PhD Studentship: Quantitative Analysis of a Routine Breast Screening Dataset - Investigating How the Effectiveness of, and Outcomes from, Breast Cancer Screening Differ by Population Subgroup

ESRC DTP Strategic Joint Studentship

The Midlands Graduate School is an accredited Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). One of 15 such partnerships in the UK, the Midlands Graduate School is a collaboration between the Universities of Warwick, Birmingham, Nottingham, Aston Leicester, Loughborough, De Montfort and Nottingham Trent.

We are now inviting applications for an ESRC Strategic Joint Studentship between the University of Warwick (where the student will be registered) and the University of Birmingham, commencing in October 2025.

This is an exciting opportunity for a quantitative researcher to learn cutting edge research skills, working on a large healthcare database and impacting national policy.

National screening programmes are population-based. However, women from more socially deprived backgrounds are less likely to attend breast screening (Taylor-Phillips, JMS, 2013) and black women are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer when treatment is less successful (Fry, BMJ Open, 2023).

Despite our knowledge of these health inequalities in breast screening, we know very little about how ethnicity and socioeconomic status affect screening effectiveness.

This PhD provides a unique opportunity to work on the ATHENA-M dataset – which links routine breast screening records to the cancer registry, national mortality data and the Index of Multiple Deprivation – allowing us look at long-term outcomes following screening. The project will have three main objectives:

1. Exploring the quality of the data on ethnicity and socioeconomic status and providing descriptive characteristics of the women in the dataset.
2. Investigating 1) the types of cancer detected by socioeconomic status and ethnicity, including by grade, stage and other prognostic indices, and 2) the treatment that they received in the first year after diagnosis stratified by cancer type.
3. Looking at the association between ethnicity/socio-economic status and screening intervention effectiveness. To perform this analysis, the student will use various modelling approaches (including time to event analysis) and causal inference methods, as appropriate.

In parallel, you will benefit from our existing collaboration with NHS England, undertaking a placement and learning how analysis of big data directly impacts on policy, processes, and women’s health.

This studentship will be supervised by Professor Sian Taylor-Phillips, Dr Karoline Freeman and Dr Alice Sitch.

We are looking for a candidate with a quantitative background, for example in statistics, epidemiology or health data science, who is enthusiastic and keen to learn. Extensive training and support will be provided in advanced quantitative methods, modelling, causal inference, and the unique challenges of working with observational data.

Application Process

To be considered for this PhD, please complete the strategic Joint Studentship application form via the above ‘Apply’ button. Please also upload an anonymised CV, cover letter, proof of language certification (if appropriate), details of two references and a copy of the transcripts of your academic qualifications.

Please note the following entry requirements: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/study/researchdegrees/entryrequirements

Application deadline: Sunday 23^rd February 2025

Midlands Graduate School ESRC DTP

Our ESRC studentships cover fees at the home rate, a maintenance stipend, and extensive support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. Support is available to both home and international applicants. For further details, visit: www.mgsdtp.ac.uk/studentships/eligibility/.

The studentship does not cover visa application fees or the International Health Surcharge fee. Further information available here: Healthcare Immigration Application Fee and Student Visa Fee.

Informal enquiries prior to application can be directed to Dr Karoline Freeman (K.Freeman@warwick.ac.uk).

Advert information