From nutrition science education to behaviour change: development and evaluation of a Brain Health Score (BHS) within a developed digital nutrition intervention
PhD
Key facts
Start dates
January 2027
Application deadline
30 September 2026
Location
Course length
Full time: 3 years
Supervisor(s)
More details
Eligibility: Home UK/Settled and Pre-settled
Bursary p.a: UKRI national minimum stipend plus home fees (current 2026/27 is £21,805)
Fees: University fees at the home rate and bench fees will be met by the University and partner organisation for the 3 years of the funded Studentship.
This course is not available to students classed as International for fees purposes.
Overview
Diet is an underexploited modifiable influencer on brain health. Women within the justice system experience poor diets alongside significant brain health needs, yet remain hard to reach with nutrition and health information. This PhD tackles that translation gap, focusing on the evaluation of diet on female health within a carceral environment.
In collaboration with TTN you will develop and validate the Brain Health Score; a novel measure of diet quality for cognitive health, delivered through TTN’s LANAH digital platform. You will test the BHS against established indices and run a comparative intervention to investigate the effect on dietary behaviour change. You will examine whether dietary changes translate into improvements in mental health, cognition, and wellbeing.
Focusing on two under-served perinatal cohorts; women in MBUs and community perinatal care, this novel intervention has potential to shape how nutrition support reaches underprivileged populations.
In collaboration with TTN you will develop and validate the Brain Health Score; a novel measure of diet quality for cognitive health, delivered through TTN’s LANAH digital platform. You will test the BHS against established indices and run a comparative intervention to investigate the effect on dietary behaviour change. You will examine whether dietary changes translate into improvements in mental health, cognition, and wellbeing.
Focusing on two under-served perinatal cohorts; women in MBUs and community perinatal care, this novel intervention has potential to shape how nutrition support reaches underprivileged populations.
Additional details
This project offers a rigorous doctoral programme embedded in an established OBU-TTN research partnership investigating real-world health technology. You will be supervised by academics with direct experience in translating nutrition research into national policy.
You will have access to TTN’s LANAH digital platform, active data sets, and diverse implementation settings. The mixed methods design will develop interdisciplinary skills across nutrition science, psychometrics, digital health, and behaviour change.
Your findings will contribute directly to impact case study development, conference dissemination, and academic publications. You will help build a transferable framework with applications across health, justice, and community settings, opening opportunities for future collaborative research.
You will benefit from a multidisciplinary supervisory team spanning colleagues from HMPPS, MoJ, OBU and TTN.
You will have access to TTN’s LANAH digital platform, active data sets, and diverse implementation settings. The mixed methods design will develop interdisciplinary skills across nutrition science, psychometrics, digital health, and behaviour change.
Your findings will contribute directly to impact case study development, conference dissemination, and academic publications. You will help build a transferable framework with applications across health, justice, and community settings, opening opportunities for future collaborative research.
You will benefit from a multidisciplinary supervisory team spanning colleagues from HMPPS, MoJ, OBU and TTN.
How to apply
Entry requirements
Applicants should have a first or upper second-class honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or acceptable equivalent qualification.
English language requirements
International/EU applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate (or equivalent) with an overall minimum score of 6.5 to 7.0 and no score below 6.0 issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre.
Application process
Please download and follow the application instructions. Contact hls-applications@brookes.ac.uk with any queries.
Director of Studies: Professor Jonathan Tammam
Supervisors: Dr Shelly Coe, Tahani Saridar (Think Through Nutrition), Ann Roberts (Think Through Nutrition)
Project Contact: Professor Jonathan Tammam jtammam@brookes.ac.uk
Interviews are expected to take place online in November 2026.
The studentship requires you to undertake the equivalent of up to 6 hrs of teaching per week on average, during semester time, and to include preparation and marking (but no more than 20 hrs per week), and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration.
The studentship is subject to funding confirmation.
Director of Studies: Professor Jonathan Tammam
Supervisors: Dr Shelly Coe, Tahani Saridar (Think Through Nutrition), Ann Roberts (Think Through Nutrition)
Project Contact: Professor Jonathan Tammam jtammam@brookes.ac.uk
Interviews are expected to take place online in November 2026.
The studentship requires you to undertake the equivalent of up to 6 hrs of teaching per week on average, during semester time, and to include preparation and marking (but no more than 20 hrs per week), and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration.
The studentship is subject to funding confirmation.
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
2026 / 27
Research degree fees and project costs
The studentship covers bench fees, stipend, and tuition fees. The stipend is at the UKRI rate (currently £21,805 for the academic year 2026/27)