Opportunities

Funded PhD: Optimising estimation of respiratory virus vaccine effectiveness to facilitate uptake and impact

This PhD studentship offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to a collaborative, high-impact research programme focused on optimising vaccine effectiveness estimation for key respiratory viruses, including influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The supervisors are Dr Venexia Walker and Professor Jonathan Sterne from the Electronic Health Records Group, University of Bristol, Dr William Hulme from the Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science, University of Oxford and Dr Edward Parker from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The studentship is part of a larger cross-institution effort to enhance the evidence base guiding vaccination policy and ensure equitable and cost-effective use of NHS resources. The student will be based within a multidisciplinary team using the NHS England OpenSAFELY platform, which provides access to linked electronic health records for over 99% of general practices in England. The project will equip the student with advanced quantitative and epidemiological skills, experience in handling large-scale EHR data, and the opportunity to work closely with NHS and public health stakeholders. Applications for this project will close at 23:59 GMT on 27 July 2025. Find out more about this opportunity here.