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 this 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. 

It is vital that the population is sufficiently physically active in order to maximise health (and prevent ill-health). Currently only a third of British workers meet recommendations for physical activity and the majority are overweight or obese, which is associated with increased risk of chronic diseases. The main themes of this project will be to better understand (a) the relationship in obese and non-obese adults between regular physical activity and both risk of developing, and progression of, osteoarthritis  in different populations using data from existing Cohort studies. It will also seek to identify high risk groups and examine the feasibility of implementing appropriate strategies to reduce OA risk.  

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 a relevant subject area. A relevant Masters qualification is desirable but not essential. This project will require strong analytical and epidemiological skills and advanced statistical analyses experience/ability would be an advantage. 

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Kim Edwards, Email: Kimberley.edwards@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 Dr Kim Edwards, Email: Kimberley.edwards@nottingham.ac.uk  

Please quote ref. SEOA/ROD/KLE2b

Closing date for applications:  22 August 2013

Interview date: 2 September 2013