Engineering a 24-Hour Movement Guidance Tool to Improve Menstrual Health and Women’s Disease Risk

Project ID: 2531ad1529

(You will need this ID for your application)

UCL Lead department: Division of Surgery and Interventional Sciences

Lead Supervisor: Jo Blodgett

Project Summary:

Why this research is important: Women’s health is intricately linked to daily movement patterns that include activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep. Current guidelines often overlook the complexity of how these behaviours interact and impact acute menstrual outcomes and long-term disease risks. This research aims to develop an innovative, digital tool embedding virtual/immersive digital assets that support women in optimising their 24-hour movement, improving menstrual health, and reducing chronic disease risks.

Who you will be working with: You will join a multidisciplinary team with expertise in population health, data science, and engineering. This project builds on previous work with large datasets, aiming to translate this evidence into an accessible and innovative tool that as the potential to replace static one size fits all PA guidance from the WHO and UK CMO. You’ll be working in diverse settings including office( (computer-based), lab (VR technology) and healthcare (patients/GPs) to help apply the research findings to real-world settings.

What you will be doing: You will help design and refine an interactive tool that uses compositional data analysis to provide real-time movement guidance. Your tasks will include incorporating accelerometer and health data, developing user-friendly interfaces, and integrating virtual reality components to enhance user engagement. You will also support the deployment of the tool in healthcare settings and assist in conducting a randomized controlled trial to evaluate its effectiveness. Training will cover data analysis, UI/UX design, real-time data engineering, and public health evaluation techniques.

Who we are looking for: We seek motivated candidates with backgrounds in engineering, computer science, public health, or a related field. Strong analytical skills, an interest in health data, and proficiency in programming languages are desirable. If you’re passionate about applying engineering solutions to enhance women’s health outcomes and are eager to work on impactful, data-driven projects, we encourage you to apply.