At the Deakin Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, we think of our PhD students as the research stars of the future.
We are committed to providing our PhD students with a supportive, positive and successful path to achieving their PhD. Below are our current PhD opportunities and watch our videos to hear from past and present students and supervisors about their experiences.
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Search for the topic that you’re interested in researching and discover all the possible supervisors within the Faculty of Health that could help you further your research career goals.
Current opportunities
Opportunities are currently available for domestic and international students currently residing in Australia.
Cotutelle PhDs – A cotutelle program is a PhD that is undertaken across two universities in two different countries. Deakin has cotutelle arrangements with several international universities. Students are co-enrolled and co-supervised by both universities. The PhD student is required to spend a period of time at both universities, then will graduate from both universities.
You can find our current cotutelle opportunities listed here, or for more information about the process see Cotutelle PhD Program | Deakin
Understanding screen use in the toddler years
This PhD aims to explore the different ways toddlers use screens (e.g. tablets, smartphones, TVs), how this impacts on their development and how parents may influence this. The PhD will work towards the development of strategies for parents to promote their toddlers’ healthy screen use behaviours.
Understanding the metabolic effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists and exercise for patients with heart failure
This world first study will aim to better understand the metabolic impacts of GLP-1 treatments and effects of exercise in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
Intelligent Information Systems for Enhancing Implementation and Sustainability of Physical Activity Interventions
This PhD will combine implementation science and information systems, to explore new ways of improving implementation and sustainability of physical activity interventions in real world contexts.
Food insecurity in families with young children: Early year practitioners’ approaches and strategies
This PhD aims to understand how early years practitioners are identifying and supporting families with young children experiencing food insecurity and how these approaches can be improved. The PhD will lead to practice and policy level recommendations for improving early year practitioners’ response to family food insecurity.
Toddler milks in early childhood – why are parents purchasing them, and does their consumption affect toddlers’ overall dietary intake?
This PhD project will explore parental motivations for purchasing toddler formula and milks, as well as consumption patterns in young children.
Sitting less and moving more in office workers with type 2 diabetes
This PhD project will be built around the first rigorously controlled, field-based trial to investigate whether reducing and interrupting prolonged sitting time can improve blood sugar control in office workers living with type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Exploring the process, challenges and impacts of school greening interventions in high-needs and mainstream primary schools
This PhD project will be nested within a larger project “Green Schools” which is exploring the process, challenges and impacts of real-life indoor and outdoor greening interventions at high-needs and mainstream primary schools in Victoria, Australia. This project will involve co-design with industry, school staff and students to design the greening interventions, as well as collaboration with industry throughout the life of the project. It will explore the barriers and enablers to green space innovation in this setting and help guide future greening projects.
Neural adaptations to exercise, nutritional, and pharmacological interventions in ageing and disease
This PhD project aims to use state-of-the-art technology, including High-Density Electromyography, to better understand the effects of acute and chronic exercise, nutritional, and/or pharmacological interventions on cortico-motor neuronal adaptations in ageing and disease. Additionally, it seeks to understand the potential contribution of neural adaptations to improvements in motor control and muscular strength in these populations.
Sustainable systems change at scale: Exploring systems approaches to implementation and scale up in physical activity and nutrition
This PhD will involve synthesising the current literature on the application of systems approaches to understand and influence population physical activity, including the effectiveness of systems approaches on implementing and scaling population interventions globally.
The politics of implementation, scale up and sustainability in physical activity
This project aims to identify the role of politics (i.e., political climate and political will) on the implementation, scale up and sustainability of population physical activity interventions at scale.
A Household Robot to improve self-management behaviours in people with heart failure
As part of an NHMRC-funded IDEAS grant, we have a PhD opportunity to help design, develop and evaluate a Temi 3 household mobile robot for home monitoring to support self-management for people living with heart failure.
The influence of muscle mass in estimated energy requirement in cancer
This PhD project aims to evaluate the influence of muscle mass, and proxies for predicting muscle mass, in estimated energy requirements in cancer.
A Smart-Heart ecosystem to improve self-management behaviours in people with heart failure
As part of an NHMRC-funded IDEAS grant, we are seeking PhD candidates to join the digital health team to design, develop and evaluate a Smart-Heart ecosystem to support self-management for people living with heart failure.
Understanding healthy fat consumption in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Diet is one of the cornerstones of type 2 diabetes management and healthy dietary fats are known to provide several metabolic benefits. However, the relationship between recommendations from healthcare professionals, patients’ perceptions and consumption of healthy fats is not well understood.
Is park visitation associated with reduced stress levels?
We are currently undertaking research on park visitation in urban environments and we are interested in measuring the impact of park visitation on stress levels. In this project, the PhD student will start by undertaking a systematic review of the literature on the impact of exposure to natural outdoor environments on physiological and psychological stress levels. The student will then design and conduct one or more experiments among park users.
Novel telehealth approaches for delivering lifestyle programs for older adults with chronic disease
A number of chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and sarcopenia (the age-related decline in skeletal muscle mass and function), contribute to loss of independence and poor quality of life in older adults. Current guidelines endorse the prescription of exercise and nutrition interventions to maintain health and independence, however older adults with chronic diseases are among the least likely to engage in these recommendations.
Our research areas
Learn how we’re focused on finding innovative solutions in active living, sport, food and nutrition. Explore how we’re translating scientific findings into practical applications.