Part Funded MSc by Research Studentship: Investigating the Influence of Inspiratory Muscle Training in Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Department of Sports and Exercise Science

Swansea University

Closing date: 29 April 2016
Cystic Fibrosis, characterised by excessive mucus production in several organs including the lungs, affects approximately 1:2500 Caucasian new born babies. Whilst there is no prevention or cure for Cystic Fibrosis, considerable advances have been made in recent years regarding strategies to preserve lung function and thus improve the prognosis for patients. An important development amongst these strategies, which is especially pertinent to patients with Cystic Fibrosis as this condition demonstrates considerable inter-patient variability, is the pursuit of personalised medicine. Personalised medicine revolves around the development of more precise, predictable and powerful medicine which is customised for the individual patient.
A strategy that has recently received increasing interest in patients with respiratory diseases is respiratory muscle training (RMT). RMT involves the training of inspiratory and/or expiratory muscles depending on the methods used and aims to directly improve the performance of these key muscles for ventilation which are skeletal muscle and thus trainable. RMT can be administered using a variety of methods from resistive breathing to normocapnic hyperpnoea. The most suitable methods and devices for use in those with Cystic Fibrosis remain to be determined.
The purpose of this project is to investigate the influence, and maintenance, of inspiratory muscle training in those with Cystic Fibrosis. This programme of research will be based on multi-centres studies in Swansea and Grenoble, combining the expertise of both Universities and offering an attractive environment for an MSc by Rescandidate.
The successful candidate will be supervised by Dr Melitta McNarry, and based within the state of the art facilities of the Department of Sports and Exercise Science, situated in Swansea University's Bay Campus.
The successful candidate will be expected to start their studentship in October 2016.
Eligibility
Candidates should have 2:1 honours degree in a relevant area such as Sport Science, Medicine and/or Physiology. Candidates must also have the ability to communicate effectively with others and co-ordinate multiple tasks simultaneously.
This scholarship is open to UK, EU and international students.
For more details please see here: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate/scholarships/research/exercise-health-phys...

General funding sources

For general sources of funding that may apply to this study opportunity, visit the page(s) below.

• General funding

Funding information

Funding applies to:

Open to applicants from a range of countries

Contacts and how to apply

Administrative contact and how to apply:

To apply for this studentship, please return the following documents:
- CV
- Covering letter
- University transcripts
- Names of two academic references
to: Dr Melitta McNarry (m.mcnarry@swansea.ac.uk)
The deadline for applications is Friday 29th April 2016.
Informal enquiries about this scholarship are welcome and may be directed to Dr McNarry on the email address above or by telephoning +44 (0)1792 513069.

Application deadline:

29 April 2016