About the Project
This project is one of several in competition for funding from the GW4 BioMed3 MRC Doctoral Landscape Programme (DLP), which is offering up to 17 studentships for entry in September 2026.
The partnership brings together the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff 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. More information may be found on the DLP's website.
Please note that the application process may close early to either home or international candidates (or both) before the stated deadline if an unprecedented number of applications are received – check the DLP's website for details and updates.
Supervisory Team: Professor Pamela Jacobsen, Professor Sarah Halligan, and Professor James Betts at the University of Bath and Dr. Thomas Upton at the University of Bristol.
The Project:
How a person reacts to stressful things in everyday life is known as 'stress reactivity'. This includes how a person reacts in their body, and also in their thoughts and feelings. Young people who have experienced difficult life events often have problems with how they react to everyday stress events as they grow up, which makes them more vulnerable to developing mental health difficulties in adolescence and early adulthood. This project will focus on ways to help young people with their stress reactivity as a preventative strategy to protect against the future development of mental health difficulties.
There is no universally accepted 'gold standard' of how to measure stress reactivity, with many existing tools and methods subject to severe limitations in their utility. Our research group has recently pioneered and piloted novel technology which allow for ambulatory blood-free measurement of cortisol and other biomarkers using microdialysis delivered via a wearable device. This allows people to go about their normal daily activities whilst wearing the device. Using the U-RHYTHM device alongside other stress reactivity measures, using Experience Sampling Methods, will allow us to more accurately model the relationship between stress responses captured at the physiological, psychological and behavioural levels. The first part of the PhD will focus on addressing measurement issues in the field to progress consensus on the most robust and reliable measures to use, leading in the second part to focussed, small-scale piloting of interventions which could potentially modify dysregulated stress responses in At-Risk youth.
The key aims of the studentship are:
- To investigate novel ways of measuring stress reactivity in At-Risk young people (16-25) by assessing the feasibility of using the U-RHYTHM device to measure ambulatory cortisol in this population
- To investigate the degree to which different ways of measuring stress reactivity converge or diverge with each other to help better inform how we measure stress reactivity in studies with young people
- To determine if specific psychological or behavioural interventions could be credibly used to modify dysregulated stress reactivity e.g. exercise, mindfulness
The successful candidate would be based within the NIHR Mental Health Research Group at the University of Bath (but with strong links with Exeter and Bristol), and therefore part of a wider team investigating how to improve outcomes for young people who have been exposed to adversity in childhood. For more information about the Bath Mental Health Research Group and the study team, please see: https://bathmhrg.org/
Requirements:
Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a first or upper second-class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of medical sciences, computing, mathematics or the physical sciences. Applicants with a lower second-class degree will only be considered if they have a grade of Merit or above in a master's degree. Academic qualifications are considered alongside significant relevant non-academic experience.
Non-UK applicants will also be required to have met the English language entry requirements of the University of Bath.
Enquiries and Applications:
Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Dr Pamela Jacobsen on email address p.c.jacobsen@bath.ac.uk.
Formal applications must be submitted direct to the GW4 BioMed3 DLP using their online application form.
A list of all the projects and details on how to apply are available DLP's website. You may apply for up to 2 projects and submit one application per candidate only.
APPLICATIONS CLOSE AT 17:00 (GMT) ON 21 OCTOBER 2026.
IMPORTANT: You do NOT need to apply to the University of Bath at this stage – only those applicants who are successful in obtaining an offer of funding from the DTP will be required to submit an application for an offer of study from Bath.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:
We value a diverse research environment and aim to be an inclusive university, where difference is celebrated and respected. We welcome and encourage applications from under-represented groups.
If you have circumstances that you feel we should be aware of that have affected your educational attainment, then please feel free to tell us about it in your application form. The best way to do this is a short paragraph at the end of your personal statement.
Funding Notes
Candidates may be considered for a 4-year GW4 BioMed3 MRC DLP studentship covering tuition fees, a stipend (£21,805 per annum for 2026/27, updated annually) and research training and support funding of up to £5,000 per annum dependent on project requirements.
Studentships are open to both Home and International students. International applicants should note that funding does NOT cover the cost of a student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK. In line with guidance from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the number of awards available to International candidates will be limited to 30% of the total.