Postgraduate research in nutritional sciences
The research mission of the Department of Nutrition and Metabolism to understand human metabolic demands for nutrients and to optimise their provision as safe and appropriate food. The Department is part of Biosciences which was ranked third in the UK in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. It is our mission within the Department and Faculty to educate and train PhD students.
PhD
Programme
We value our PhD students – their research education is important to us because they will become the academics, researchers, medical and health care professionals and policy makers of the future. PhD students are initially registered for a probationary period and proceed to full PhD registration after one year, subject to a successful upgrade viva. The research towards a PhD would normally take approximately three years, with a further year to write the PhD thesis and take the viva voce exam. The University and the Faculty provide a programme of training in generic, transferable skills, as well as research skills, as these are clearly important for the future employment prospects of our graduates.
www.surrey.ac.uk/nutrition
Entry Standards
Candidates should have a good honours degree (Upper Second) in an appropriate discipline, but prior experience in research or industry may be acceptable. Enthusiasm for, and commitment to, independent study is essential, as is a good command of the English language. Please contact the Faculty Graduate School to discuss your experience and qualifications.
Funding
There are funding opportunities such as Faculty research scholarships and research council scholarships. These and other scholarships are advertised as and when they become available on the Faculty Graduate School website: www.surrey.ac.uk/fhms/gradschool
Fees
New overseas students - £14,440
Continuing overseas students - £13,780
Fees for UK/EU students will be available soon.
www.surrey.ac.uk/pgfees/2012
Apply now
Programme length
33–48 months full-time
45–96 months part-time
Start date
1 October, 1 January, 1 April, 1 July
Director of the Faculty Graduate School
For general enquiries
T: 0800 980 3200 or
+44 (0)1483 681681
E: pg-enquiries@surrey.ac.uk
For admissions enquiries
T: +44 (0)1483 689730
E: fhms_gradschool@surrey.ac.uk
Nutritional Sciences research overview
Research
Academics in the Department are engaged in research that uses a range of nutritional and biochemical techniques to investigate problems relating to human health and safety. We do research in a number of key areas including diet and cardiovascular disease, the link between nutrition and diabetes, nutrition and human metabolism including osteoporosis risk, vitamin D, diet and sleep/chronobiology, the role of iron and selenium in human health, polyphenals and health. We use an ‘-omic’ approach to nutrition research.
Research environment
The Department of Nutrition and Metabolism has access to the Faculty core technology programme, to support and fund equipment-intensive research technologies and to promote their use in multidisciplinary research. It encompasses functional genomics (microarray printing, genomics, transcriptomics), bioinformatics (data mining, systems biology, pathway modelling, fluxomics), proteomics, metabolomics and imaging (laser scanning confocal, fluorescence, fluorescence inverted and FRET microscopy, flow cytometry, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, in situ hybridisation). In addition, biomedica research is supported by NMR facilities and animal facilities, including dedicated suites for transgenic work. The Faculty also has all of the standard analytical equipment you would expect in a biomedical faculty to support the subject disciplines. In addition, within the Department, there is project-specific equipment that is utilised for animal behavioural studies, electrophysiology and molecular biology.
Nutritional Sciences research themes
Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and Metabolism
This multidisciplinary theme focuses on the study of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cardiovascular disease and metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis. The theme brings together scientists and physicians with expertise in cell and molecular biology, immunology, physiology, nutrition and appetite regulation, drug development, chemistry and the regulation of sleep and circadian rhythms. This research aims to translate this understanding into effective treatment with improved nutrition regimes and drug treatments that target the underlying abnormalities, and develop diagnostic methods including molecular bio-markers. There is a strong focus on key macro (energy, dietary fat) and micronutrients (vitamin D, trace elements, minerals) and the importance of these to outcome markers. Our research to understand the human metabolic demands for nutrients has received considerable media attention and has a very high national and international profile.
www.surrey.ac.uk/fhms/research/cardiovascular
Sleep, Chronobiology and Neurodisorders
Sleep, Chronobiology and Neurodisorders research draws upon expertise in sleep physiology and EEG analysis, euroendocrinology, molecular genetics, rest-activity and waking performance monitoring, circadian photoreception, shift work, sleep disorders, nutritional physiology, neuropharmacology, psychopharmacology, clinical pharmacology, neurotoxicology and neurodegeneration. Research activities are supported by medical and clinical staff in stateof-the-art facilities at the Surrey Clinical Research Centre. An additional Clinical Investigation Unit provides facilities for controlled light exposure and ultrasound endothelial function measurement. Radioimmunoassay labs enable the measurement of circadian hormones from samples collected. We have looked extensively at the importance of diet to chronobiology.
www.surrey.ac.uk/fhms/research/sleepandchronobiology
Drug Design, Cancer and Toxicity
Research in drug design encompasses the entire spectrum from bench to bedside, with the aim of enabling the delivery of novel, safe therapeutics to patients, leading to an increase in health and wellbeing within the general population. Our multidisciplinary approach draws together world-leading researchers from across the University, coupled with strong collaborations with academic partners and the pharmaceutical sector. Such partnerships allow us to develop novel approaches to the design and isolation of therapeutic agents, their testing within in silico and in vitro models, and ultimately the translation of such research into clinical practice.
www.surrey.ac.uk/fhms/research/drugdesign
Apply for postgraduate research in nutritional sciences
PhD Programme
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