Opportunities & Events
PhD Studentship: Illustration in Healthcare Decision-Making
Start Date: Deadline: 27 March 2026
Summary:
Cardiff School of Art and Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University are delighted to offer a four-year fully funded Lles studentship on: Embedding illustration in the co-production of an infection prevention and control decision aid for people with Cystic Fibrosis
The studentship is part of the AHRC-funded Lles project, which will fund 28 studentships across Wales’ universities. This studentship will commence in October 2026.
Content:
Project overview
This interdisciplinary PhD will explore the use of illustration, with the illustrator acting as a conduit between patients and medical providers, to coproduce a patient-facing decision aid that will support Shared Decision Making (SDM) in relation to new Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) recommendations for people with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).
CF is a genetic disorder that causes damage to the lungs, pancreas and other organs in the body, affecting over 11,000 people in the UK. People with CF are highly vulnerable to specific harmful bacteria and need to take additional precautions to reduce their risk of infection. For example, people with CF are strongly discouraged from meeting each other in-person (unless they live in the same household) due to risks associated with cross-infection. This impedes the authentic sharing of experiences, creating a need to enable indirect communication between patients.
SDM is a collaborative process where healthcare professionals and patients work together to make health decisions. Research indicates that embedding illustrators as part of a multi-disciplinary team can support the authentic co-production of SDM aides by empathetically capturing patient experience, empowering patients to consider and communicate their preferences, values and needs with their healthcare teams.
With new international guidelines for CF IPC due in 2026, decision-making tools are needed to support individuals with CF and their healthcare teams to tailor the implementation of new recommendations to individual needs.
For this PhD, the successful candidate will work with co-production groups at the All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, including healthcare professionals, individuals with CF and their families.
Focusing on one key element of the new CF IPC guidelines, this research will test a model for integrating narrative illustration into the development of SDM aids. This will follow a two-stage approach to (1) engage in an iterative, in-depth process based on knowledge exchange, trust, communication and empathy to develop and illustrate SDM aids and (2) conduct a mixed-methods evaluation assessing the feasibility and acceptability of the model.
The PhD will be supervised by Dr Rhiannon Phillips and Dr Debbie Savage and advised by Amelia Huw Morgan.
How to apply
Applications, including all required documents, must be received by 27 March 2026 to csadresdegrees@cardiffmet.ac.uk.
Your application must include:
- CV - This may be in a narrative form, demonstrating how your lived experience, educational and/or work journey showcases your potential
- Statement outlining your interest in this project, your ideas for it and your suitability to undertake it (2 pages max)
- Academic or professional references (candidates must approach referees themselves and include references with their application. The reference must detail the applicant’s research strengths).
- Degree certificates and Transcripts (including translations if applicable)
- If relevant, proof of English Language Competency
Due to the volume of applications received, incomplete applications will not be considered.
Following the selection process, the successful candidate will be invited to enrol onto our PhD programme via our Self-Service application portal. Here you will be required to complete Cardiff Metropolitan University’s application form and upload all supporting documentation.
Funding
The studentship funded by the AHRC covers tuition fees, an annual tax-free living stipend of in line with UKRI minimum rates (currently £21,805 for 2026-27 full-time) and includes access to a Research Training Support Grant. Full and part-time applications are welcomed. If you have a disability, you may be entitled to a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) on top of your studentship.
This studentship is funded as part of a wider doctoral focal award funded by the AHRC entitled ‘Lles’.