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About the Centre

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Overview of the Centre

Soc-B’s overarching aim is to ensure the UK remains at the cutting edge of biosocial research by producing highly employable PhD graduates with the capabilities and experience to lead and grow future research excellence in the fast expanding field of biosocial science. Based across three of the UK’s top higher education institutions, Soc-B offers three PhD training programmes designed to harness world-leading expertise in the social-biological interface. The Centre offers students the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to understand how social environments, biology and behaviours intersect to influence health and functioning and vice-versa within a lifecourse framework.

The programme equips students with an understanding of the interaction between social and biological processes by exploiting rapidly developing streams of biosocial data. This is achieved through a unique blend of experiences: bespoke learning modules from basic to advanced level in social science and biological theory, ‘taster’ project rotations, PhD proposal development, and internships with non-academic partners. Students with a willingness to embrace Soc-B’s unique offering to integrate approaches from social and bio sciences are recruited from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. This inherently interdisciplinary approach means that students utilise a variety of methods in their research studies spanning in-depth ethnographic research through single context large scale population studies and cross-country comparisons in an attempt to tease out causal processes. In their thesis research, students make use of a range of data resources, often combining data from large scale population-based studies with laboratory experiments and sometimes qualitative information to investigate a wide range of societal and economic challenges. For example: stress hormone production may be altered by adverse childhood experiences; genetic predisposition for cardiovascular disease might manifest under certain early dietary environments; cognitive decline, and accompanying neuronal changes, could be accelerated by social isolation and loneliness; weight controlling behaviours might combine with body composition to influence mental health during adolescence; social support in childhood could influence the production of stress hormones and obesity risk in adult life. These are just some of the areas under investigation by students on the Soc-B programme. Research undertaken by Soc-B students will continue to improve understanding of the mechanisms underlying complex interactions between individuals and their environments in order to inform policies and practices aimed at improving the nation’s health and its social and economic capacity.

The Soc-B consortium comprises UCL, University of Manchester and University of Essex forming a UK hub for biosocial research and training activities across the consortium and beyond. An ever-changing landscape of the major biosocial investments, advancements in ways of using data, the integration of ‘omics, epigenetics, and brain imaging in large social surveys, and increased recognition of the value of interdisciplinary research mean that Soc-B is at the forefront in the development of biosocial science. In addition to engaging with a range of social- and bio-science investments, we adopt a critical perspective in our training and research.

Soc-B harnesses a unique combination of expertise in social-biological research to realise our vision - to produce global leaders in biosocial science who:

  • are equipped with knowledge of the social and biological processes essential to fully exploit biosocial data
  • have extensive practical experience of using advanced analytical techniques to interrogate large, longitudinal data sets and biodata
  • can incorporate critical perspectives of the biosocial field in their research
  • develop methodological innovations to biosocial research problems, by combining different disciplinary perspectives
  • have contributed original research on a biosocial topic, demonstrated by their ability to define and test a clear research question and interpret findings within the wider context of current evidence
  • understand the importance of research impact and engagement and are confident communicators of science to both academic and non-academic audiences, thus maximising opportunities for their work to have a wider societal and economic impact.

Soc-B produces highly employable PhD graduates with the capabilities and experience to lead and grow future research excellence, as well as shape and influence policy and practice. Benefiting the wider research community, Soc-B makes available unique training materials in biosocial sciences.

Aims of the Centre

1. An understanding of the social-biological interface

The inclusion of biomarker data in social surveys now allows for comparisons with human and animal studies that use experimental designs. When diverse types of studies converge on a model that links social experiences with biological processes, causal inferences about social context and health are strengthened. Soc-B PhD students, researchers and collaborators work together to create research and training that develops the use of both long-standing (e.g. BMI, cholesterol) along with newer (e.g. ‘omics, brain imaging) forms of bio data by equipping students with an understanding of what these bio data measure, and how they can be used by applying quantitative analysis techniques.

2. Expertise in the latest methodological developments

Soc-B PhD students will be at the forefront of methodological developments in the field of social-  biological research, providing the research community with methodological innovation, including (but not limited to) Bayesian decision theory, econometric modelling, causal inference (e.g. Mendelian randomisation), network analysis (social network and network biology), neural reinforcement learning, sequence analysis, and technological innovations in data collection. Soc-B methodological training integrates different disciplinary methodologies.

3. Confidence in communicating research to stakeholders

Soc-B equips students with the capabilities necessary to communicate often complex research findings to audiences outside the academic sphere, thus maximising opportunities for their work to have wider societal and economic impact.

Programmes Offered

+3 Year PhD Programme 

This is a supervisor-led, cofunded three year programme. Academics working in the biosocial science area cooperate with a non-academic partner to put together a proposal for a co-funded project. Successful applicants then recruit a student to the co-funded studentship.

Successful projects address a research topic of both theoretical and practical significance and provide opportunities for a funded PhD student to gain first-hand experience of work outside an academic environment. Students sponsored by this stream participate in bespoke biosocial training modules in addition to the three, Soc-B hosted one-day workshops with the students from stream one each year.

+3.5 Year PhD Programme - APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!

The first year 3 to 6-months of the programme will be spent reviewing core methodology training materials, contacting prospective supervisors, and writing a thesis project proposal. The reminainder of the programme will be spent focussing on the PhD research topic and actively engaging in: 

  • Soc-B training events
  • Institutional advanced methods training
  • A non-academic placement (up to 3 months)

Students also benefit from access to a Research Training and Support Grant (e.g., for conference attendance) and the opportunity to apply for funding for an Overseas Institutional Visit (OIV). 

For the +3.5-year programme, we recommed that prospective students give some consideration to their thesis proposal idea & identify prospective supervisors before completing an application. 

For details on how to apply, please see How to Apply. 

+4 Year PhD Programme 

The first year is comprised of two biosocial training modules, two ten-week project rotations, core methodology training, and thesis project proposal writing.

Years 2-4 are focused on the PhD research topic, as well as training in advanced methods. Soc-B students also participate in three one-day workshops each year throughout the programme and placements with non-academic partners in year three.

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