PhD Studentship: Data-Driven Precision Medicine in the Hospital: Advanced Blood Glucose Analytics to Improve Inpatient Diabetes Care

Overview

This PhD project at the University of Exeter, based in Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, applies data science to inpatient diabetes care. Between 20 and 30 percent of NHS hospital beds are occupied by people with diabetes, who often have poorer clinical outcomes because of unstable blood sugar levels, known as adverse glycaemia.

The project uses electronic patient record data and glucometrics, the standardised analysis of inpatient glucose data. The student will quantify adverse glycaemia, evaluate its effect on clinical complications, and use machine learning to build and validate models that predict which patients are at high risk. The research aims to individualise inpatient care, reduce complications acquired in hospital and make hospital stays safer for people living with diabetes.

What you get

The project is one of up to 18 MRC-funded studentships offered through the GW4 BioMed3 Doctoral Landscape Programme, with a start date of October 2027. The studentships last four years. Funding covers UK tuition fees and a doctoral stipend matching the UK Research Council national minimum, which is 21,805 pounds per year for 2026/27 and is updated annually. Up to 5,000 pounds per year is also available for research training and support costs.

Who can apply

The studentships are open to UK and international students. This project competes for a place with projects across the whole MRC GW4 BioMed3 Doctoral Landscape Award, in which 18 studentships are available across the partnership.

Key dates

The closing date is 21 October 2026, and the studentship begins in October 2027.