Department: Academic Orthopaedics, Trauma and Sports Medicine

Fully funded 3 year PhD studentship (commence October 2013)

Stipend: £14,643 p.a. 

Applications are invited for a 3 year PhD, open to Home, EU and International students. The PhD studentship will cover the cost of tuition fees at the Home/EU rate. International students will be required to fund the difference between the Home/EU and International fee rate. The successful applicant will commence in October 2013. 

We are pleased to be able to offer an exciting opportunity to work within the newly formed Arthritis Research UK Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis. This Centre is a unique collaboration of seven Universities (Nottingham, Oxford, Loughborough, Leeds, Bath, Southampton and UCL) as well as Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust working towards a better understanding of the mechanisms relating sport, exercise, injury and OA. The investigating multi disciplinary team includes specialists in orthopaedics, rheumatology, sport and exercise medicine, physiotherapy, podiatry, epidemiology, occupational therapy, nutrition, sports science, skeletal muscle biology, bone and cartilage biology, psychology, physiology and biomechanics.

Although ankle fractures are common, and frequently require operative stabilisation, the post-operative regimes for these patients are empirical and not evidenced based. The student will join a multi-professional team of clinicians and scientists to test the hypothesis that there is greater muscle mass, muscle fibre area and strength in the affected leg musculature following ankle fracture fixation with early mobilisation compared to standard treatment of six weeks cast immobilisation. The student will research the mechanisms of how, in the presence of fracture and thus inflammation, early exercise affects muscle adaptation and functional outcome. 

This is an excellent opportunity to work in an emerging area of multidisciplinary research, gain a PhD and develop leadership skills in preparation for a high-impact research career. Applicants must have, or expect to receive, a minimum of UK 2.1 honours degree (or equivalent) in biology/physiology or other relevant subject area.  

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Prof Brigitte Scammell, Email: b.scammell@nottingham.ac.uk  

Applications with a covering letter, a detailed CV, the names, addresses and contact details of two/three referees, should be sent to Prof Brigitte Scammell, Email: b.scammell@nottingham.ac.uk  

Please quote ref. SEOA/ROD/BS

Closing date for applications:  22 August 2013

Interview date: 2 September 2013