With Anglia Ruskin you can pursue your passion. Apply for one of our fully-funded PhD studentships, starting in September 2019 – and join a community of researchers committed to making a profound difference to the world around us.

Apply online

Here’s how:

  • explore our range of research opportunities below
  • identify the project you’re interested in
  • apply online using the individual project’s application link.

The deadline for applications is 3 March 2019 and studentships start in September 2019.

Successful applicants will benefit from a fee waiver and a stipend/bursary at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) level. As PhDs run for three years, your stipend will be uplifted in line with UKRI recommendations for each year of study.

Music therapy 

Designing and testing a musical instrument application with in-patients for hand rehabilitation following stroke

  • Studentship number: A13
  • Location: Cambridge
  • Supervisors: Professor Jörg Fachner and Dr Domenico Vicinanza
  • Informal enquiries: jorg.fachner@anglia.ac.uk
  • Interviews: Thursday 2 May 2019 in Cambridge

This PhD studentship will culminate in the production and clinical testing of a music-based touchscreen app for the rehabilitation of hand function following stroke.

In order to meet the current need for more effective, cost-efficient upper limb rehabilitation, and increase treatment dosage for patients, the researcher will review all relevant literature before employing a suitable methodology to work with stroke in-patients, their relatives and health professionals on key design points for the app. This will ensure optimum accessibility and functionality, potentially enabling patient self-delivery on stroke wards, with secure data collection and analysis.

The researcher will be in direct contact with adults on a ward who have had a stroke, their relatives, and health professionals who are delivering medical care and rehabilitation. Access to patients will be through Dr Alex Street, who designs, delivers and supervises projects with stroke in-patients using technology in and around Cambridgeshire. This will allow for design consultation and, later, feasibility testing once the app is programmed with a sufficient number of exercises.

Dr Street also works with external health technology organisations, who will be able to link in with the project. Full, regional ethical approval will be required prior to conducting this research.

This doctoral research would suit, but is not limited to:

  • music therapy clinicians with experience and specialist knowledge in neurorehabilitation, and/or who are familiar with music apps and other technology
  • software engineers and programmers who have an interest in, or experience of, digital health technology and music.

Please note that the University retains intellectual property rights to the research.

Click here for more info.