PhD Scholarship in consumer preparedness for healthy longevity and needs in cardiovascular secondary prevention: International perspectives and Australian co‑design

Duration: 3.5 years

Amount: The 2026 RMIT RTP minimum rate is 36,245 per annum, pro rata (to be indexed annually)

One (1)

Applicants should meet the following criteria:

1. have a Master of Public Health, Epidemiology, Economics, Statistics or related field
2. be an Australian resident or citizen
3. not have previously undertaken a PhD
4. meet RMIT PhD admission requirements.

2025-12-12

For instructions on how to apply, please visit the How to Apply page 

The HEalthy LOngevity (HELO) consortium, led by NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, surveys public perspectives on lifespan, healthspan, and healthy longevity across multiple countries using a minimal‑risk, ethics‑approved, cross‑sectional design (door‑to‑door and online panels; multilingual administration; documented consent). These surveys capture awareness, knowledge, motivations, and sociodemographic/psychosocial correlates. Integrating these insights with Australian cardiovascular secondary prevention—especially cardiac rehabilitation (CR)—offers a pathway to design patient‑centred models that improve reach and outcomes. Queensland's Model of Care (MoC) and QCOR registry provide real‑world data to test which program features drive engagement and results.

This PhD project investigates consumer preparedness for healthy longevity and its application to cardiovascular secondary prevention. Building on the HEalthy LOngevity (HELO) international consortium led by NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, the study will collect and analyse Australian data on awareness, knowledge, and motivations for healthy living, benchmarking Australian findings against global patterns. The Australian stream will explore perceptions of healthy longevity, patient experiences with cardiac rehabilitation (CR), and preferences for program components such as dosage, frequency, and delivery modality through surveys and focus groups. Using Queensland's Model of Care and QCOR registry data, the project will examine program characteristics, attendance patterns, and outcomes. Finally, a participatory co-design process will develop a HELO-integrated CR model tailored to the Australian context, supported by an implementation and evaluation roadmap. Outcomes will inform scalable, patient-centred strategies to enhance cardiovascular health and promote healthy ageing.