PhD news from across the centres

June 2015

In this new section, you can read about the latest PhD news from across the three centres.  We will feature our most recently awarded PhDs and their research projects, new PhD candidates and the journey they are embarking on, as well as scholarship opportunities for new candidates.

Awards

At NDARC, Dam Anh Tran was awarded a PhD for her thesis entitled The cost effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment expansion strategies in Vietnam.

In her thesis project, Anh examined the costs and benefits of providing antiretroviral treatment in Vietnam. Using a series of economic models to explore different aspects of the cost-effectiveness of treatment, the research covered a range of specific aspects including structural determinants of access to treatment, the cost-effectiveness of commencing antiretroviral treatment at different thresholds and the characteristics of patients who are lost to follow-up.

Two staff members from NCETA, Alice McEntee and Jane Fischer, were also recently awarded PhDs.

Alice McEntee was awarded a PhD for her dissertation The Association between health literacy, nutritional and physical activity knowledge, dietary and physical activity behaviour and Body Mass Index.

Jane Fischer was awarded a PhD for her dissertation Beyond pleasure: A study into the quality of life of drug users. Jane’s PhD examined the quality of life (QOL) of substance users living and functioning in the broader population, rather than on clinical or treatment populations.

New candidates

NDRI has strengthened its international links with the arrival from Delhi, India of Himanshu Gupta, one of the first recipients of a Curtin University Faculty of Health Sciences International Research Scholarship. 

Himanshu, who completed an undergraduate degree in India before undertaking a Master’s degree in the UK, plans to compare the impact of social media and the use of the internet as a marketing tool on alcohol consumption in India and Australia as the basis of his PhD studies at NDRI. Dr Robert Tait and Professor Simone Pettigrew (Curtin University School of Psychology/WA Cancer Prevention Research Unit) will supervise the project.