A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is an intensive research degree that normally takes between two and four years of full-time study (or equivalent) to complete. Students submit a thesis of not more than 100,000 words for examination. The thesis must make a contribution to knowledge and relate to the broader framework of the field within which it falls. Students may also be required to undertake some coursework.

The Research School of Population Health (RSPH) academics work within research groups engaged at the leading edge of their respective disciplines. There is significant expertise across many academic areas and academics take significant pride in supporting research students.

As an RSPH research student, you will have access to the highest quality research training in a stimulating and active research environment. RSPH offers a unique opportunity to interact with internationally renowned researchers to tackle issues of significant national and international significance.

For a list of possible student projects please refer to Student Projects.

Medical student research projects

A number of potential research projects related to adult life span development and ageing are directly relevant to the medical field and well suited in scope to medical students' research projects.

They may include investigating the associations between risk factors (eg diet, exercise, medication, lifestyle, genetic predisposition) and health outcomes such diabetes, hypertension, mood disorders, cognitive decline, and dementia or studying how certain health conditions relate to changes in brain structure and function. They may involve systematic searches of the literature, advanced statistical analyses, or hands-on processing of MRI scans.