PhD in Precision Medicine: Glucose-lowering Medication Prescribing Patterns in Mental Illness and Diabetes

The Usher Institute at the University of Edinburgh is offering a funded PhD opportunity in its Precision Medicine Doctoral Training Programme, focusing on glucose-lowering medication prescribing patterns among people with severe mental illness and diabetes. This interdisciplinary project operates at the interface of mental and physical health, leveraging large-scale health record data from the UK and Sweden to investigate time to treatment, medication changes, and equity in diabetes care. The research aims to determine how prescribing patterns differ by mental illness status, identify factors influencing medication decisions, and compare practices between the UK and Sweden. Supervision is provided by Dr Caroline Jackson and Prof Sarah Wild from the University of Edinburgh, and Dr Sofia Carlsson from Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. The project includes an international exchange, allowing the student to work with Swedish data and collaborate with leading researchers in both countries. Training outcomes include expertise in epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, advanced statistics, and the use of complex linked health data, with direct application to diabetes and mental health research. The student will also engage in public and patient involvement activities and benefit from tailored training plans, including short courses in pharmacoepidemiology, R software, multi-state modelling, and causal inference. Applicants should have a strong background in epidemiology, statistics, or related health sciences, and an interest in diabetes and mental health research. Experience with large-scale health data analysis and advanced statistical techniques is desirable. The position is funded by UKRI as part of the Mental Health Platform, and includes an international exchange to Karolinska Institutet. Applications for the 2026/27 academic year close on 12 January 2026. For more information and to apply, visit the provided links and ensure you submit the required documents, including a CV and the Recruitment Form, via the EUCLID application system. A Q&A session with the supervisors will be held on December 3rd via Microsoft Teams. Keywords: Precision Medicine, Diabetes, Mental Illness, Pharmacoepidemiology, Epidemiology, Health Data, Glucose-lowering Medication, Statistics, Public Health, International Exchange.