World-Leading Scholarship in Computer Science, Medicine, Geography and Mathematics

Project

Multimorbidity – the co-occurrence of two or more chronic diseases – is a major challenge for healthcare systems worldwide, and it is associated with higher risk of mortality and worse quality of life. In order to reduce or delay development of multimorbidity, we need to obtain a better understanding of multimorbidity clusters and their trajectories (i.e., how patients progress from one disease to the next) over time across different socioeconomic and household factors. However, there is little published research on the impact of socioeconomic and household factors on the development of multimorbidity in terms of trajectories or clusters. There is also little research on predicting multimorbidity trajectories, despite being an area of recognised potential. 

This PhD project will address these important gaps by leveraging two valuable datasets in Scotland, which capture important health, socioeconomic and household information. The objectives of the project are to: 

• Identify the main clusters and disease trajectories of multimorbid patients in the Tayside and Fife region, 
• analyse multimorbidity trajectories and clusters and compare them across a range of key socioeconomic and household factors, and 
• develop a predictive model for multimorbidity trajectories of individual patients based on health, socioeconomic and household data.

The research findings will inform the targeting of future interventions aimed at reducing or delaying development of multimorbidity. By helping personalise care, we will also contribute to the Scottish Government’s grand vision of Realistic Medicine.  

This is a highly interdisciplinary project, involving methods and knowledge from several areas. The successful applicant will join the School of Computer Science and its Health Informatics Group. The student will be co-advised by experts in three other schools (School of Medicine, School of Mathematics and Statistics, and School of Geography and Sustainable Development), bringing together a unique mix of expertise, along with a wide range of exciting opportunities for personal development.   

Informal enquiries regarding this scholarship may be addressed to Dr Areti Manataki via email to A.Manataki@st-andrews.ac.uk. 

Value of award (per year)

Full tuition fees (Home or International rate)

Annual maintenance paid monthly at UKRI rates (£17,668 2022/23) 

Duration of award

Up to 3.5 years. The successful candidate will be expected to have completed the doctorate degree by the end of the award term. The award term excludes the continuation period and any extension periods.

At what stage of my course application can I apply for this scholarship?

Please apply for the scholarship after you have submitted your application for a place at St Andrews.  You do not need to wait until you have received an offer of a place before applying for the scholarship.

Additional criteria

You must have applied for a PhD programme at St Andrews.

You must not already (i) hold a doctoral degree; or (ii) be matriculated for a doctoral degree at the University of St Andrews or another institution.

As part of the scholarship application you will be required to upload a personal statement. This should serve as a cover letter for the research project application as a whole, and should include:

• An outline of your suitability for the project (project criteria can be found in the "Eligibility" and "Project Description" sections above).
• Why the project interests you.
• What you would bring to the project in terms of previous skills and expertise.
• Any ideas that you may have for the realisation of the project.

How to apply

1. Apply for admission as a doctoral student beginning in the academic year 2023-24. Please see the advice on applying for research programmes. After submitting your PhD application, you must allow at least two working days for processing and issue of your log-in details before you can apply for the scholarship. Once you have received an email confirming your access to the My application portal: 
2. Apply for the scholarship, which is available through the World-Leading Scholarship 4: Multimorbidity Dynamics in Scotland application form. You can access this application through the Scholarships and funding catalogue in the Scholarships and Funding section of My application. 
• Enter the catalogue by following the instructions in the email, then choosing Scholarships and funding (under 'Useful links') and then clicking View the scholarships and funding catalogue.
• Select 2023/4 as the Academic Year and click ‘Refresh list’.
• Find the World-Leading St Andrews Doctoral Scholarship that you wish to apply for in the list of scholarships (using the filter box if necessary), click Apply and complete the application form.
• You can also use the catalogue to search and apply for other scholarships for which you are eligible. 

Scholarship application form guidance

If you are a current student at St Andrews, you can access Scholarships and Funding through MySaint. However, you should wait until after you have applied for your intended postgraduate programme before doing so, to ensure that the scholarship application is linked to that course.

Terms and conditions

Please read the University of St Andrews scholarships terms and conditions (opens in new tab) 

If you apply to this scholarship, details from your course application may be passed to the selection panel solely for the purpose of merit-based assessment. 

When will I know the outcome?

The outcome of your scholarship application will be available on View or continue my funding applications in the Scholarships and Funding section of My Application within two months of the application deadline.