MRC Epidemiology UnitPh.D. Student
Prevention of Diabetes and Related Metabolic Disorders
Left the Unit in 2015
Work and interests
James Black was a Ph.D. student with the Prevention of Diabetes and Related Metabolic Disorders programme, who left the Unit in summer 2015 after being awarded his Ph.D.
Background and experience
After a foray into microbiology and pharmacology via a Bachelor of Biomedical Science in Infection and Immunity, I moved into epidemiology with a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Otago. My work there involved synthesising quality of life recovery profiles across economically relevant injury categories. The data from this work was presented to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) injury expert group at the Swansea meeting, and later detailed summary estimates were provided to aid in developing the injury weights for the GBD 2010. I also did work modelling QALY losses in the elective surgery waiting lists at Victoria University. In London I worked on an evaluation of the National Child Measurement Program at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Obesity related epidemiology led me to the MRC Epidemiology Unit, where I completed a thesis exploring the relationship between diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
I am interested in learning more about the heterogeneity present in diabetes related outcomes. For the next few years I plan to explore the relative effect of different treatments, practice and patient characteristics on cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes. More details of my work is available here: www.epijim.uk