PhD Studentship in Public Health Communication and Behaviour Change for Chest, Heart & Stroke Conditions at University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh, in partnership with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (PAHRC), is offering a fully-funded PhD studentship focused on public health communication and behaviour change for individuals living with chest, heart, and stroke (CHS) conditions. This opportunity is co-supervised by Dr Graham Baker, Dr Paul Kelly, and Dr Chloë Williamson, and is funded through the ESRC and the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS). The project addresses a critical public health challenge: how to effectively communicate with people living with CHS conditions and their support communities to promote physical activity and improve health and wellbeing. Over 1.1 million people in Scotland are affected by these conditions, and many face significant barriers to physical activity, including pain, fear, and lack of confidence. Support communities often lack the knowledge to encourage activity, sometimes discouraging it due to misconceptions about risk. The PhD student will work within the world-class PAHRC, collaborating closely with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, the largest Scottish health charity in this field. The research will utilize the Physical Activity Messaging Framework developed by the supervisory team and will be underpinned by behaviour change theory (COM-B). The student will lead three main studies: (1) qualitative exploration of messaging preferences among CHS communities, (2) co-development of physical activity messages with these communities and practitioners, and (3) testing the effectiveness of these messages on behaviour change outcomes. This studentship is ideal for candidates passionate about public health, health communication, behaviour change, and community engagement. Applicants should have a relevant background in public health, social science, psychology, or communication, and experience with qualitative research is desirable. The studentship covers full tuition and provides a stipend for living expenses, with options for full-time or part-time study. The programme begins in October 2026, and the application deadline is 24 March 2026, 5pm GMT. For more information and to apply, visit the SGSSS website or contact the supervisors directly. This is a unique opportunity to develop advanced social science skills and contribute to impactful, scalable health communication strategies for CHS populations in Scotland and beyond.