Neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders in UK Biobank: misdiagnosis and delayed recognition, predictors of disease and outcomes
- 8 September 2025 to 2 December 2025
- Project No: D26062
- DPhil Project 2026
Background
Timely and accurate diagnosis of mental health conditions including bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, or neurodivergent conditions such as autism, is essential for appropriate support and improved mental health outcomes. Misdiagnosis (often as mood, anxiety, or personality disorders) can delay effective interventions and increase the risk of distress, self-harm, or comorbid conditions. This project will explore diagnostic trajectories using electronic health records from UK Biobank to track the healthcare pathways of those patients, focusing on early indicators, misdiagnosis patterns, and the long-term impact of delayed recognition across this population.
The UK Biobank is a large-scale prospective cohort study involving approximately 500,000 middle-aged and older adults. It provides comprehensive data, including genomic and deep phenotypic information, and linked clinical records from NHS primary and secondary care, cancer registries, and mortality databases. The project can be adapted to align with the student's background and interests, with opportunities for involvement in cross-departmental and international research collaborations.
research experience, research methods and skills training
The student will work within the rich academic environment of the Nuffield Department of Population Health and affiliated institutions, gaining research experience and skills training in epidemiology and statistics. The student will receive training in health data science, statistical analysis using electronic health records, with additional skills in phenotyping and psychiatric epidemiology. There will be support through regular research meetings with opportunities to participate in training and seminars offered by the department.
FIELD WORK, SECONDMENTS, INDUSTRY PLACEMENTS AND TRAINING
The project offers training in advanced research methods, data analysis, epidemiology, and academic writing. The student will be encouraged to write scientific papers as a lead author with the aim to publish in peer-reviewed journals, present at national and international meetings and conferences, and assist in preparing research proposals. This will provide a well-rounded foundation for an academic or research career.
PROSPECTIVE STUDENT
The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in a biomedical discipline, psychiatry, or psychology, and ideally postgraduate training or experience in statistics, epidemiology, public health, or data science. Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., R) for data cleaning, analysis, and visualisation is necessary. Familiarity with electronic health records data is desirable but not essential. Understanding of epidemiological principles and healthcare data is preferred.