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Wessex One Health BBSRC scholarship: Potential role of gamebirds in the epidemiology of avian Influenza (2025)

What you get

PhD studentships cover four years of UK or International PhD fees and a tax free maintenance allowance (currently £19,237 in 2024-5) plus some research costs.

Type of award

PhD scholarship

PhD project

Potential role of gamebirds in the epidemiology of avian Influenza

Theme(s): Detection, Prevention and Intervention; Understanding Disease Spread

Lead partner: ßÏßÏÊÓƵ 
Supervisor: Pierre Nouvellet, Pierre.nouvellet@sussex.ac.uk

Joint partner: APHA 
Supervisor: Ashley Banyard, Ashley.Banyard@apha.gov.uk

Project Summary

‘The COVID-19 pandemic exposed […] the need for sustained investment in pandemic influenza preparedness […] because, as we all know, an influenza pandemic is certain – the only question is when.’

Dr T.A. Ghebreyesus. WHO Director-General, High-Level Implementation Plan III 2024-2030

High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) is a highly contagious and severe viral disease predominantly affecting birds but with a strong zoonotic risk. In Europe, HPAI is currently causing significant impacts on wild bird and poultry populations, with secondary risks towards public health.

Several countries have a thriving recreational and food supply gamebird industry, and populations significantly increase wild bird populations according to seasonal release. Such transient population explosions have been proposed to be linked to increased incidence of avian pathogens including avian influenza. We aim to define the impact of gamebird release on wild bird populations to better understand how these populations impact the disease and population ecology across the UK. Important components of this question include whether any changes to risk are important, and how they vary in space and time.

Methodologically, the project will involve both theoretical and data-driven approaches. Ecological data on gamebirds (using a combination digital sources and potential field work tracking birds post release) will be collected and combined with epidemiological data on bird die offs and links to avian influenza. Mathematical and statistical modelling will be used to predict the impact of gamebird releases on 1) disease dynamics, 2) predatory mammalian populations, and 3) potential mitigation strategies. The project aims to provide evidence on the eco-epidemiological impact of gamebirds and potential recommendations to mitigate pathogen risk.

The student will benefit from an experienced supervisory team with expertise in ecology and infectious disease modelling (ßÏßÏÊÓƵ/APHA), and veterinary epidemiology and virology (APHA) alongside providing an exciting opportunity to work at the academia:government interface.  

The Wessex One Health programme brings together the expertise of our three university partners and four major UK institutes with national capability for working on high consequence pathogens, to provide a broad training and research experience for students, with the following highlights:

Eligibility

Who we are looking for

You will have the ambition, motivation and scientific curiosity to research new approaches to combatting infectious diseases in the themes of:

• Detection, prevention and intervention
• Microbial evolution and drug resistance
• Understanding disease spread
• Infection and cellular biology. 

You will have or expect to have an MSc, and/or a first or upper second honours degree in a relevant subject. We welcome applications from graduates of all universities, and from candidates already in work, or returning after a career break.

Note: Lab experience is desirable but not essential as all successful applicants will be trained in basic lab skills where applicable.

The Scholarships are open to both UK and International applicants but 70% of each cohort of students must be UK and some of the host laboratories have further nationality or residency requirements for their researchers, so bear this in mind when selecting your four project preferences.

In order to be eligible to apply for the necessary security clearance, applicants for projects with Dstl must be a UK national, currently resident in the UK, and have resided in the UK continuously for the past five year. Applicants for projects including laboratory work at APHA, UKHSA or Pirbright Institute must be currently resident in the UK and have at least three years continuous UK residency. Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) clearance is required prior to commencing work at all the above laboratories. Candidates need to ensure that they are eligible for security clearance. It is up to each person applying for a studentship to ensure they meet the residency criteria. Please contact the supervisor if you have any questions. 

Number of scholarships available

One for this project but 17 PhD studentships are available for October 2025 across the programme. 

Deadline

How to apply

Please apply by submitting an  and completing our .

Prospective students are asked to select up to  and if invited for interview are strongly encouraged to contact prospective supervisors ahead of interview. 

• Submission deadline: Midnight, Friday 28 February 2025
• Shortlisting: by 10 March 2025
• Interviews: Online, week beginning 24th March 2025.

Contact us

For ßÏßÏÊÓƵ-specific enquiries contact pgr-scholarships@sussex.ac.uk

For information on thiso project, contact the supervisors: Dr Pierre Nouvellet Pierre.Nouvellet@sussex.ac.uk, Dr Ashley Banyard, Ashley.Banyard@apha.gov.uk

For further information on the programme or application process, email WOH@surrey.ac.uk. 

Timetable

The timetable is as follows:

Deadline for online application:               February 28th 2025 - 23:59

Invitation to interview:                              By 10th March 2025

Interviews Online:                                    w/c March 24th 2025