Long-term health outcomes in women exposed to political conflict and trauma
Supervisor :
13th November 2026
The studentship is funded by the SBBS. It will cover home tuition fees, and provide an annual tax-free maintenance allowance for 3 years (£22,618 in 2026/27).
To qualify for Home Fees, this typically means the candidate will be unrestricted in how long they can remain in the UK.
International students will need to cover the difference in fees between the home and overseas basic rate from external sources. Further details can be found on our PhD Tuition Fees page.
Funding and eligibility queries can be sent to the sbbs-pgadmissions@qmul.ac.uk
Project Overview
Applications are open for a 3-Year funded PhD Studentship in the School of Biological and Behavioural Science (SBBS) at Queen Mary University of London.
Women who have lived through political conflict and related traumatic events are at increased risk of long-term physical and mental health problems. This burden often goes unrecognised, resulting in unmet health needs.
The PhD project will examine how exposure to political conflict and trauma affects women's health, using data from population-based cohorts. Possible focus areas include:
- markers of biological and cellular age, including telomere length and epigenetic or metabolomic clocks
- allostatic load, cerebrovascular health, and cognitive function
- mental health, such as post-traumatic stress and depression
- factors associated with risk and resilience, including socioeconomic conditions and social support
- comparisons across cohorts and countries
Research Environment
You will be based in the Department of Biology at Queen Mary University of London and supervised by Dr Ann-Marie de Lange, who leads the research group FemiLab (https://www.femilab.co.uk). The group studies risk factors and health outcomes across key phases of women's lives, using neuroimaging, biological, and psychosocial data from population-based and clinical cohorts. You will work within an international and collaborative team, with regular lab meetings alongside PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.
The School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences offers a multidisciplinary research environment and an active community of PhD students working on projects in the biological and psychological sciences. Students have access to a variety of research facilities supported by experienced staff, as well as a range of student support services. You will also become part of the Queen Mary Doctoral College, which provides training and development opportunities for doctoral researchers. Queen Mary has one of the most diverse student communities in the UK, and is committed to providing an inclusive and equitable environment for all students and researchers.
Find out more about the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences on our website.
Entry Requirements & Criteria
We are looking for candidates to have or expecting to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree and a Master’s degree in an area relevant to the project such as biomedical sciences, bioinformatics, neuroscience, psychology, epidemiology, public health, or a related quantitative discipline.
The successful candidate will have:
- A demonstrable interest in women's health research
- A strong quantitative background, including experience in statistical analysis and programming (e.g. R or Python)
- Motivation to develop advanced skills in statistical modelling
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- A commitment to conducting research on sensitive topics ethically and respectfully
- An interest in communicating research to non-academic audiences
Find out more about our entry requirements here.
How to Apply
Formal applications must be submitted through our online form by the stated deadline for consideration.
Applicants are required to submit the following documents:
· Your CV
· A Personal Statement, including:
o Previous experience relevant to the project
o Your motivations for pursuing this position
o Your career aspirations
o Any further information you think is relevant to the application
· References
· Copies of academic transcripts and degree certificates
Find out more about our application process on our SBBS website.
Enquiries about eligibility should be directed to the postgraduate research officer at d.seymour@qmul.ac.uk. Applications must be submitted through the online form by the stated deadline. Informal enquiries about the project can be sent to Dr Ann-Marie de Lange at a.delange@qmul.ac.uk.
Admissions-related queries can be sent to sbbs-pgadmissions@qmul.ac.uk.
The School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences is committed to promoting diversity in science; we have been awarded an Athena Swan Silver Award. We positively welcome applications from underrepresented groups.
See Also