| Project Supervisor | Paraskevi Seferidi |
| Institution & Department | Imperial College London – School of Public Health |
| Research Area | RA 4: Environment and Sustainability |
| Project Start Date | Flexible start date offered. |
| Project Duration | 3 months |
| Application Deadline | 4th June 2026 |
| Working Pattern | Either full-time or part-time. Please discuss and agree on Working Patterns with the Project Supervisor. |
| Working Arrangements | Hybrid |
| The suggested working pattern is working 3 days from the office (Imperial’s White City campus) and 2 days from home, but this is flexible and can be adjusted in discussion with the student on a case by case basis. | |
| How to Apply | View Guidance Here |
Project Description
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Low and middle income countries (LMICs) are increasingly confronted with a double burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition and overnutrition co exist within the same populations, households, and individuals. These nutritional challenges unfold within broader socioecological systems undergoing rapid transformations, including environmental change across multiple planetary processes, and related changes in social, economic, and political conditions. Although previous research has recognised the influence of freshwater availability and quality on nutritional outcomes, these relationships are often presented as linear and isolated pathways. These approaches overlook the inherently complex and dynamic nature of socioecological systems in which interactions between water systems and nutritional health occur, including the feedback processes through which alterations in one domain can reinforce or modify changes in the other.
To address this gap, this project aims to develop a qualitative systems map (causal loop diagram) that describes the complex interconnections between water systems, food systems, and the double burden of malnutrition, taking a socioecological approach.
This project aligns with two ongoing research initiatives. First, it complements an MRC Career Development Award that employs system dynamics methodologies to investigate the complex interconnections between environmental change and the double burden of malnutrition. Second, it contributes to an emerging multidisciplinary consortium, supported by seed funding from Imperial College London, that aims to investigate how agricultural changes in LMICs affect the double burden of malnutrition through biodiversity and water changes.
Internship Details
To achieve the aim of the project, the student will:
- Develop an interactive map that enables users to explore system components and relationships through clickable, layered visualisation, using Kumu.
The student will present the key findings of the project into a concise communication or perspective article, which will also serve as a vehicle for disseminating the interactive conceptual map to a wider academic audience. - Conduct a rapid literature review on socioecological interconnections between freshwater insecurity and nutritional health
- Perform interviews with water and nutrition experts to complement literature findings
- Synthesise the outcomes of the literature review and the interviews into a causal loop diagram
Anticipated Benefits for the Student
The student will gain hands-on experience in qualitative system dynamics approaches. They will learn how to synthesise literature and interview insights into a causal loop diagram. They will also gain practical experience in working with the digital systems mapping tool, Kumu, including using its CSS-inspired coding language to control a wide variety of interactive features. Finally, they will develop advanced academic writing skills, through synthesising complex evidence into a clear and concise perspective article.
The interdisciplinary nature of the project and supervisory team will enable the student to engage with concepts and evidence from public health, environmental science, hydrology, systems thinking, and social science, strengthening their ability to integrate diverse disciplinary perspectives. It will also enhance their capacity to communicate effectively with experts from different domains and develop outputs that are relevant to a wide range of fields.
Finally, through involvement with the wider consortium and participation in meetings, the student will have the opportunity to gain insights into the development of research grants, including interdisciplinary grants for Horizon Europe, and develop an understanding of the grant writing process.
Skills, Experience and Knowledge Requirements
Essential Requirements:
- Experience in literature synthesis
- Some prior experience conducting interviews or using other methods of stakeholder engagement
- Basic understanding of either global health/nutrition issues or environmental change
Desirable Requirements:
- Interest in systems dynamics or other complex systems approaches
- Experience working in or engaging with research related to LMIC contexts
- Interest in interdisciplinary research topics