The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is inviting applications for a fully funded PhD studentship under the prestigious MRC London Intercollegiate Doctoral Training Partnership (MRC LID). The 2026–27 project, supervised by leading researchers in epidemiology and population health, offers an exceptional opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research on hypnotic drug use and the risk of dementia.

This doctoral opportunity is ideal for academically strong candidates with backgrounds in epidemiology, medical statistics, health data science, or related fields. The programme offers world-class training, interdisciplinary supervision, and access to major UK health data resources.

Project Title

Do hypnotic drugs increase the risk of dementia?

Supervisory Team

• Dr Anne Suffel
  Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, LSHTM
  Email
• Dr Helen Strongman
  Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, LSHTM
  Email
• Professor Charlotte Warren-Gash
  Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, LSHTM
  Email

Project Summary

Hypnotic drugs, including benzodiazepines and z-drugs, have been linked to a higher risk of dementia in several studies. However, the underlying cause of this association remains unclear. It is unknown whether the increased risk is due to the drugs themselves, the sleep disturbances for which they are prescribed, or interactions with other medications such as antidepressants and antipsychotics.

This project aims to address these knowledge gaps using large, routinely collected electronic health record datasets from UK primary and secondary care. By examining prescribing patterns, drug interactions, and potential dose–response relationships, the research seeks to inform safer prescribing practices and reduce dementia risk in populations with sleep disturbances.

Key Research Themes

• Dementia and cognitive decline
• Hypnotic drug prescribing
• Sleep and medication interactions
• Pharmacoepidemiology
• Health data science
• Machine learning for healthcare

Skills Students Will Acquire

The selected PhD student will gain advanced training in:

• Managing and analysing large linked electronic health record datasets
• Conducting pharmacoepidemiological cohort studies
• Using multivariable regression, causal inference, and machine learning models
• Quantitative bias analysis and methods to reduce confounding
• Research ethics, data governance, and secure data handling
• Advanced statistical software skills (R, STATA, or similar)

Study Routes and Structure

• +4 PhD route available (direct entry into PhD)
• 1+4 route not available
• Suitable for both full-time and part-time study

Students will be based onsite at LSHTM Bloomsbury, London. Occasional conference travel is supported.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• Meet LSHTM’s institutional requirements for doctoral study
• Hold, or expect to hold before the start date, a relevant MSc degree with strong grades in fields such as:
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Data Science
  • Medical Statistics
  • Or equivalent qualifications and experience

The project is open to eligible candidates applying through the MRC LID programme.

Data Sources and Research Infrastructure

The student will work with:

• Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Aurum
• Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)
• Office for National Statistics (ONS) mortality data

LSHTM maintains annual access licenses and provides comprehensive support through its Electronic Health Records Group.

UK Biobank may be used if wider linkage to primary care and prescription records becomes available.

Project Objectives in Detail

1. Describe prescribing patterns
   • Analyse trends in hypnotic use by drug class, demographics, and underlying conditions.
2. Identify clusters of co-prescribing
   • Use machine learning to detect combinations of hypnotics with other medications linked to dementia risk.
3. Evaluate dementia risk
   • Conduct matched cohort analyses to compare:
     • Users with different indications (sleep vs anxiety)
     • Individuals with varying cumulative drug exposure
     • Combinations of hypnotics with high-risk co-prescribed drugs

Causal inference tools such as propensity score matching and directed acyclic graphs will be applied.

Further Resources and Pre-Application Materials

Applicants are encouraged to review relevant articles and the supervisors’ recorded briefing before making contact.

How to Apply

Applicants should visit the official MRC LID application page to submit their materials:

MRC LID How to Apply
MRC LID Project

For enquiries, contact the MRC LID administration team at email: http://mrclid@lshtm.ac.uk

About the MRC LID Partnership

The MRC London Intercollegiate Doctoral Training Partnership is a collaboration between:

• LSHTM
• St George’s, University of London
• City, University of London

The partnership is committed to training future research leaders in population health, data science, and biomedical science.

For other opportunities, click here.