Pharmacogenomic-Guided Rational Prescribing for Patients with Chronic Diseases: A Multifaceted Approach in Northern Ireland

Summary

Motivation: Integrating pharmacogenomics (PGx) into clinical practice presents a significant opportunity to improve medication management, especially for patients with chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes. Several critical factors highlight the importance of advancing PGx-guided prescribing in Northern Ireland. These factors include high prescription rates, the burden of chronic diseases such as T2D, the necessity to enhance patient safety, and the relatively limited availability of structured disease-specific resources and decision-support tools to facilitate the adoption of PGx-guided prescribing in clinical practice. This project explores the potential impact of pharmacogenomic-guided Medication Choice and Rational Prescribing on optimising medication-related outcomes.

Underlying aim: The project aims to evaluate the impact of pharmacogenomics on medication choice and rational prescribing in chronic disease management, focusing on the Northern Ireland healthcare context. The study will assess how genomic testing can inform prescribing decisions and improve patient outcomes.  Specific

Objectives/Methods:

1. Describe the current state of pharmacogenomics implementation in guiding rational prescribing across healthcare settings at a national level. This will be achieved through a systematic review.

2. Assess healthcare professionals' perceptions and experiences with pharmacogenomic-guided prescribing. This will be achieved through mixed method evaluation employing surveys and qualitative focus group discussions.

3. Investigate opportunities for pharmacogenomic-guided prescribing through database search and machine learning. This will be achieved by collecting clinical, patient-related, and prescribing data and applying machine learning to predict rational prescribing practices and clinical outcomes.

4. Develop and validate a decision support tool integrating pharmacogenomic data to guide medication choices and dosing in clinical practice. This will be achieved through transforming the machine learning model into a decision support tool for facilitating use in direct patient care.

Impact statement:

This project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the implementation of pharmacogenomics at a national level. It will identify gaps and best practices to inform policy decisions and guide future research. The project will offer valuable insights into the barriers and facilitators of pharmacogenomic-guided prescribing, enabling targeted interventions to improve adoption and implementation.

Additionally, machine learning will be used to predict rational prescribing practices and clinical outcomes, leveraging big data to enhance decision-making in pharmacogenomics. This could lead to more personalised and effective treatment strategies.

Finally, the project will develop a decision-support tool to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice. It will provide healthcare professionals practical ways to integrate pharmacogenomic data into their prescribing decisions.

Important Information: Applications for more than one PhD studentship are welcome, however if you apply for more than one PhD project within Biomedical Sciences, your first application on the system will be deemed your first-choice preference and further applications will be ordered based on the sequential time of submission. If you are successfully shortlisted, you will be interviewed only on your first-choice application and ranked accordingly. Those ranked highest will be offered a PhD studentship. In the situation where you are ranked highly and your first-choice project is already allocated to someone who was ranked higher than you, you may be offered your 2nd or 3rd choice project depending on the availability of this project.

AccessNI clearance required

Please note, the successful candidate will be required to obtain AccessNI clearance prior to registration due to the nature of the project.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• Sound understanding of subject area as evidenced by a comprehensive research proposal
• A comprehensive and articulate personal statement

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

• First Class Honours (1st) Degree
• Completion of Masters at a level equivalent to commendation or distinction at Ulster
• Practice-based research experience and/or dissemination
• Experience using research methods or other approaches relevant to the subject domain
• Work experience relevant to the proposed project
• Publications record appropriate to career stage
• Experience of presentation of research findings

Equal Opportunities

The University is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community, particularly from those with disabilities.

Appointment will be made on merit.

Funding and eligibility

This project is funded by:

• Department for the Economy (DfE)
• Vice Chancellor's Research Scholarship (VCRS)

Our fully funded PhD scholarships will cover tuition fees and provide a maintenance allowance of £19,237 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).  A Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) of £900 per annum is also available.

These scholarships, funded via the Department for the Economy (DfE) and the Vice Chancellor’s Research Scholarships (VCRS), are open to applicants worldwide, regardless of residency or domicile.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies.