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PhD Opportunities

At IPAN, we think of our PhD students as the research stars of the future. We are committed to offering our PhD students a supportive, positive and successful path to achieving their PhD. Find out about PhD opportunities at IPAN, and hear from past and present students and supervisors about their experiences.

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

Deakin-Aston Cotutelle – Physical activity and the effects of early life stress in adulthood

Early Life Stress is a risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders, which often manifest in later life. This project will combine quantitative data in humans and experimental work in an animal model of early life stress, to explore the intersection between physical activity, early life stress and later life health and wellbeing outcomes. In humans, the project will investigate the potential of physical activity to improve the effects of early life adversity on later life health and wellbeing outcomes.

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.

Nuts in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes

In this project, the PhD candidate investigate how nuts can improve the appetite, food intake, and blood glucose regulation of Australian adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

HDR Scholarship – Nutrition education and multiple sclerosis

This PhD project will develop and test a digital nutrition education intervention to improve diet quality among people with MS.

HDR Scholarship – Next-generation wearable technologies in human health and performance

This project explores if wearable sensor technologies can improve the measurement of human health and performance through real-time physiological and functional measurements in clinical, occupational, recreational, and sport settings.

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.

Advancing our understanding of the health benefits of nuts and seeds

In this project, the PhD candidate will investigate the health benefits of nuts/seeds in three main areas: 1) examine how the relationships between nuts/seeds and chronic diseases can be influenced by how these foods are eaten in a diet; 2) understand the benefits of nuts/seeds on brain and mental health; and 3) explore how different types and forms of nuts/seeds can be utilised to optimise dietary intake and body weight.

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.

Understanding resistance to sustainable travel

This PhD project will explore community resistance to policies and initiatives that promote and support sustainable travel (walking, cycling and public transport).

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.