PhD studentship in Psychology

Investigating LGBTQ+ Health and wellbeing Inequalities Using Longitudinal and Genetically Informed Data (2027)

We are seeking one full-time PhD Student to join Dr Ellen Thompson’s team based in the School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK. This opportunity is suitable for a highly motivated candidate with a background in public health research, epidemiology, sociology, psychology, social science or data science. Applicants should have an aptitude in quantitative research methods and an interest in social inequalities, individual level factors and health and wellbeing.

What you get

Funding: Funded PhD project, commencing September 2027. This project has guaranteed funding for one UK student only. The funds cover UK PhD tuition fees alongside a Research Assistant salary of £35,681 per annum for 3.5 years. 

Funding Eligibility: This studentship is open to UK (Home fee status) applicants only. To be eligible, you must have settled status in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years before the start date (excluding time spent in full-time education). Further guidance on fee status is available from: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/tuition-fees.  

Applicants who are unsure of their fee status should contact fosem-pgr@sussex.ac.uk.before applying.  

Note: Those not eligible for home fees (e.g., international students) are welcome to apply but would need to fund the difference between home and overseas fees and the visa fee. 

Type of award

Postgraduate Research

PhD project

This PhD project will leverage existing longitudinal population-based twin studies to investigate the social, structural, and individual determinants of health and health inequalities among LGBTQ+ populations across the life course. Using advanced quantitative methods, the student will examine how social, economic, environmental, and housing-related factors shape health and wellbeing outcomes and trajectories over time, and the extent to which these influences contribute to health inequalities over and above genetic factors. 

Quantitative analyses will draw on large, genetically informed longitudinal studies spanning childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, including the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, the Twin Early Development Study (TEDS), TwinsUK, and linked health record data available through the UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration (UK LLC). These datasets provide rich information on social, environmental, and health factors, enabling the student to investigate how environmental factors and social contexts influence LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing across the life course. 

The student will have the opportunity to 

  1. Conduct a systematic literature review of existing evidence on housing, environmental exposures, and health inequalities among LGBTQ+ people across the life course 

  1. Apply genetically informed twin designs, including co-twin control analyses, to test whether environmental exposures, including housing circumstances, are associated with poorer health and wellbeing among LGBTQ+ people over and above genetic and shared familial influences 

  1. Investigate how social and environmental factors contribute to LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing using longitudinal twin data from E-Risk, TEDS, and TwinsUK 

  1. Use linked health records available through UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration to explore and describe differences in healthcare use between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ people, and to examine the extent to which housing disadvantage explains these differences 

  1. Test factors that mediate and moderate the development of health and wellbeing, including whether housing disadvantage helps explain health differences between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ people 

  1. Develop advanced skills in quantitative and longitudinal methods, including working with large, genetically informed and linked datasets 

Expected outcomes include 

  • Peer-reviewed publications 

  • Conference presentations 

  • Public engagement outputs 

  • Development of expertise in LGBTQ+ inequalities and life course health 

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop their own research questions in collaboration with the supervisory team. While situated within a broader interdisciplinary Wellcome Discovery Award exploring pathways to health equity for LGBTQ+ populations, the position will involve collaborative online and in-person meetings (based at King College London). 

Training 

This is an exciting opportunity to join an interdisciplinary Wellcome Discovery Award bringing together expertise in psychology, epidemiology, sociology, public health, and quantitative social science to better understand and reduce LGBTQ+ health inequalities. The PhD will provide training in advanced longitudinal data analysis, causal inference and quantitative epidemiology, life-course approaches to health, and the analysis of large-scale population and genetically informed datasets. 

References 

Tabor, E., Kneale, D., & Patalay, P. (2023). Sexual identity data collection and access in UK population-based studies. The Lancet Public Health, 8(6), e400-e401. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(23)00101-9

 

 

Eligibility

Applicants should: 

  • Hold a 1st or 2:1 Bachelor’s degree, or a Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, sociology, psychology, social science or data science. 

  • Have prior research experience or training to prepare for a PhD 

  • Not already hold a PhD or equivalent 

  • Show strong academic and professional skills needed to complete a PhD 

  • Be eligible to enrol on a PhD programme. 

Selection Criteria Summary 

Applicants will be assessed on: 

  • Academic achievement and research potential. 

  • Motivation for and commitment to doctoral research. 

  • Originality and independent critical thinking. 

  • Interest and knowledge in relation to health and wellbeing, social inequalities, qualitative methods and genetically sensitive designs and data. 

  • Evidence of relevant methodological skills or experience. 

  • Potential to contribute to an interdisciplinary research team. 

  • Quality of the personal statement describing research interests and preparation for doctoral study. 

The University of Sussex believes that the diversity of its staff and student community is fundamental to creative thinking, pedagogic innovation, intellectual challenge, and the interdisciplinary approach to research and learning. We celebrate and promote diversity, equality and inclusion amongst our staff and students. As such, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. 

Deadline

4 January 2027 23:45

How to apply

To be considered for this PhD position, you must submit an application for the relevant full-time PhD programme commencing in September 2027. Please refer to our step-by-step application guide before starting your application. 

Please note that you will not be able to apply directly for the studentship through the application portal. Instead, you must apply for the PhD associated with the studentship. 

Before submitting your application, please ensure that you: 

  • Apply for the correct PhD project (Investigating LGBTQ+ Health and wellbeing Inequalities Using Longitudinal and Genetically Informed Data) 

  • Nominate the appropriate supervisor(s), where required (Ellen Thompson) 

Failure to do so may result in delays to the processing of your application. 

Completing Your Application 

When you reach the Finance Information section of the application form, you will be able to indicate which studentship you wish to be considered for (Investigating LGBTQ+ Health and wellbeing Inequalities Using Longitudinal and Genetically Informed Data). 

Academic Interests Section 

Please use this section to identify the supervisor(s) you would like to work with. Some studentships allow applicants to select their preferred supervisor, while others have a designated supervisor already assigned. 

Finance Information Section 

Please complete the following fields as outlined below: 

Please select one of the following options 

  • Select: "I have applied / will apply for funding" 

Title of the award(s) that you have applied for / will be applying for 

  • Enter only the studentship name exactly as it appears in the advertisement: [insert studentship title] 

When will you receive a decision on your funding application? 

  • Enter the month following the studentship interview period. Further details can be found in the Timetable section of the advertisement. 

What amount will the award be? 

  • Copy the funding amount directly from the "What you get" section of the advertisement. 

Referees 

To submit your application, you must provide details of two academic referees. 

Please note that your referees do not need to submit their references before the application deadline. You can still submit your application while references are pending. 

 

 

Contact us

Further Enquiries 

  • For eligibility questions, research proposal discussions, and other academic enquiries, please contact e.thompson@sussex.ac.uk  

  • For general admissions enquiries or assistance with your application, please contact fosem-pgr@sussex.ac.uk. 

For technical issues with the admissions portal, please contact phd.applicants@sussex.ac.uk

Timetable

Application deadline - 04/01/2027

Interview date - 25/01/2027 - 04/02/2027

Availability

At level(s):
PG (research)

Application deadline:
4 January 2027 23:45 (GMT)

Countries

The award is available to people from the following country: