School of Human and Health Sciences Fully Funded Scholarships

ID Number: HHS-2026-03

Supervisor: Dr Chris Retzler 

Understanding the cognitive effects of e-cigarette use

Recent statistics show that the use of e-cigarettes has overtaken the use of cigarettes for the first time, with approximately 5.4 million people using e-cigarettes daily in Great Britain (ONS, 2024). In the UK, e-cigarettes are often recommended as quitting tools by stop smoking services. However, a recent scoping review highlighted that little is known about the effects of e-cigarette use in both the short and long term (Novak & Wang, 2024).  

Beyond concerns about exposure to toxic substances while using e-cigarettes, there are mixed findings about their effects on cognition with some studies showing little or no effect, but others suggesting there is potential for disruption to memory, concentration and decision making (Novak & Wang, 2024). 

This PhD project aims to better understand the effects of e-cigarette use on cognition using a range of cognitive tasks (e.g. executive function, reinforcement learning) and appropriate neuroscience methods (e.g. electroencephalography). The findings will have important implications for public health policy. 

This study aims to better understand (1) the effects of e-cigarettes on short term cognitive abilities, and (2) whether neurocognitive markers generalise across, or are specific to, e-cigarette and cigarette smokers? 

This project will utilise a range of cognitive tasks which target executive function and decision making skills, administered to e-cigarette users, smokers and controls. EEG data will be collected during the tasks to understand the neurological correlates of any differences between groups and analyses will include modelling of reaction time data to identify the decision making components affected by e-cigarette use. 

The ideal candidate will have strong quantitative skills, experience and/or knowledge of neuroscience methods, and be eager to learn about advanced data analysis involving programming. 

Deadline: 30th October 2026

For subject specific enquiries please contact: Dr Chris Retzler c.retzler@hud.ac.uk 

ID Number: HHS-2026-04

Supervisor: Dr Joanna Blackburn 

The feasibility of the improving fit, comfort and functionality of mounted police personal protective equipment (PPE). 

This project will evaluate how standard riding equipment, on-duty equipment, and public order personal protective equipment (PPE) influence the comfort, mobility, posture, task performance, and safety of mounted police officers. Mounted officers are required to perform physically demanding tasks while maintaining control of the horse, communicating with colleagues, and responding to unpredictable operational environments. However, PPE designed primarily for ground-based policing may restrict movement, alter posture, increase discomfort, or reduce functional performance when used in mounted duties. Working with regional mounted police units, the aim of this project is to evaluate how standard riding equipment, on-duty equipment and PPE, influence the comfort, mobility, and performance of officers during mounted policing tasks. It will involve a mixed-methods design incorporating movement assessments exploring the effects of dynamic and functional movement restriction on task performance along with semi-structured interviews with male and female mounted officers will explore their lived experiences of wearing PPE, including perceived effects on riding position, communication, fatigue, confidence, safety, and operational effectiveness, as well as views on design and material improvements. The project will also examine implementation feasibility through interviews with stakeholders such as PPE procurement leads, occupational health and safety managers, trainers, and senior managers. These interviews will explore organisational barriers, procurement processes, cost considerations, safety requirements, and policy factors influencing the adoption of improved PPE across UK mounted policing.  

Findings will generate practical evidence to inform the design of safer, more comfortable, and more functional PPE, with potential to improve officer welfare, enhance operational performance, and contribute to future national standards for mounted police equipment. 

Deadline: 30th October 2026

For subject specific enquiries please contact: J.Blackburn3@hud.ac.uk 

ID Number: HHS-2026-06 

Supervisor: Dr Tom Simcock

Poor Quality Housing, Domestic Fire Risk and the Prevention Agenda: The Role of the Fire and Rescue Services in Cross-Sector Housing Safety

Poor quality housing is widely recognised as a key determinant of health and wellbeing, yet its relationship with domestic fire risk remains underexplored. While housing research has examined issues such as damp, overcrowding, disrepair, and inequality, less attention has been paid to how poor housing conditions and socio-economic deprivation may shape fire risk within the home. At the same time, UK Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) have increasingly adopted a prevention-focused role, working with households and partner agencies through initiatives such as Safe and Well visits. This creates an important opportunity to understand how fire services may identify and respond to wider housing-related risks.  

This PhD, situated within the Healthy Housing Initiative, will investigate the relationship between poor-quality housing, deprivation, and domestic fire risk, and will explore the role of Fire and Rescue Services in cross-sector approaches to housing safety. The project will examine how housing conditions, overcrowding, energy insecurity, and related vulnerabilities may contribute to domestic fire risk, and how these risks are currently understood and addressed through prevention activity. The study will also explore the feasibility of FRS staff identifying, flagging, and referring housing-related concerns to relevant agencies, including housing providers and local authorities. In doing so, it will consider the opportunities and challenges associated with partnership working across housing, public health, and emergency services.  

Using a mixed-methods design, the research is expected to combine analysis of fire incidents and housing-related data with qualitative interviews and case study research involving Fire and Rescue Services and relevant partners. The project will be developed in collaboration with Fire and Rescue Services, building on existing partnerships and offering the successful candidate the opportunity to engage closely with practice. The research will generate new evidence on an underexamined issue and contribute to debates on prevention, risk, and healthier homes.  

Deadline: 30th October 2026

For subject specific enquiries please contact: t.j.simcock@hud.ac.uk  

ID Number: HHS-2026-07 

Supervisor: Dr Chia-Yuan Lin 

When Timing Breaks Down: Rhythmic Synchronisation in Reading and Mathematical Difficulties 

Reading and mathematics both rely on the ability to process sequential information over time, which may explain why developmental dyslexia and developmental dyscalculia so frequently co-occur. Yet while both conditions involve some form of timing difficulty, the nature of these impairments appears to differ — and this project sets out to investigate exactly how. 

This PhD project will investigate whether distinct temporal sequencing mechanisms differentiate dyslexia, dyscalculia, and neurotypical cognition, using sensorimotor synchronisation (SMS) — the ability to synchronise movements with external rhythms — as a core behavioural paradigm. Participants will complete a series of tapping tasks ranging from simple, regular beat sequences to more complex speech-like and hierarchical rhythms, alongside standardised assessments of reading and numerical cognition. 

The central hypotheses are that individuals with dyscalculia will struggle most with simple isochronous timing, reflecting difficulties in interval representation, while those with dyslexia will show greater deficits when synchronising to complex or speech-like rhythms, pointing to impairments in hierarchical temporal processing. By directly comparing these profiles within a shared behavioural framework, the project aims to identify both shared and domain-specific timing mechanisms underpinning literacy and numeracy. 

Beyond its scientific contribution, this research carries implications for allied health practice. Current diagnostic approaches for learning difficulties focus largely on academic performance, offering limited insight into underlying cognitive processes. If SMS measures can serve as objective indices of temporal processing, they could complement existing assessments and potentially inform rhythm-based interventions. 

The project will begin with adult populations to establish behavioural validity, with the intention of extending findings to younger developmental cohorts — supporting earlier identification of learning difficulties and more targeted intervention. 

Deadline: 30th October 2026

For subject specific enquiries please contact: c.lin@hud.ac.uk