Jessica Agnew-Blais

This PhD project at Queen Mary University of London focuses on leveraging big data to address women’s health issues among individuals with ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder historically understudied in women. The project aims to improve outcomes for women with ADHD, particularly during periods of hormonal change such as puberty, the menstrual cycle, perinatal period, and menopause. Students may work with diverse data sources, including remote monitoring data from wearables and smartphone apps, genetic data for polygenic risk scores, and large population-based medical registries. Advanced statistical methods, such as intensive longitudinal data analysis and machine learning, will be employed. The successful candidate will join Dr Jessica Agnew-Blais’s ADHD Life Lab, participating in lab meetings, cross-group sessions on child and youth development, and training opportunities both within Queen Mary and at other UK universities. The School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences offers a multidisciplinary research environment, access to state-of-the-art facilities, and support services. The PhD is part of a joint scholarship programme with the China Scholarship Council (CSC), covering tuition fees, living expenses, and a return flight for eligible Chinese applicants. Applicants must be citizens and permanent residents of China, hold a Chinese passport, and meet all CSC and university eligibility criteria. A first or upper-second class honours degree in a relevant field (e.g., statistics, bioinformatics, data science, epidemiology, computer science, statistical genetics) is required; a master’s degree is desirable but not essential. Experience with statistics and/or data science is necessary, and candidates must meet English language requirements. Applications must be submitted online by January 28, 2026, with all supporting documents. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed, and successful applicants will receive a conditional offer pending CSC scholarship approval. The project offers opportunities to attend national and international conferences and develop advanced methodological skills in a leading UK research environment.