PhD Studentship - Prehabilitation for Individuals Awaiting Urgent Heart Transplantation

Project advert

Come and join a vibrant, growing doctoral community with access to state-of-the-art facilities at the Institute of Sport.

Heart transplantation (HT) is the gold standard treatment for selected patients with end-stage heart failure. The median waiting time for an urgent HT in the UK is 47 days. These long wait times will lead to long periods of immobilisation, creating the perfect environment conducive to loss of muscle mass, strength and function. In turn, this may lead to an increase in post-operative complications and length of hospital stay. Despite evidence for outpatient prehabilitation prior to HT, there is a lack of evidence for the benefits of exercise in the hospitalized urgent heart transplant group. Existing anecdotal reports are all that exist in inpatient HT.

As such, this studentship will investigate the feasibility of a prehabilitation intervention in those awaiting an urgent heart transplant.

Project aims and objectives

The aim is to develop and test the feasibility of a prehabilitation intervention for patients awaiting an urgent heart transplant.

To achieve this, we will:

• Co-create a prehabilitation intervention with heart transplant patients (Phase 1).
• Assess the feasibility of the prehabilitation intervention (Phase II).

Funding

The student will be in receipt of a stipend payment; the Research Council minimum rate (set by UKRI) £20,780 for 2025/26.

This opportunity is only available to Home students. Home fees are covered.

Specific requirements of the candidate

The qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience applicants should have for this project, in addition to our standard entry requirements  (a minimum of an honours degree at first or upper second class level).

Essential

• Minimum of upper second-class BSc honours degree in a relevant degree such as sport and exercise science, human physiology, etc.
• Experience of working with clinical populations and collecting human data
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, specifically Microsoft Excel

Desirable

• MSc in Clinical Exercise Physiology (or other relevant discipline)
• Experience of working with patients with cardiovascular patients 
• Evidence of engagement in research activities (e.g., managing a research project, publishing journal articles, conference presentations)
• Experience of using statistical and/or analytical software packages (e.g., SPSS, R, Tableau, Power BI, etc).

How to apply

Interested applicants should contact Dr. Stefan Birkett (s.birkett@mmu.ac.uk) for an informal discussion. 

To apply you will need to complete the online application form for full-time PhD in Sports & Exercise Science

You should also complete a narrative CV form addressing the project’s aims and objectives, demonstrating how the skills you have maps to the area of research and why you see this area as being of importance and interest. 

You will need to upload your statement in the supporting documents section of the University’s Admissions Portal.

Applications closing date: 31 May 2025

Expected start date October 2025

Please quote the reference: SciEng-SB-2025-Prehabilitation Heart Transplant 

Manchester Metropolitan University fosters an inclusive culture of belonging that promotes equity and celebrates diversity. Please ensure that you take into account our Inclusive and Diverse Culture Strategy when preparing an application

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