Cardiff School of Sport (Physiology & Health)
PhD ‘The interaction of exercise with drug therapy for the treatment of hypertension’
Package: Part-time tuition fees (at EU/UK rate) paid for up to 5 years of PhD Registration. In
addition all PhD candidates are able to undertake hourly-paid lecturing and assessment tasks within
the Cardiff School of Sport to enhance their income and experience.
Start date: As soon as possible in agreement with the supervisory team
Project Title: The interaction of exercise with drug therapy for the treatment of hypertension
Supervisory Team: Dr Michael Hughes, Dr James Coulson (Cardiff University and Llandough
Hypertension Clinic) and Dr Karianne Backx
Summary:
High blood pressure is a major risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease and is one
of the UK’s most common medical disorders, affecting over 25% of all adults and more than 50% of
over 55-year olds. Exercise reduces hypertension and contributes to the reduction of other risk
factors for cardiovascular disease. Drug therapies to reduce hypertension are highly effective but
often require several drugs in combination that are either not acceptable or poorly tolerated by a
significant number of patients.
Research is lacking on the combined effectiveness of exercise with drug therapy. Improvements in
guidance for the combined use of drugs and exercise may reduce the financial burden of drug
treatment while providing additional benefits to patients who are not currently using exercise to
manage their hypertension. Additionally, the mechanisms by which exercise training reduces blood
pressure are poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the additive effect of exercise and
drug therapy in hypertensive patients. A secondary aim will be to investigate potential mechanisms
which could explain how exercise helps to reduce the symptoms of hypertension.
The project will build on previously established collaborations between Cardiff Metropolitan
University and Cardiff University. The proposal represents a logical progression of the strategic aims
of the research of the Physiology & Health group by building on existing expertise in cardiovascular
exercise physiology.
Aims of study
Study 1 - to examine the acute effects of exercise and drug therapy in hypertensives compared with
a control group experiencing drug therapy alone.
 Participants will carry out a range of supervised exercise sessions of contrasting exercise
intensity and volume. The response will be quantified using ambulatory monitoring of blood
pressure for 24-h post-exercise.
Study 2 - to investigate the combined, long-term effects of exercise training and drug treatment in
the hypertensive patients using a randomised, control study.
 Participants will complete 12 weeks of training informed by the findings of Study 1.
Partner Organisations:
The University Hospital, Llandough hypertension clinic typically receives 100 new referrals from
primary and secondary care throughout Wales each year. The clinic also has approximately 300
follow-up patients, many of whom have expressed a wish to participate in exercise or lifestyle
programmes. The clinic is already actively involved in hypertensive research in collaboration with
Cardiff University and Cardiff Metropolitan University. These partnerships have resulted in several
publications and scientific abstracts (Coulson & Cockcroft, 2011; Coulson et al., 2014; Coulson et
al., 2015; McDonnell et al., 2010). There is a firm commitment to partnership with Cardiff
Metropolitan through the involvement of Dr. Coulson (Consultant Physician and Clinical Senior
Lecturer at Cardiff University). The clinic would act as the recruiting centre for the study and would
supervise the clinical aspects of the study, including oversight of patient safety and wellbeing. Dr.
Coulson will act as one of the PhD supervisors.
Host Organisation:
The Cardiff School of Sport at Cardiff Metropolitan University has a growing reputation for research
excellence which was reflected in our recent ranking of 7th in UK universities for research quality.
The successful applicant will join the Physiology & Health research group where there is extensive
experience in cardiovascular research and a growing research interest into exercise and
hypertension. Within Cardiff Metropolitan there is also a strong collaboration with the Cardiff School
of Health Sciences, as reflected by the status of Dr Barry McDonnell as an advisor to this project.
Application:
Applicants should have a First Class honours undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science
or Physiology, and an appropriate MSc is desirable. Experience of exercise supervision, especially
in a clinical population, would be advantageous as would a sound knowledge or enthusiasm to learn
the chemistry and pharmacological issues associated with hypertensive treatments. The applicant
should be able to demonstrate the necessary experience or potential to successfully complete a
higher degree by research.
An
application
form
is
available
from
the
following
web
pages:
http://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/research/Pages/Scholarships.aspx
The application form should include a statement detailing how your qualifications, experience and
research interests make you a suitable candidate for this Award.
Please send completed application form and CV to:
Jane Barnett, jbarnett@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Business Support Manager, Cardiff School of Sport
Informal enquiries should be directed to:
Dr Michael Hughes, mghughes@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Cardiff School of Sport, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cyncoed Campus, Cardiff, CF23 6XD
Closing Date: Friday 6th November 2015
Interview Date: 27th November 2015