epidemiology to test how modern data-modelling techniques can turn climate, health and population data into knowledge that directly informs climate adaptation and policy. You’ll build skills in data analysis and modelling, environmental/health data handling, risk mapping and decision-making under uncertainty—with the chance to be hosted at the Met Office as a visiting scientist.
PhD project
Challenge 1: Modelling compounding environmental effects
Health outcomes rarely stem from a single environmental factor. They emerge from complex interactions between multiple exposures—temperature, air quality, humidity—that compound over time (cumulative stress) and vary across space (complex terrain, urban vs. rural settings). A core challenge is identifying AI modelling approaches that can best capture these layered, interacting effects, rather than treating each exposure in isolation.
Challenge 2: Building interpretable and decision-relevant models
Powerful models are only useful if they can be trusted and acted upon. This means addressing four linked problems: 1) quantifying uncertainty in predictions, so outputs reflect real confidence levels rather than false precision; 2) ensuring the models estimate quantities that actually matter for decision-making, not just statistically convenient ones; 3) validating models rigorously against real-world outcomes; and 4) incorporating population, demographic and socioeconomic data in ways that support causal—not merely associative—conclusions about health impacts.
Throughout, the project will draw on expertise and data from the Met Office and The Cyprus Institute to ground these methodological challenges in real climate and health data.
Applicant Profile
Students with a strong background in statistics and/or machine learning who want to apply these skills to environmental epidemiology and more generally the interface between climate change and health
Funding Notes
This project is part of the UNRISK CDT, which offers 15-18 fully-funded NERC studentships, covering full university tuition fees; a personal stipend at standard UKRI rates; £6000 individual research and training costs; £5000 (per student) of cohort-level training; and a ‘Flexible Fund’ for special projects.
International applicants will need to cover costs related to applying for a student visa and the international health surcharge (IHS)
Applications are open to UK and international applicants. The number of awards for international applicants is limited by UKRI rules.
More information is available on the UNRISK website: View Website
References
https://experts.exeter.ac.uk/19235-theo-economou
https://experts.exeter.ac.uk/43970-christophe-sarran
https://www.cyi.ac.cy/index.php/care-c/about-the-center/care-c-center-overview.html
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/climate-impacts/health
