Identifying progression and patterns of symptoms in autoimmune rheumatic disease flares (SLOANM_U25GSTCMED)
Key Details
- Application deadline
- 6 December 2025 (midnight UK time)
- Location
- UEA
- Funding type
- Directly funded project (UK/Home students only)
- Start date
- 1 February 2026
- Mode of study
- Full-time
- Programme type
- PhD
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Project description
Primary supervisor - Dr Melanie Sloan
Project: Flares of autoimmune rheumatic diseases, e.g. lupus, can be life and organ-threatening and significantly reduce quality of life. Identification of warning signs (“prodromes”) of impending flares, including type and progression of symptoms in flares, could help in providing earlier recognition. Previous related observational research has identified common prodromal symptoms such as nightmares, and indicated that flare symptoms are often similar in each person in each flare, but different between individuals.
Project aims are: (1) undertake a literature review on flares and prodromal symptoms; (2) Complete analysis of survey data from >3000 patients to investigate patterns and progressions of flare symptoms; (3) Co-design (with patients and clinicians) and undertake a prospective mixed methods study investigating flare symptoms as they occur, using physiological markers (e.g. heart rate and sleep from wearables) objective tests (e.g. cognitive tests) and patient reported measures. Professors Guy Leschziner (neurology) and David D’Cruz (rheumatology) will be clinician advisors on this project. The student will also help co-ordinate the international INSPIRE (Investigating Neuropsychiatric Symptom Prevalence and Impact in Rheumatology patient Experiences) research project and work closely with other researchers, clinicians and patients, with scope to adapt some elements of the PhD to their interests. There will also be opportunities to join related project teams in long-term conditions. The PhD is funded through The Lupus Trust.
Training programme: Evidence synthesis, qualitative methods and analysis, mixed methods, statistical analysis potentially including meta-analysis, intensive longitudinal methods, writing for publication, thesis preparation, dissemination, and personal and professional development.
Outputs: Thesis, multiple publications, presentations, evidence to inform practice, potential future evaluation study.
Entry requirements
We are seeking a motivated and compassionate student with a good first degree in a numerate or health related discipline (at least 2:1) and preferably a research or health based Masters, to join our multi-disciplinary research team.
Funding
This project is fully funded for three years by The Lupus Trust, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity. Funding includes tuition fees at Home-fee rate, an annual stipend for maintenance starting at £20,780 in the academic year 2025/26, and £1,000 per annum to support research training.
References
Neuropsychiatric prodromes and symptom timings in relation to disease onset and/or flares in SLE: results from the mixed methods international INSPIRE study.
Sloan M, Bourgeois JA, Leschziner G, Pollak TA, Pitkanen M, Harwood R, Bosley M, Bortoluzzi A, Andreoli L, Diment W, Brimicombe J, Ubhi M, Barrere C, Naughton F, Gordon C, D'Cruz D. EClinicalMedicine. 2024 May 20;73:102634. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102634. eCollection 2024 Jul.PMID: 39429812 Free PMC article.
Neuropsychiatric symptoms in systemic lupus erythematosus: mixed methods analysis of patient-derived attributional evidence in the international INSPIRE project.
Sloan M, Pollak TA, Massou E, Leschziner G, Andreoli L, Harwood R, Bosley M, Pitkanen M, Diment W, Bortoluzzi A, Zandi MS, Ubhi M, Gordon C, Jayne D, Naughton F, Barrere C, Wincup C, Brimicombe J, Bourgeois JA, D'Cruz D. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2025 Mar 1;64(3):1179-1192. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keae194.PMID: 38518094 Free PMC article.
Attribution of neuropsychiatric symptoms and prioritization of evidence in the diagnosis of neuropsychiatric lupus: mixed methods analysis of patient and clinician perspectives from the international INSPIRE study.
Sloan M, Andreoli L, Zandi MS, Harwood R, Pitkanen M, Sloan S, Barrere C, Massou E, Wincup C, Bosley M, Naughton F, Ubhi M, Jayne D, Leschziner G, Brimicombe J, Diment W, Middleton K, Gordon C, D'Cruz D, Pollak TA. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2024 Dec 1;63(12):3471-3485. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead685.PMID: 38105443 Free PMC article.
Prevalence and identification of neuropsychiatric symptoms in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: an international mixed methods study.
Sloan M, Wincup C, Harwood R, Pollak TA, Massou E, Bosley M, Pitkanen M, Zandi MS, Leschziner G, Barrere C, Ubhi M, Andreoli L, Brimicombe J, Diment W, Jayne D, Gordon C, Naughton F, D'Cruz D. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2024 May 2;63(5):1259-1272. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead369.PMID: 37491699 Free PMC article.
'I still can't forget those words': mixed methods study of the persisting impact on patients reporting psychosomatic and psychiatric misdiagnoses.
Sloan M, Bosley M, Gordon C, Pollak TA, Mann F, Massou E, Morris S, Holloway L, Harwood R, Middleton K, Diment W, Brimicombe J, Lever E, Calderwood L, Dalby E, Dunbar E, D'Cruz D, Naughton F.Rheumatology (Oxford). 2025 Jun 1;64(6):3842-3853. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keaf115.PMID: 40037287 Free PMC article.