2026-27 Project (Gulliver & Clark & Bidulka)
Healthy Homes: Longitudinal impacts of damp and mouldy housing on respiratory and allergic health in children and adults in the UK
SUPERVISORY TEAM
Supervisor
Professor John Gulliver at City St George’s
School of Health & Medical Sciences, Department of Global, Public and Population Health and Policy
Email: jgullive@sgul.ac.uk
Co-Supervisor
Dr Sierra Clark at City St George’s
School of Health & Medical Sciences, Department of Global, Public and Population Health and Policy
Email: siclark@sgul.ac.uk
Co-Supervisor
Dr Patrick Bidulka at LSHTM
Faculty of Public Health & Policy, Department of Health Services Research and Policy
Email: patrick.bidulka1@lshtm.ac.uk
PROJECT SUMMARY
Project Summary
Damp and mould in housing are major public health concerns in the UK, linked to asthma, bronchitis, allergies, and other respiratory conditions. Current national burden estimates rely on limited, outdated evidence, often from non-UK studies. This PhD will generate new epidemiological evidence on the impact of damp and mould on respiratory disease development and inequalities in health outcomes across children and adults. Using two large, rich UK cohort datasets-Born in Bradford (BiB) and Understanding Society (UKHLS)-the project will examine:
- Whether damp/mould increases the risk of asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory symptoms.
- How impacts differ by social determinants of health.
- Associations with biomarkers of immune response, inflammation, and lung function.
This is a unique opportunity to conduct cutting-edge longitudinal analyses with nationally important datasets, informing UK health guidance and housing policy.
Project Key Words
Damp, mould, epidemiology, cohort, asthma, longitudinal
MRC LID Themes
- Health Data Science
- Global Health
- Infectious Disease
Skills
MRC Core Skills
- Quantitative skills
- Interdisciplinary skills
Skills we expect a student to develop/acquire whilst pursuing this project:
- Topical expertise in indoor air quality / damp and mould issues
- Environmental Epidemiology
- Data science
- Statistical Methods
- Longitudinal health cohort studies
- Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and mapping
- Public Health and Environmental Health Policy
Routes
Which route/s are available with this project?
- 1+4 = Yes
- +4 = Yes
Possible Master’s programme options identified by supervisory team for 1+4 applicants:
- City St Georges – Master of Public Health MPH
- LSHTM – MSc Climate Change & Planetary Health
- LSHTM – MSc Demography & Health
- LSHTM – MSc Epidemiology
- LSHTM – MSc Health Data Science
- LSHTM – MSc Immunology of Infectious Diseases
- LSHTM – MSc Medical Statistics
- LSHTM – MSc Public Health
Full-time/Part-time Study
Is this project available for full-time study? Yes
Is this project available for part-time study? Yes
Location & Travel
Students funded through MRC LID are expected to work on site at their primary institution. At a minimum, all students must meet the institutional research degree regulations and expectations about onsite working and under this scheme they may be expected to work onsite (in-person) more frequently. Students may also be required to travel for conferences (up to 3 over the duration of the studentship), and for any required training for research degree study and training. Other travel expectations and opportunities highlighted by the supervisory team are noted below.
Day-to-day work (primary location) for the duration of this research degree project will be at: City St George’s – Moorgate campus, London
Travel requirements for this project: None
Eligibility/Requirements
Particular prior educational requirements for a student undertaking this project
- Minimum standard institutional eligibility criteria for doctoral study at City St George’s
- We invite motivated students with an undergraduate degree (1st or 2.1) in Geography; Environmental Science; Biomedical Science; Sociology; Psychology; Data Science or allied subjects with a quantitative component to apply.
- Candidates should preferably have a Master’s degree in discipline with a significant quantitative component (Epidemiology, Social or Medical Statistics, Public Health, Population Health, Data Science, Economics, Quantitative Social Science, Geography or related). However, a 1+3 route is possible for those without a Masters.
Other useful information
- Potential Industrial CASE (iCASE) conversion? = No
PROJECT IN MORE DETAIL
Scientific description of this research project
Damp and mould is a major public health issue in the UK, potentially contributing to a substantial respiratory burden of disease from the onset and exacerbations of asthma, allergies, infections, and other lung diseases. However, current national burden of disease quantifications and guidance are based on limited epidemiological evidence and exposure-response relationships from older, mainly cross-sectional, and non-UK studies, where the factors that influence damp and mould development and population vulnerabilities can differ. Furthermore, the epidemiological evidence of respiratory disease onset and mechanisms among vulnerable sub-groups is limited. This PhD project will generate new evidence of the impact that living in damp and mouldy homes can have on the development of respiratory conditions among children and adults living in UK housing, and the potential inequalities in impacts, over time.
Research Questions
- RQ1: Does living in a damp or mouldy home increase the risk of developing asthma, bronchitis, or exacerbate symptoms such as wheeze, over time?
- RQ2: Do effects differ by factors reflecting other social determinants of health?
- RQ3: Is living in a damp/mouldy home associated with blood biomarkers of immune response and inflammation and reduced lung function (FEV1).
Children
The Born in Bradford (BiB) longitudinal birth cohort will be used to conduct an individual-level retrospective amongst children followed up from age 1 to 6-11, specifically, 1 year old (n=2553), 2 years old (n=2067), 3-5 years old (MeDALL survey, 2594 children), and followed up to 6-11 years old (n=5304). Respiratory outcomes captured and relevant to this project include parental self-reported wheeze, breathing problems, and runny nose at younger ages, and wheeze/breathing problems and doctor diagnosed asthma and exacerbations (e.g., hospitalisations, inhaled steroid use) when aged 3-5 and 6-11. Damp and mould were reported in homes across almost all surveys.
Adults
The Understanding Society (UK Household Longitudinal Survey (UKHLS)) is an annual household panel survey, originally capturing ~40,000 adults aged 16+ starting in 2008. Participants are asked annually whether they have been diagnosed by a doctor with asthma, and bronchitis, including age of diagnosis. Data on household dampness is additionally collected. In 2010/2012, a subset of participants (n=10,000) had had lung function measurements (FEV1) and blood samples taken, reporting markers of inflammation and immune response.
Across both cohorts (UKHLS; BiB), the project will involve conducting cross-sectional and longitudinal epidemiological analyses to examine exposure-response relationships between damp and mould in housing with self-reported respiratory outcomes and measured biomarkers, and the development of respiratory diseases over time (incidence). Models will adjust for key confounders and look at effect modifiers, including ethnicity, how the household is managing financially, and area-level deprivation. Analyses will take into account, survey weights, cohort attrition, missing data, and correlated outcomes. Project Supervisor 2 (SC) already has access to both datasets relevant to this project from UKHLS (downloaded from UK Data Store) and BiB (Data Sharing Agreement in Place).
Further reading
Relevant preprints and/or open access articles:
(DOI = Digital Object Identifier)
Other pre-application materials: None
Additional information from the supervisory team
The supervisory team has provided a recording for prospective applicants who are interested in their project. This recording should be watched before any discussions begin with the supervisory team.
Gulliver & Clark & Bidulka Recording
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