Building the evidence around risks and actions on thunderstorm asthma. MRC GW4 BioMed DTP PhD studentship 2025/26 Entry, Department of European Centre for Environment and Human Health, Medical School Ref: 5257

Supervisors

Lead Supervisor: Professor Ben Wheeler University of Exeter, Department of Medicine

CO-Supervisor: 

Professor Mat Collins University of Exeter, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Dr Helen McIntyre, University of Exeter, Department of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP is offering up to 21 funded studentships across a range of biomedical disciplines, with a start date of October 2025.

These four-year studentships provide funding for fees and stipend at the rate set by the UK Research Councils, as well as other research training and support costs, and are available to UK and International students.

About the GW4 BioMed2 Doctoral Training Partnership

The partnership brings together the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff (lead) and Exeter to develop the next generation of biomedical researchers. Students will have access to the combined research strengths, training expertise and resources of the four research-intensive universities, with opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary and 'team science'. The DTP already has over 90 studentships over 6 cohorts in its first phase, along with 58 students over 3 cohorts in its second phase.

The 120 projects available for application, are aligned to the following themes;

• Infection, Immunity, Antimicrobial Resistance and Repair

• Neuroscience and Mental Health

• Population Health Sciences

 

Applications open on 10th September 2024 and close at 5.00pm on 4th November 2024.

Studentships will be 4 years full time.  Part time study is also available.

Project Information

Research Theme: Population Health Sciences

Summary.

This project will focus on strengthening evidence to inform action on the emergent phenomenon of thunderstorm asthma. This refers to episodes of increased incidence of asthma exacerbations during thunderstorms,
which has been observed internationally.

The research will focus on strengthening understanding of the current and likely future epidemiology of thunderstorm asthma under climate change scenarios,build understanding of the links to thunderstorm events, and the role of other potential exacerbating factors. It will inform development of public health advice to reduce risks.

Description Background

Thunderstorm asthma refers to episodes of increased incidence of asthma events during thunderstorms, which has been observed internationally. One of the best known cases was in Melbourne, Australia on 21st November 2016. This event is estimated to have resulted in >3000 excess attendances for respiratory symptoms at
emergency departments (ED), and almost 500 additional admissions (Thien et al, 2018). Notably only around a quarter of ED attendances had current doctor-diagnosed asthma, meaning the impacts can occur across
the general population.

Around 12% of the UK population has asthma and risks for those withthis condition can be significant. UKHSA-led research showed a 5- to 6- fold increase in emergency department attendances for asthma linked to
thunderstorm activity in summer 2021. Mechanisms leading to asthma attacks during these periods are not well understood, but likely include a mix of meteorological, environmental, and physiological factors. The
occurrence of thunderstorms in the UK is likely to significantly increase under climate change.

Aim
This PhD project will focus on strengthening our understanding of the current and likely future epidemiology of thunderstorm asthma under UKCP18 climate change scenarios, build understanding of the links to thunderstorm events, and the role of other potential exacerbating factors. It will inform development of public health advice to reduce risks.

Research question & objectives

The overarching research question is “What is the current and likely future epidemiology of thunderstorm asthma in the UK under climate scenarios, and how can public health systems and services respond and prepare?”

Objectives build sequentially from evidence review, through empirical and modelling studies to work on public health implications:

1. Synthesise and evaluate the existing international evidence on thunderstorm asthma epidemiology, including descriptive data and explanatory mechanisms.

2. Evaluate potential data resources to study thunderstorm asthma and its determinants in the UK, including future scenarios from veryhigh-resolution (2km) simulations performed as part of UKCP18.

3. Develop and carry out secondary data analyses to build on the empirical and explanatory evidence base for the UK.

4. Integrate findings with high-resolution climate projections to estimate likely futures for thunderstorm asthma under different scenarios.

5. Work with public health services to develop appropriate responses and plans for future risk management and mitigation.

Methods

Objective 1 will be met through an appropriate, substantive evidence review, for example using one of the family of review and evidence synthesis methods.

Objective 2-3 will involve working with supervisors, topic experts and the results of the evidence review to identify candidate data resources for empirical study in the UK. These may involve data such as:
- NHS Hospital Episode Statistics
- Environmental Public Health Tracking data held by UKHSA
- Met Office pollen count data
- Historic weather data resources
- Spatial environmental and socio-demographic data
- Future climate data at high spatial resolution
The student will be supported to design and gain ethical approval for analyses using selected data resources. These empirical studies are likely to include data integration using Geographic Information Systems, timeseries analyses and related statistical approaches.

Objective 4 will involve integrating findings from empirical analyses with climate and socio-economic projections to model potential future thunderstorm asthma risks for UK populations under different climate change scenarios.

Objective 5 will involve working with UKHSA colleagues to consider how the findings from the research can be used to inform public health policy and action, and producing relevant briefings or guidance.

Student role

The student will be encouraged to take ownership of the project from outset, with appropriate support from supervisors. Dependent on existing expertise/experience they will be steered to a greater extent during the earlier stages of the PhD, but will be encouraged and supported to gradually take on project leadership. They will be encouraged to explore opportunities around the objectives and to consider refinements and evolution of the approach and methods according to their own development of skills, knowledge and capabilities during the studentship.

References
Thien et al. (2018) The Melbourne epidemic thunderstorm asthma event 2016: an investigation of environmental triggers, effect on health services, and patient risk factors. The Lancet Planetary Health 2: 6, e255- e263. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30120-7

Funding

This studentship is funded through GW4BioMed2 MRC Doctoral Training Partnership. It consists of UK tuition fees, as well as a Doctoral Stipend matching UK Research Council National Minimum (£19,237 p.a. for 2024/25, updated each year).

Additional research training and support funding of up to £5,000 per annum is also available.

Eligibility

Residency:

The GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP studentships are available to UK and International applicants. Following Brexit, the UKRI now classifies EU students as international unless they have rights under the EU Settlement Scheme. The GW4 partners have agreed to cover the difference in costs between home and international tuition fees. This means that international candidates will not be expected to cover this cost and will be fully funded but need to be aware that they will be required to cover the cost of their student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK to do a PhD.  All studentships will be competitively awarded and there is a limit to the number of International students that we can accept into our programme (up to 30% cap across our partners per annum).

Academic criteria:

Applicants for a studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a first or upper second-class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of medical sciences, computing, mathematics or the physical sciences.  Applicants with a lower second class will only be considered if they also have a Master’s degree. Please check the entry requirements of the home institution for each project of interest before completing an application. Academic qualifications are considered alongside significant relevant non-academic experience.

English requirements:

If English is not your first language you will need to meet the English language requirements of the university that will host your PhD by the start of the programme. Please refer to the details in the following web page for further information https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/englishlanguagerequirements/

Data Protection

If you are applying for a place on a collaborative programme of doctoral training provided by Cardiff University and other universities, research organisations and/or partners please be aware that your personal data will be used and disclosed for the purposes set out below.

Your personal data will always be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations of 2018. Cardiff University (“University”) will remain a data controller for the personal data it holds, and other universities, research organisations and/or partners (“HEIs”) may also become data controllers for the relevant personal data they receive as a result of their participation in the collaborative programme of doctoral training (“Programme”).

Further Information

For an overview of the MRC GW4 BioMed programme please see the website www.gw4biomed.ac.uk

Entry requirements

Academic Requirements

Applicants for a studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a first or upper second-class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of medical sciences, computing, mathematics or the physical sciences. Applicants with a lower second class will only be considered if they also have a Master’s degree. Please check the entry requirements of the home institution for each project of interest before completing an application. Academic qualifications are considered alongside significant relevant non-academic experience.

English Language Requirements

If English is not your first language you will need to meet the English language requirements of the university that will host your PhD by the start of the programme. Please refer to the relevant university website for further information.  This will be at least 6.5 in IELTS or an acceptable equivalent.  Please refer to the English Language requirements web page for further information.

How to apply

A list of all the projects and how to apply is available on the DTP’s website at gw4biomed.ac.uk.  You may apply for up to 2 projects and submit one application per candidate only.

Please complete an application to the GW4 BioMed2 MRC DTP for an ‘offer of funding’.  If successful, you will also need to make an application for an 'offer to study' to your chosen institution.

Please complete the online application form linked from our website by 5.00pm on Monday, 4th November 2024.  If you are shortlisted for interview, you will be notified from Friday, 20th December 2024.  Interviews will be held virtually on 23rd and 24th January 2025.

Further Information

For informal enquiries, please contact GW4BioMed@cardiff.ac.uk

For project related queries, please contact the respective supervisors listed on the project descriptions on our website.

Summary