PhD Studentship in collaboration with Lululemon athletica inc.: Understanding human thermal behaviour and physiology to build health and resilience to climate change.

Hot weather and heat extremes limit people’s work and exercise capacity, with consequent negative effects on individuals’ health, comfort, and productivity. The proposed PhD project focusses on an unmet need and it aims to investigate how individual differences in human physiology, psychology, and culture impact behaviour and thermal resilience to heat stress at rest and during exercise.

This fundamental knowledge will guide technological innovation in the design of user-centered sportwear that is engineered to meet the physiological, behavioural, and cultural needs of different individuals, to support active and healthy lifestyles at a time of climate change.

To achieve this aim, the PhD project will incorporate novel interdisciplinary research at the intersection of 1) human thermal physiology and climate health (Dr Filingeri); 2) fashion and dress behaviour (Prof Turney); 3) apparel R&D (Lululemon athletica inc.).

The successful candidate will have extensive opportunities to collaborate with Lululemon athletica inc. and they will benefit from a secondment period at the manufacturer’s R&D laboratories in Canada.

Further information on THERMOSENSELAB and the Skin Sensing Research Group can be found here:

http://www.thermosenselab.com/

https://www.southampton.ac.uk/fcs/themes/skin-health/index.page

Entry requirements:

Students must ideally have a first-class academic qualification at BSc (minimum an excellent upper second class) and ideally also at master’s degree level in a discipline relevant to the topic area (i.e. Sports Science, Biology, Physiology, Ergonomics, Textile Engineering, etc.). Research experience in applied physiology and laboratory testing of healthy human participants and/or clinical groups will be an advantage.

Applications should include:

·      Curriculum Vitae

·      A support statement (max 2 pages) outlining the motivation for this application

·      Two reference letters

·      Degree Transcripts to date

How to Apply:

Applications should be made online. Select programme type (Research), 2024/25, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, next page selects “PhD Health Sciences (Full time)”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor Davide Filingeri.