Population and Health Data Science: SURES Funded PhD in Multimodal Machine Learning Prediction [...] in Swansea

Swansea University is pleased to offer fully‑funded Swansea University Research Excellence Scholarships (SURES) for full‑time doctoral students to its seventh cohort, commencing in October 2026. Each SURES scholarship includes tuition fees and a stipend – reviewed annually at the UKRI standard rate and a £1,000 annual training allowance to support immersive training experiences, conference attendance, engagement with industry and international collaborative opportunities. Each scholarship is offered for a maximum period of three years; SURES students are expected to submit their theses within this timescale.

Informal scholarship enquiries from applicants to prospective supervisors – prior to the application deadline – are warmly encouraged; please direct these to the relevant member/s of faculty staff.

Subject Area: Population and Health Data Science

This PhD will investigate whether routinely collected diabetic retinal photographs, combined with clinical measurements, can more accurately identify individuals at risk of developing diabetic neuropathy, foot ulceration, other long‑term complications and mortality. The project draws on a uniquely rich 9‑year dataset from Sheffield’s One Stop microvascular screening service, where retinal images, validated point‑of‑care nerve tests (DPNCheck and SUDOSCAN), neuropathy scoring, foot assessment and blood biomarkers were collected. Participants were then followed for 7–9 years to determine who went on to develop confirmed neuropathy, foot ulceration or mortality.

The student will extract quantitative features from retinal images and combine these with clinical variables using interpretable machine learning methods to build practical risk‑prediction tools. The aim is to identify early microvascular or nerve‑related signals that may precede symptoms. This PhD aligns with emerging NHS priorities and benefits from Dr Tesfaye’s unique position as advisor to NHS England on the development of national One Stop microvascular screening services. The project aims to produce clinically interpretable prediction tools that could support earlier detection of high‑risk individuals and reduce the burden of neuropathy, ulceration and mortality.

Candidates must have achieved, or be expecting to achieve, a 1st class UK undergraduate degree (or equivalent international qualification), or a 2:1 UK undergraduate degree and a Distinction in a UK master’s degree (or international equivalent). Where applicants have multiple master’s degrees, a distinction must be held in the degree that is most relevant to the intended PhD study. If you are currently studying for a master’s level qualification with an expected award date that is later than 01/10/2026, you should hold a minimum of an upper‑second‑class (2:1) honours degree. You should be able to demonstrate a pass with a minimum grade average of at least 70 % for your part‑one master’s degree modules (the taught aspect of your master’s course rather than a research‑focused dissertation) and submit your dissertation by no later than 30/09/2026.

Applicants must be able to begin their course of study in October 2026. As a cohort‑based programme, deferral to an alternative enrolment window within the academic year or to another academic year is not permissible.

English Language requirements: If applicable – IELTS 6.5 overall (with a score of at least 6.5 in each individual component) or equivalent that is recognised by Swansea University. Details on the Swansea University English Language entry policy can be found on their website.

Please note that both the degree and language‑proficiency entry requirements for SURES are higher than the baseline standard for entry that is stipulated for most of the PhD programmes at Swansea University.

International applicants will be required to hold a SUIPRES scholarship, with further guidance to follow if shortlisted.

For more information on the selection process, please see our website.