PhD Studentship - Panoz Pharmaceutical Innovation (Grimes)

Post Summary

The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Trinity College, the University of Dublin, is seeking a candidate for a ‘PhD Studentship - Panoz Pharmaceutical Innovation in Pharmaceutical Sciences’ working on the project ‘Theoretically informed and data-driven innovations in medication self-management and breast-feeding’. This is a collaborative project supervised by Associate Professor Tamasine Grimes, supported by internal collaboration provided by Associate Professor Deirdre D’Arcy, Assistant Professor Juliette O’Connell and external collaboration by Associate Professor Deirdre Daly, School of Nursing and Midwifery and Principal Investigator on the Maternal health And Maternal Morbidity in Ireland (MAMMI) Study, and by Assistant Professor Sam Cromie, School of Psychology and Co-Director of the Centre for Innovative Human Systems. This is a four-year PhD programme.

Project details:

There were 57,064 births in 2020 in Ireland and up to 29% of mothers report breastfeeding at six months. Most breastfeeding mothers are likely to need some form of medication during this period. Medication use during breastfeeding is challenging because the medication may transfer to breastmilk and therefore to baby. Hence, the use or non-use of medication by breastfeeding mothers can impact significantly on maternal and child health.

Little is known about the frequency or nature of medication use during breastfeeding, the mothers’ perspectives of medication self-management in this setting or the impact on breastfeeding duration or medication safety. This project aims to address these gaps across three studies.

• Study 1 will systematically review the literature to identify, from the mother’s perspective, the barriers and facilitators to medication optimisation, using mixed-methods and a systems-based theoretical framework.
• Study 2 will explore the frequency and nature of medication use in first-time mothers during the first-year post-partum and how is this associated with breastfeeding. This cohort study will apply secondary data analysis to responses to the Maternal health And Maternal Morbidity in Ireland (MAMMI) study antenatally and at 3-, 6-, 9- or 12-month post-partum.
• Study 3 will apply qualitative work system exploration using focussed ethnography to describe the barriers and facilitators that breastfeeding mothers in Ireland experience in their medication use. 

Women from the MAMMI Study’s Public and Patient Involvement initiative will be engaged across all three studies. Findings from the three studies will be triangulated to identify research and innovation opportunities to enhance future experience and maternal and child patient safety.

NOTE: Applicants must have been resident in an EU member state for 3 out of the last 5 years to be eligible for EU fees

Application Procedure

Applicants should email  

and will be sent link to preliminary application form.  Applicants will be shortlisted for interviews which will take place after the closing date of 10th May 2024

At Trinity, we are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. Trinity welcomes applications from all individuals, including those applicants with disabilities, those who may have had non-traditional career paths, those who have taken time out for reasons including family or caring responsibilities. We also welcome international applicants including those whom have been displaced due to war.

We are ranked 3rd in the world for gender equality (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2020) and we hold an Athena SWAN Bronze award, recognising our work to advance gender equality. The University is actively pursuing a Silver level award, which it has committed to achieving by 2025. Trinity is committed to supporting the work-life balance and to creating a family-friendly working environment