PhD project summary:
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common long-term health conditions in the UK and a leading cause of pain, disability, and work loss. Around ten million people are affected nationally, with NHS costs estimated at over £10 billion each year and broader societal costs — including sickness absence and informal care — exceeding £14 billion.
In Tower Hamlets, where deprivation and long-term illness rates are among the highest in the country, OA often develops earlier and progresses faster. Many residents experience chronic pain that limits movement, independence, and their ability to remain in work. These challenges are compounded by the physical nature of many local jobs, barriers to physiotherapy, language and cultural factors, and economic insecurity.
This doctoral project will explore how osteoarthritis shapes the health, employment, and wellbeing of people living in Tower Hamlets and East London. It will be delivered in partnership between the Blizard Institute at Queen Mary University of London, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC), and Barts Health NHS Trust.
Working alongside the borough’s Connect to Work programme (2025–2030), the project will combine qualitative, quantitative, and economic methods to:
1. Explore lived experiences of osteoarthritis among working-age and older residents, focusing on the relationship between pain, mobility, and employment.
2. Identify barriers and facilitators to accessing effective treatment, physical activity, and supported employment.
3. Quantify the local economic burden of OA by analysing healthcare use, sickness absence, and informal care costs.
4. Understand the “economics of living with OA”, including household financial strain and the resource implications for local health and social-care services.
5. Evaluate integrated local initiatives — such as Connect to Work, community physiotherapy, and social prescribing — to assess how they improve health, independence, and work participation.
6. Co-develop actionable recommendations for clinicians, commissioners, and policymakers to improve musculoskeletal health and employment outcomes.
Through interviews, community workshops, and analysis of linked health-and-employment data, the research will generate a detailed picture of what it means to live and work with osteoarthritis in one of the UK’s most diverse urban settings.
Findings will directly inform local policy and service design, demonstrating how early, community-based interventions can improve quality of life while reducing long-term costs to the NHS and local government. The project will also contribute to national debates on healthy ageing, work inclusion, and the economic value of integrated care — ensuring that the voices and experiences of East London residents help shape future musculoskeletal health policy.
Supervisor(s):
Suzanne Eldridge: s.e.eldridge@qmul.ac.uk
Giuliano Russo: g.russo@qmul.ac.uk
CASE non-academic partner: Tower Hamlets Council: www.towerhamlets.gov.uk
LISS Institution: Queen Mary University of London, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Centre for Bone and Joint Health, Blizard Institute
PhD Programme: PhD FT Blizard Institute (Non-Clinical) – Semester 1 start
Full-time / Part-time: Either
1+3.5 or +3.5 studentship: +3.5
Fee Eligibility: Home & International eligible (UKRI eligibility guidance)
How to apply:
To apply, please complete and return the documents below to the project supervisor(s) directly:
- LISS DTP CASE application form
- Academic transcripts
- References
- Additional information as stipulated in the CASE project listing
Additionally, all applicants must complete:
- LISS DTP Diversity Monitoring Form (online)
- QMUL PhD admissions application: PhD FT Blizard Institute (Non-Clinical) – Semester 1 start
Closing date for applications: 27th February 2026
Interviews date: Week commencing 9th March 2026