Co-developing a dietary intervention to lower dementia risk in community-dwelling stroke survivors

About the Project

Up to 40% of stroke survivors develop dementia within one year of their stroke. With around 2% of the UK population living with stroke, this represents a major and growing public health challenge. Despite emerging evidence that diet influences dementia risk and cognitive function after a stroke, there is currently no structured pathway for supporting consumption of a healthy diet in stroke survivors beyond acute clinical care. This PhD offers an exciting opportunity to help change that!

This PhD programme will develop and test a co-designed dietary intervention - PRO-DIET STROKE (PROtecting cognition through DIETary change after STROKE) - aimed at supporting brain health and reducing dementia risk after stroke. You will work at the intersection of nutrition science, stroke care and behavioural science to create a feasible, patient-centred intervention embedded within community care.

The PhD will involve two interconnected elements. In Phase 1, you will lead co-design workshops with stroke survivors, carers, clinicians and commissioners to develop a theory-informed intervention and logic model ready for evaluation.

In Phase 2, you will conduct a 12-month randomised controlled trial (or intervention study) in community-dwelling stroke survivors comparing the intervention to usual care. You will assess dietary intake, cognitive outcomes and biological mechanisms including gut microbiome composition, lipid fractions, and inflammatory/oxidative stress markers. You will also carry out a process evaluation to understand how acceptable the intervention was and what the mechanisms of change were.

This studentship offers exceptional interdisciplinary training. You will gain hands-on experience in clinical trial methodology (e.g., good clinical practice training, applying for and securing research ethics, governance, and trial registration), dietary assessment, biological sample collection and laboratory analysis, microbiome sequencing, advanced statistical modelling in R, and mixed-methods research. You will work closely with an academic nutrition scientist, a GP clinical academic, and an expert in co-design methodology, and be embedded within vibrant research communities and NHS partnerships.

By the end of this PhD, you will have developed expertise spanning mechanistic science, intervention development, and translational clinical research. This will position you competitively for postdoctoral fellowships and leadership roles in dementia prevention and applied health research. We will actively support you to thrive both during and after the PhD.

Funding

Students who have, or are expecting to attain, at least an upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject, are invited to apply. Funding is available for Home (UK) students to cover tuition fees, a tax-free stipend at the UKRI rate (indicative amount in year 1 in 2026-27, £21,805) and research costs, for four years. Applicants normally required to cover International fees will have to cover the difference between the Home and the International tuition fee rates. There is no additional funding available to cover NHS Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) costs, visa costs, flights etc.

Funding for this studentship is awarded on a competitive basis and is not guaranteed; availability will depend on the outcome of the selection process and subject to final approval by the University.

HOW TO APPLY

Please complete the following application form – Google Form

Applicants can only apply for 1 project; any additional applications will not be accepted.

Applicants should send the following documents to FMSstudentships@newcastle.ac.uk:

• a CV (including contact details of at least two academic (or other relevant) referees).
• a Cover letter – stating your project choice, as well as including additional information you feel is pertinent to your application.
• copies of your relevant undergraduate degree transcripts and certificates.
• a copy of your IELTS or TOEFL English language certificate (where required)
• a copy of your passport (photo page).

A GUIDE TO THE FORMAT REQUIRED FOR THE APPLICATION DOCUMENTS IS AVAILABLE

Please submit your documents in the following format only:

• each document should be submitted as a separate attachment and should be named as follows: candidate surname, candidate name – document type. For example: Jones, Jamie – CV; Jones, Jamie – cover letter.
• Please submit .pdf documents where possible for your CV, cover letter, transcripts and certificates. Do not submit photos of certificates.
• Do not combine documents into one pdf. You may zip separate documents into a zip file to send via email if required.
• When emailing your application, please use the email subject header: FMS PhD Application 2026

Applications not meeting these criteria may be rejected.

Informal enquiries may be made to the lead supervisor of the project you are interested in.

The deadline for all applications is 12 noon BST (UK time) on Wednesday 20th May 2026.