PhD position at Health and Ageing Foundation UAB funded by the TOUCH COFUND project

Topic: Assessing the Impact and Effectiveness of the AMICOPE Multicomponent Community Intervention on Mood in Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Approach

A PhD position is available at the Aging and Health Research Group from the Health and Ageing Foundation UAB under the supervision of Sergi Blancafort Alias (Social Biologist) and Ramón Miralles Basseda (Geriatrics and Gerontology). We are looking for a highly motivated candidate that will investigate Multicomponent Community Intervention on Mood in Older Adults.

The World Health Organization has developed the Integrated Care of Older People (ICOPE) strategy, a program based on the measurement of intrinsic capacity (IC) as “the composite of all physical and mental attributes on which an individual can draw”. IC include five domains: cognition, vitality/nutrition, sensory, mood and mobility. Multicomponent interventions appear to be the most effective approach to enhance IC and to prevent frailty and disability. AMICOPE multi-domain community group-based intervention was developed during the European APTITUDE project (2018-2022) funded by POCTEFA. This intervention was built upon the ICOPE framework and aimed to improve and/or maintain intrinsic capacity through the promotion of physical activity, healthy nutrition, and psychological wellbeing in older people. The intervention consists of 12 face-to-face sessions held weekly for 2.5 h over three months and facilitated by a pair of health and social care professionals. After a feasibility study, the effectiveness of AMICOPE is now being assessed in the EFICIS randomized clinical trial according to the Medical Research Framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions. The aim of this project is to evaluate through a mixed methods approach the impact and effectiveness of this community intervention on mood which is one of the core domains of intrinsic capacity.

The successful candidate will be enrolled in the Medicine doctoral program / Multidisciplinary Clinical Research at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) in the framework of the TOUCH project. TOUCH (“Towards the next generatiOn of excellent yoUng doctoral researchers on mental health by developing an intersectoral & transdisciplinary approaCH”) is a new excellent doctoral programme co-funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) Actions of the European Commission and led by the UAB for the recruitment and training of 24 doctoral candidates in the field of mental health and wellbeing.

The Health and Ageing Foundation UAB conducts activities in the fields of health sciences, ageing and social and health care.

These activities are carried out through 5 organizational areas:

1.         Research in Health and Ageing

2.         Citizens and Patients

3.         Professional Development

4.         Consultancy and Ageing Projects

5.         Knowledge Management.

Likewise, in accordance to its institutional mission, the Foundation will be able to provide services of management in health and social-health care institutions.

We are looking for candidates with an excellent CV, ahigh degree of ambition and motivation, and with good personal qualities to work in our Team. We offer a 3-year full-time contract (37,5 hours/week) and a gross salary of 2.375 €/month (the salary will be the same for the 3 years).

The candidates must fulfil the following eligibility criteria from the EC: Mobility rule: candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately preceding the deadline for the programme call. Experience rule: researchers must be doctoral candidates at the date of recruitment, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the deadline of the open calls. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not yet formally awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible. Candidates must hold a degree that allows admission to the official doctoral programme at UAB.

Additional requirements for a stronger application are:

• The ideal PhD candidate for this research opportunity should possess a background in public health, gerontology, psychology, sociology, or a related field with a focus on aging and integrated care.
• Familiarity with the World Health Organization's Integrated Care of Older People (ICOPE) strategy and an understanding of the measurement of intrinsic capacity (IC) and its five domains (cognition, vitality/nutrition, sensory, mood, and mobility) would be advantageous.
• Experience in conducting research on multicomponent interventions, particularly those targeting older populations, would be valuable.
• Knowledge of the ICOPE framework, as well as an understanding of the Medical Research Framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions, will contribute to the candidate's readiness for this project.

Interested applicants should apply through the TOUCH online platform by submitting a full CV, a motivation letter, two letters of recommendation and academic and English level certificates. The call will be open from the 1^st of April to the 30^th of June 2024. More information about the TOUCH project, the recruitment process, and the application platform are available on the TOUCH website.