Dietary Fibre Impact in Healthy Children

About the project

Postgraduate research

Nutrition PhD/MD/MSc (Research)

Research on nutrition at Glasgow covers a wide range of areas including gut, food and metabolism as well as diet and chronic disease at MSc, MD and PhD level.

Our Online Application Form and Applicant Self Service will be unavailable from 08:00-14:00 (GMT) on Thursday 29 October for essential maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

• PhD: 3-4 years full-time; 5 years part-time; MD (Doctor of Medicine): 2 years full-time; 4 years part-time; MSc (Research): 1 year full-time; 2 years part-time;
• MD (Doctor of Medicine): 2 years full-time; 4 years part-time; MSc (Research): 1 year full-time; 2 years part-time;
• MSc (Research): 1 year full-time; 2 years part-time;

Research projects

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Dietary Fibre Impact in Healthy Children

Supervisors : Dr Ada Garcia , Prof. Christine Edwards

Summary : The impact of dietary fibre in health and disease prevention in adults is well established but very limited evidence exists for children. Public health recommendations are to increase dietary fibre intake but this is not achieved across all age groups. This PhD will aim to 1) study health effects of different types of dietary fibre in healthy children of different ages and 2) design strategies to improve dietary fibre consumption in children.

The methodologies to be used will include a combination of in vivo feeding studies and lab related techniques. Feeding intervention in children and families will employ non-invasive tools to study health effects of fibre in childhood (e.g. dietary assessment, satiety questionnaires, markers of gut health) and/or in vitro fermentation models using faecal material to study fermentation capacity for different dietary fibres, gut microbiota composition and production of bioactive molecules such as short chain fatty acids and other markers of gut health.

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Overview

The gut, food and metabolism research section has a portfolio of research which spans the life cycle from birth to adulthood. Research projects deal with the digestion and absorption of foods and food components, interactions with gut microflora, metabolism of nutrients and non-nutrient food ingredients, impact on plasma lipids and insulin resistance in normal subjects and in adult and child patients.

The diet and chronic disease research group has pioneered new research methods in a portfolio of research which spans the full spectrum of translational research.

Research projects are often jointly supervised accross our research institutes.

PhD

Individual research projects are tailored around the expertise of principal investigators.

• Duration: 3/4 years full-time; 5 years part-time

MSc (Research)

• Duration : 1 year full-time; 2 years part-time

MD (Doctor of Medicine)

• Duration : 2 years full-time; 4 years part-time (for medically-qualified graduates only)

Entry requirements

Our regular standard of admission is usually a 2.1 honours degree.

Required documents Applicants should submit: Academic Transcripts and Degree Certificates CV MVLS Cover Letter Two References

Required documents

Applicants to the MD option must hold an MBChB or equivalent, and have been engaged since graduation for at least three years in either scientific work bearing directly on their profession, or in the practice of Medicine or Surgery.

• Academic Transcripts and Degree Certificates
• CV
• MVLS Cover Letter
• Two References

English language requirements

For applicants from non-English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Government , the University sets a minimum English language proficiency level.

Accepted English language tests

We accept a wide range of English language tests for entry to this programme. Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date, and requirements must be met using a single test.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and Academic Online (not General Training)

• 6.5 with no subtests under 6.0
• IELTS One Skill Retake Accepted
• We do not accept General Training

TOEFL iBT (including MyBest and Home Edition)

Tests taken up to 20 January 2026

Tests taken from 21 January 2026

• 90 Overall , no subtest lower than Reading 20; Listening 19; Speaking 19; Writing 21
• 92 Overall , no subtest lower than 4.5

Pearsons PTE Academic (test centre only)

• 65 overall with no subtest less than Reading 60; Listening 60; Speaking 65; Writing 60

Cambridge C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency

• 176 overall, no subtest less than 169

Oxford ELLT

• 7 overall with no subtest less than 6

LanguageCert Academic SELT/Academic/Academic Online

• 70 overall with no subtest less than 60

Password Skills Plus

• 6.5 overall with no subtest less than 6.0

Trinity College Integrated Skills in English II

• 96 overall with no subtest less than 90

Kaplan Test of English

• Any two subtests at 480 or higher, and any two subtests at 450 or higher

PSI Skills for English

• B2 Pass with Merit

Duolingo English Test

• 120 overall with Writing at 120 and no subtest less than 110

Oxford Test of English Advanced

• 140 Overall with any two subtests at 126 or higher, and any two subtests at 136 or higher

Alternatives to English Language qualification

Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)

TNE degree for UK University taught at a campus outside of the UK.

• Students must have studied for a minimum of their final year at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have completed their degree in that majority-English speaking country within 6 years of programme start.
• Students must be awarded the degree by the UK university and must have completed the degree within 6 years of programme start.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study. Our courses give you:

For more detail on our pre-sessional courses please see:

We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:

• direct entry to your University programme for successful students (no need to take IELTS)
• essential academic skills to help you study effectively at University
• flexible entry dates so you can join the right course for your level.
• Pre-sessional courses
• Heriot Watt
• Kingston Upon Thames
• Middlesex University
• Manchester University
• Reading University
• Edinburgh University
• ST Andrews University
• UCL
• Durham

2027/28

Prices are based on the annual fee for full-time study. Fees for part-time study are half the full-time fee.

Irish nationals who are living in the Common Travel Area of the UK, EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status, and Internationals with Indefinite Leave to remain status can also qualify for home fee status.

• UK: To be confirmed [26/27 fee was £5,238]
• International & EU: £33,708
• Fee status and policies

Alumni discount

We offer a 15% tuition fee discount to eligible self-funded alumni starting a Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Masters or Postgraduate Research (PGR) programme in the 2027/28 academic year.

This includes University of Glasgow graduates and those who have completed a Study Abroad programme, Exchange programme, International Summer School or Erasmus programme with us. This discount can be awarded alongside most University scholarships. No additional application is required.

• Full details of our Alumni Discount

Possible additional fees

Depending on the nature of the research project, some students will be expected to pay a bench fee (also known as research support costs) to cover additional costs. The exact amount will be provided in the offer letter.

• Re-submission by a research student £540
• Submission for a higher degree by published work £1,355
• Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed £350
• Submission by staff in receipt of staff scholarship £790

Support

The College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences Graduate School provides a vibrant, supportive and stimulating environment for all our postgraduate students. We aim to provide excellent support for our postgraduates through dedicated postgraduate convenors, highly trained supervisors and pastoral support for each student. Our overarching aim is to provide a research training environment that includes:

• provision of excellent facilities and cutting edge techniques
• training in essential research and generic skills
• excellence in supervision and mentoring
• interactive discussion groups and seminars
• an atmosphere that fosters critical cultural policy and research analysis
• synergy between research groups and areas
• extensive multidisciplinary and collaborative research
• extensive external collaborations both within and beyond the UK
• a robust generic skills programme including opportunities in social and commercial training

Identify potential supervisors

All postgraduate research students are allocated a supervisor who will act as the main source of academic support and research mentoring. You must identify a potential supervisor supervisor from the College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences and contact them to discuss your research proposal before you apply. Please note, even if you have spoken to an academic staff member about your proposal you still need to submit an online application form.

Supervisor search

Research projects

If you are interested in a research project listed above, please include the title on your application.

Required documents

Our Online Application Form and Applicant Self Service will be unavailable from 08:00-14:00 (GMT) on Thursday 29 October for essential maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

• Academic Transcripts and Degree Certificates
• CV
• MVLS Cover Letter
• Two References

Contact us

If you require assistance before you apply: mvls-gradschool@glasgow.ac.uk

After you have submitted your application: Admissions Enquiries form

Our research environment

• Discover how we support and develop postgraduate researchers

Induction

• Getting started with PGR development: how postgraduate researchers are welcomed into our community

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Research areas