Relational determinants of intersectional health inequalities
Supervisors:
Dr Mark McCann, School of Health and Wellbeing
Dr Tony Robertson, School of Health and Wellbeing
Prof Mhairi Mackenzie, School of Social & Political Sciences
Summary:
Understanding Social Relationships and Health Inequalities: A Mixed-Methods PhD Opportunity
This interdisciplinary PhD project explores how social relationships shape health outcomes and contribute to health inequalities. Drawing on large-scale datasets, the research investigates how intersecting social identities—such as socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and gender—interact with relational factors like social support, isolation, and network structure to influence mental and physical health.
The project will uncover how marginalised groups experience relational stress and support differently, and how these experiences manifest biologically through measures of cumulative stress on the body. Students will use advanced quantitative methods (e.g. multilevel modelling, social network analysis) alongside qualitative interviews to understand how relationships can both buffer and exacerbate health risks.
This project offers a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of social science, public health, and biology, with real-world implications for designing equitable, relationship-based health interventions.