Collaboration on MSCA Doctoral Network addressing inequalities in palliative and serious illness care

Host Institution / Research Group

Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre, Hull York Medical School
University of Hull, United Kingdom

The Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre is an internationally recognised interdisciplinary research centre focused on improving the quality of life for people living with serious illness and their families. The Centre conducts innovative research across palliative and end-of-life care, with a particular emphasis on health inequalities, symptom management, culturally responsive care, and improving access to high-quality care for underserved populations. The Centre works closely with NHS partners, community organisations, patients and families to ensure research informs clinical practice, health services and policy.

Principal Investigator

Professor Jonathan Koffman
Professor of Palliative Care and Health Services Research
Hull York Medical School, University of Hull

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8513-5681

Research Areas of Interest

The research programme focuses on inequalities in palliative and end-of-life care, particularly for people from minority ethnic communities and those with complex mental health conditions. Current areas of interest include:

• Inequalities in symptom assessment and management, particularly cancer pain

• Access to and quality of palliative and supportive care

• Cultural and social influences on serious illness care experiences

• Health services research and implementation science in palliative care

• Development and evaluation of complex interventions

• Patient, family and public involvement in research

• Use of mixed methods, including linked healthcare data, qualitative research, ethnography and participatory co-design

What We Offer

The host research environment provides an excellent setting for interdisciplinary and internationally collaborative research. Fellows will benefit from:

• A supportive and internationally connected research centre focused on palliative care and serious illness research

• Expertise in mixed methods research, health services research and implementation science

• Access to strong NHS clinical partnerships and real-world healthcare settings

• Opportunities to work with large-scale linked healthcare datasets and qualitative research programmes

• Mentorship from experienced researchers with strong track records in international research collaboration and grant funding

• Opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration across medicine, public health, social sciences and health policy

Candidate’s Expected Contribution

The successful candidate will contribute to advancing research on inequalities in palliative and serious illness care. Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative research projects aligned with the Centre’s research priorities and the broader aim of improving equity, quality and experiences of care for people living with life-limiting illness. Proposed projects may involve quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods approaches and should demonstrate strong potential for scientific excellence, societal impact and international collaboration.

How to Express Interest

Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Jonathan.Koffman@hyms.ac.uk

Please include:

• A CV

• A cover letter outlining research interests, relevant experience and initial ideas for a potential MSCA PF project (maximum 1 page)

EU Call deadline: 9 September 2026
Proposal deadline for contacting the team: 20 April 2026

Late enquiries may be considered from exceptional candidates with particularly strong or relevant profiles.

Please note that the University of Hull actively encourages expressions of interest for the MSCA European Postdoctoral Fellowships only