PhD Studentship: Spatial Orientation Changes and Their Impact on Driving in Ageing and Dementia (HORNBERGERM_U24DACFMH)

The PhD project will be supervised by Prof. Michael Hornberger (dementia neuroscientist, University of East Anglia). Please contact the supervisor at [email protected]  for further information on the project. 

We have an exciting PhD studentship to work on how spatial navigation changes impact driving behaviour in older people and dementia. The project builds upon our prior work using spatial navigation tests to detect driving behaviour changes in ageing and dementia, including online testing, sensor data collection and geospatial analyses. For the PhD project, we will take again this interdisciplinary approach to investigate how the spatial navigation changes impact driving behaviour in older drivers and those with dementia. The outcomes of the project will likely have significant impact not only on an academic but also on health and policy levels.

We are looking for a highly motivated student to join our thriving dementia research community. You should have a passion for working interdisciplinary and engaging with older people and people with dementia. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the project, we are happy to accept applications from people from backgrounds in neuroscience, psychology, data science, computing science, or other relevant disciplines. The ideal candidate has a strong background in data analytics, such as large, sensor or time-series data analysis. Training for many of the techniques will be provided during the PhD as well. 

Entry requirements

The standard minimum entry requirement is 2:1 in Neuroscience, Psychology, Data Science, Computing science.

Funding

This PhD project is a fully funded three-year studentship, consisting of Home fees, an annual stipend of £19,180 and £1,000 per annum to support research training. 

Mode of study: Full-time

Start date: October 2024