Sitting less and moving more in office workers with type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a major health challenge in Australia, with 280 new cases diagnosed each day and significant impacts on lives and healthcare costs. Innovative solutions are urgently needed to address this growing epidemic. 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).
The research expands upon our internationally recognised Stand Up Australia program, which has successfully reduced workplace sitting time, and on laboratory evidence showing that breaking up sitting can acutely lower post-meal blood glucose levels.
Project Highlights:
- Randomised Controlled Trial: Our group has recently completed an 18 month, multi-component intervention including tailored health coaching, sit-stand workstations, and smartphone-based self-monitoring and prompts in office workers with Type 2 Diabetes (the OPTIMISE Your Health Study).
- Secondary Outcomes: This project provides the opportunity to examine the efficacy of the intervention on secondary outcomes (eg: body composition, cardiometabolic biomarkers – for full details of the study see Brakenridge et al BMC Public Health 2022 doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13123-X).
Who should apply?
This project is ideal for candidates interested in type 2 diabetes and physical activity research, behavioural interventions, and advanced data analysis.
Join us:
Applications are invited for a PhD candidate to work under the supervision of Professor David Dunstan (primary supervisor), Dr Paddy Dempsey (associate supervisor) and Professor Genevieve Healy (external supervisor).
Eligibility criteria
- Applicants must meet Deakin’s PhD entry requirements, be enrolling full time and hold an Honours degree (First Class) or an equivalent standard Master’s degree with a substantial research component (including a Thesis component). Please refer to the entry pathways to higher degrees by research for further information.
- Bachelor’s degree with Honours or a Master’s degree with research component in the field of physical activity and chronic disease management.
- Fluency in verbal and written English (evidence of English proficiency is required), highly motivated and able to work in a multidisciplinary team.
- The opportunity is open to domestic and international students
Key dates and other information
- Start date: We are looking for a suitable candidate to start as soon as possible.
- Scholarship: We will work with suitably qualified applicants to apply for scholarship funding.
- To apply: Refer to our How to apply webpage for more information