Funded PhD: The contribution of livestock movements to the spread of antimicrobial resistance in East Africa

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health challenge that affects people’s health, and undermines food security and national economies through impacts on the livestock sector. The greatest impacts are felt in low-resource settings where livelihoods are highly dependent on livestock. Livestock mobility to access resources (grazing land, water and minerals) is critical to animal survival but could play a role in the spread of AMR across the landscape.

The successful PhD student will develop new statistical and mathematical methods to model and understand the complex system of livestock movements in traditional livestock production systems of East Africa, and will use bacterial whole-genome sequence data and population genetics modelling to assess the contribution of livestock movements to the spread of AMR. They will also test the transferability and robustness of these models for larger scale inferences. The connections of the supervisory team to national and international agencies will provide a link to decision makers for the practical application of this work.

Applicants should be highly quantitative ecologists or epidemiologists with an interest in deepening their mathematical and statistical skills, or applied statisticians aiming to develop their skills to address practical issues around the control of livestock diseases in natural systems.

This funded PhD project is part of the MVLS College Futures PhD Programme. The MVLS College Futures PhD Programme is an ambitious initiative from The College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences (MVLS) at the University of Glasgow, designed to cultivate the next generation of research leaders. Commencing in October 2025, this programme offers up to 12 fully-funded PhD studentships, each spanning 3.5 years and providing a comprehensive package that includes a stipend at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) rates, coverage of home tuition fees, and a generous allocation of up to £17,500 for research consumables.

The MVLS College Futures PhD Programme is intricately aligned with the MVLS 2033 vision, focusing on four pivotal research themes:

1. Fundamentals of Life: Aiming to position the University as a globally recognized center for discovery bioscience, this theme emphasizes groundbreaking fundamental research.
2. Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics: Dedicated to pioneering the development and implementation of next-generation clinical interventions for both human and animal health.
3. Health Inequalities: Focused on unraveling the root causes and consequences of health disparities, this theme seeks to devise and apply scalable solutions to bridge health gaps.
4. Planetary Health: Exploring the intricate relationships between environmental changes and the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems, this theme strives to identify and assess innovative strategies to mitigate emerging threats.

Read more about the MVLS College Futures PhD Programme

https://www.gla.ac.uk/colleges/mvls/graduateschool/phd-research-opportunities/futures-programme/

Application closing date: March 5, 2025

Programme start date: October 2025