³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ has been awarded a £5 million grant from the Leverhulme Trust to establish the Rhythms of Life Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme. Over the next three years the University will recruit 30 Doctoral Scholars to study how biological rhythms govern life on Earth and how human-induced environmental change impacts these rhythms both in terms of ecosystem health and human life and societies.
³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ has a long-standing tradition in research of rhythms that began in the 1960s with Professor Ernest Naylor OBE, who was the first to discover how marine animals use both daily and tidal body clocks to coordinate their life. Today that legacy continues with researchers across the University studying biological rhythms from multiple perspectives, with researchers in environmental and natural sciences and ocean sciences focusing on how animals and plants adapt to the rhythms of the planet, from daily variation in daylight and the tides, to seasonal shifts in temperature and rainfall, and how the rapid human-induced changes in the environment may threaten these long-established patterns.
At the same time, researchers working across sport and exercise science, psychology and the humanities are exploring the human relationship with rhythms and time by examining the human rhythmic niche, exploring how we, as a species, have divorced ourselves from the natural rhythms of the planet but are still dependent on them in many unexpected and important ways for our health and wellbeing.
The Rhythms of Life Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme is led by co-directors Dr Amy Ellison and Dr Alex Georgiev from the School of Environmental and Natural Sciences. Their interests in the function of biological clocks in aquatic animals and their parasites (Ellison) and the way seasons affect multiple aspects of the behaviour and ecology of wild primates in the tropics (Georgiev) made them realise that the study of rhythms has been historically very fragmented across different disciplines.
Dr Amy Ellison and Dr Alex Georgiev said, "The opportunity to bring together diverse expertise of staff from across the University to study these fundamental biological patterns and how they interact with ongoing environmental change is a very exciting proposition. Being able to address questions of such fundamental importance for life on earth and look at not just at wild organisms but also at humanity and the unique ‘rhythmic niche’ we have created for ourselves with the use of artificial lighting and indoor heating shifting our reliance on natural daily and seasonal rhythms, is a pressing challenge but with big opportunities for novel discoveries."
The Leverhulme Trust’s programme places strong emphasis on recruiting the best candidates for doctoral training. At the centre of that commitment is the goal of increasing the diversity and representation among its scholars. Alongside the direct entry to the PhD programme (24 places), up to six UK-based scholars from low-income and/or black ethnic backgrounds will be selected to complete a master's degree first before progressing onto the PhD programme. The Rhythms of Life programme will also recruit up to 10 international applicants, including from countries in which Bangor staff carry out research, supporting the University’s commitment to developing global scientific collaboration and excellence.
Professor Paul Spencer, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research said, "The Rhythms of Life Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme embodies the ethos and ambition of interdisciplinarity, blue-skies research, and societal impact that sits at the heart of ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ. It builds on our existing research strengths, but also, crucially, develops a novel vision that taps into previously unrecognised synergies across our Schools. Uniting researchers around the interdisciplinary endeavour of studying biological rhythms provides a novel scaffold for accelerating the University’s vision for research and impact."
The Rhythms of Life Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme will be recruiting 8 PhD scholars and 3 MSc students (who will, on successful completion of the master's course, transition to the PhD programme) for an October 2027 start. Look out for advertised projects in November 2026 on the programme website: www.bangor.ac.uk/rhythms