spousal Care to people with Dementia: How to promote resilience in challenging times ––The population is ageing, the proportion of dependent to independent people is increasing; people are living longer with complex health and social care needs. Familial carers have challenging roles, family responsibilities and their own health needs. Familial care is driven by: wanting to do what's best for one's family; and socio-economic pressures. The pressure on spousal care challenges the established institutional structure of caring. Is it resilient and sustainable? This project is based on the Resilience Framework. This proposal examines resilience within an ecological framework, using multi-methods to identify, assess and promote resilience in spousal carers using Mixed-Methods Synthesis. The project will involve a number of methodological approaches including multivariate modeling, qualitative interviewing and analysis, and conducting a systematic review. Alongside the development of methodological skills the students will also be involved in the further theoretical development of the ecological model of resilience in familial dementia care. Applications are welcome from candidates from psychology and related disciplines with experience of both quantitative and qualitative methods. This PhD will be hosted at Liverpool University - Primary Supervisor/contact: Kate Bennett - [email protected]
CFASDTC 05: Making retail environments more dementia friendly – This project aims to explore features of the built environment that enable older people with dementia to keep mobile in relation to their everyday lives. It will build on existing environmental measures in CFAS II and CFAS Wales. The data will be further explored to develop a prototype for retail environments that are attractive and enhance mobility for older people with dementia. This PhD will be hosted at Swansea University – Primary Supervisor/contact: Prof Judith Phillips –[email protected]
CFASDTC 06: Consenting and the changing practices of participation in dementia research –Amid broader debates about the growing phenomenon of re-consent in research, the nature of 'big data', the re-purposing of cohorts and changing practice of research participation, this qualitative research is a unique opportunity to study current research participant’s views of re-consent regarding two significant considerations: data sharing where cohorts are merged in the development of a multi institution platform and; the transformation of participation from observational/natural history to experimental/intervention. This is an unparalleled opportunity for an enthusiastic sociology/anthropology (or other social sciences) student to contribute empirical evidence to a relatively under researched field. This PhD will be hosted by IPH, University of Cambridge, Primary Supervisor/contact: Shirlene Badger - [email protected]