Exploration of life-style including dietary patterns on later life quality of movement

Oxford Brookes University
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Department of Sport and Health Sciences.
http://www.shs.brookes.ac.uk/

Three Year Full Time PhD Research Studentship 
Title: Exploration of life-style including dietary patterns on later life quality of movement 
Director of Studies: Dr Helen Lightowler 
Second Supervisors: Dr Patrick Esser / Dr Shelly Coe 
Eligibility: Home UK/EU applicants only (who must be permanently resident in UK/EU) 
Start date: 19 September 2016 
Value pa: Bursary of £14,296 for academic year 2016/17 & fees 

Requirements: Honours degree (2.1 or equivalent) and educated to BSc or MSc degree level equivalent to a UK degree or equivalent in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, physiology, psychology, nutrition, human biology or movement science. Experience of working with clinical adult populations is preferable. 

EU applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate minimum score level 6 in each of the four areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking with overall minimum score 7.0 issued since the 23rd April 2015 by an approved test centre please see https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/491093/2016-01-11_-Approved_Secure_English_Language_Tests_and_Test_Centres_-_Website.pdf 

Project
A healthy life-style, e.g. diet patterns and physical activity, has been associated with an overall health state including improved cognitive ability and more recently an association has been found to motor performance and function. Currently little is known on how life-style factors throughout life affect quality of movement in later life. The Movement Science Group is collaborating with several national (Medical Research Council, Whitehall, Southend and Brent Revisited) and international (McGill, Shanghai) longitudinal cohorts whereby in-depth gait assessments are being performed alongside a battery of extensive tests performed according to the cohort protocols. We expect to have extensive data on lifestyle factors as well as in-depth movement measurements in 1,000s of people over the next two years. 

The main aim of this PhD is to utilise longitudinal cohort data to explore dietary patterns, physical activity and behaviour in early life and the effect on quality of movement in later life. 

The successful candidate would be expected to present at scientific meetings and publish. The student will build on the Functional Food Centre’s and the Movement Science Group’s previous work into nutrition and clinical rehabilitation science and work to develop interventions suitable for a range of participants, from healthy and ageing adults and those with neurological conditions. In addition they should be comfortable in a multidisciplinary environment, including clinical groups.

Students will be required to undertake up to 6 hours undergraduate teaching per week during Semesters without further remuneration. 
Successful applicant will be subject to a DBS search once they enrol. For checking procedures we will require a current passport – – https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check 

Further information e-mail: Dr Helen Lightowler hlightowler@brookes.ac.uk 

To apply please download Application Form from 
http://www.hls.brookes.ac.uk/images/research/phd-studentship-application-form-jan-14.doc 

With your application please supply a CV, plus a valid IELTS Academic test score certificate from an approved test centre, scanned copies of your degree certificate/s and transcript/s and two academic references. Applications only accepted by e-mail to: hlsapplications@brookes.ac.uk 

Interviews likely to be held on the 28th July 2016