Vacancies

Post-doctoral fellowships

There are currently no vacancies within the Horse Microbiome Research Group.

PhD Studentships

Start Strong: Understanding How Early-Life Interactions Between the Gut Microbiome, Immune Function, and Helminth Infection Influence Long-Term Health and Performance in Thoroughbred Foals

About the Project

Why do some foals thrive while others experience higher parasite burdens, poorer health, or reduced athletic performance? Increasing evidence suggests that the answer may lie in the complex interactions between the gut microbiome, the immune system, and parasite exposure during the earliest stages of life.

This exciting interdisciplinary PhD project will investigate how the developing gut microbiome influences susceptibility to intestinal worm infections, how parasites shape immune development and gut health, and whether these early-life interactions have lasting consequences for the future health and racing performance of Thoroughbred horses.

Working with leading Thoroughbred breeding farms, you will follow a cohort of foals from birth through to early adulthood, combining parasitology, microbiome science, immunology and data science to understand the biological foundations of parasite resilience. The findings could help identify novel biomarkers of disease risk, inform sustainable parasite-control strategies, and ultimately improve the health, welfare and performance of future generations of racehorses.

Aims and objectives:

The overall aim of this project is to determine how interactions between the gut microbiome, mucosal immune responses, and helminth infection during early life influence long-term health and performance in Thoroughbred horses.

The project will address three major research questions:

Aim 1: Does the early-life gut microbiome influence susceptibility to helminth infection?

The student will characterise microbiome diversity and composition during early life and identify microbial signatures associated with later resistance or susceptibility to parasitic infection.

Aim 2: How do helminth infections affect gut microbiome development and immune function?

The project will investigate changes in microbial communities and faecal immune markers during natural parasite infections and following treatment, providing insight into how parasites shape gastrointestinal health.

Aim 3: What are the long-term consequences of early-life parasite exposure?

The student will explore associations between parasite burden during the first 18 months of life and subsequent health outcomes, growth, veterinary interventions, training progression, sales value, and racing performance.

Methods:

This project offers outstanding multidisciplinary training spanning:

• Equine parasitology and infectious disease biology
• Gut microbiome research
• Molecular diagnostics and high-throughput sequencing
• Immunological profiling
• Bioinformatics and microbiome data analysis
• Advanced statistical modelling
• Industry-facing research with the Thoroughbred sector

This project addresses one of the biggest challenges facing modern equine health: how to reduce dependence on deworming drugs while maintaining the health and performance of future generations of Thoroughbreds. Combining cutting-edge microbiome science with real-world industry impact, this studentship offers a unique opportunity to contribute to sustainable solutions for the global horse industry.

Supervisors: Dr Laura Peachey and Professor Andrew Dowsey (University of Bristol) and Professor Chris Proudman (University of Surrey)

Start date: Prior to January 2027

How to apply:

Please make an online application for this project at http://www.bris.ac.uk/pg-howtoapply. On the Programme Choice page please select the programme “Veterinary Science (PhD) (4yr)”. Select ‘Jan 2027’ to begin your application (this can be manually amended to an earlier start date if you are offered the PhD . You will be prompted to enter details of the studentship in the Funding and Research Details sections of the form. In the funding section of the application form, select ‘Studentship’ as the main source of funding and enter ‘Start Strong: Understanding How Early-Life Interactions Between the Gut Microbiome, Immune Function, and Helminth Infection Influence Long-Term Health and Performance in Thoroughbred Foals’.

 Candidate requirements: Standard University of Bristol eligibility rules apply. Please visit PhD Veterinary Sciences | Study at Bristol | University of Bristol for more information. Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a degree (or equivalent) in Veterinary Science, Biological Sciences, Animal Science, Microbiology, Parasitology, Immunology, Bioinformatics or a related discipline.

Contacts: please contact fohs-pgadmissions@bristol.ac.uk with any queries about your application.

Please contact the project supervisor for project-related queries: (laura.peachey@bristol.ac.uk)

Funding Notes

Funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board. The award runs for 4 years, with a stipend starting at £30,200 per annum (non-taxable) for Veterinary Graduates and £24,400 (non-taxable) for non-veterinary graduates. Research funding of £16,000 per annum covers Home tuition fees and research expenses. Overseas students are welcome to apply but must be able to fund the difference between UK and Overseas tuition fees.