PhD Fellowship: Co-designing a novel extended reality intervention to support engagement with exercise treatment in Multiple Sclerosis

Director of Studies: Dr Alastair Smith  

2nd Supervisor: Dr Rory Baxter  

3rd Supervisor: Professor Jennifer Freeman  

Applications are invited for a three-year full-time PhD Fellowship funded by the Multiple Sclerosis Society. It is anticipated that the studentship will start on 1 October 2026.
 

This prestigious PhD opportunity is designed to help science graduates build a career at the intersection of cutting-edge research and real-world patient experience. Extended reality (XR) is rapidly emerging as a promising tool for managing Multiple Sclerosis (MS), offering the potential for flexible, personalised, and remote treatment options. However, systematic reviews of clinical trials have revealed great variability in its effectiveness, not only due to differences in implementation but also in people’s responses to the technology. This PhD project will focus on the co-design of an XR intervention, tailored to the needs of people with MS, that is focused on supporting sustained engagement with exercise-based rehabilitation. In the first phase, the student will conduct co-design workshops alongside people with MS. The insights and strategies resulting from that collaborative process will be implemented the subsequent build phase, where a novel XR tool will be developed and piloted. This solution will then be tested with an MS volunteer group in the final phase, where the effectiveness of the intervention will be evaluated based on participant engagement and motivation. We expect an approach that is more closely aligned with patient preference and need will lead to better engagement than traditional strategies for home-based exercise.
 

Applicants should have a first or upper second-class honours degree in a relevant subject, or a relevant Masters qualification. Subjects can include Psychology, Medicine, Neuroscience, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Computer Science. Some proficiency with computer programming and/or virtual reality technologies is required for this project – if applicants do not already possess this, then a demonstrable willingness to learn will be most advantageous.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum English requirements for the programme, IELTS Academic score of 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in each component test area) or equivalent.

The studentship is supported for 3 years and includes full Home tuition fees plus a stipend at UKRI rates of £21,805 per annum (2026-27 rate). The studentship will only fully fund those applicants who are eligible for Home fees with relevant qualifications. Applicants normally required to cover International fees will have to cover the difference between the Home and the International tuition fee rates.

There is no additional funding available to cover NHS Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) costs, visa costs, flights etc.

The studentship is supported for three years of the four-year registration period. The fourth year is a self-funded ‘writing-up’ year.

You cannot work full time while receiving a PhD stipend.

If you wish to discuss this project further informally, please contact Dr Alastair Smith .
 

To apply, please select the ‘Online application’ link above in the 'Apply' box. Please include the following documents with your application:

This vacancy will involve working with children and/or vulnerable adults and any appointment will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

For more information on the admissions process generally, please visit our how to apply for a research degree webpage or contact the Doctoral College at research.degree.admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview shortly after the deadline. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications. Applicants who have not received a response within six weeks of the closing date should consider their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.