Physiological and psychological mechanisms of resistance to weight loss

While it is clear that marked individual variability exists in dietary and exercise-induced weight loss, the adaptive biological and behavioural responses that resist weight loss and drive weight regain remain unclear. As such, there is a need to identify mechanisms that predict successful long-term weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Of particular interest are the responses seen in appetite and food intake during weight loss, with compensatory changes in eating behaviour thought to play an important role in undermining attempts to induce energy deficit and promoting weight relapse.

<p>This project will examine the physiological and psychological determinants of food intake during dietary and/or exercise-induced weight loss, as a means of:</p> <ol> <li>Developing models of energy balance that describe the drivers of appetite and energy intake during weight loss.</li> <li>Identifying physiological, metabolic and behavioural mechanisms that resist weight loss and under-pin weight relapse.</li> <li>Identifying predictors of successful weight loss maintenance.</li> </ol>

<p><strong>You must contact the proposed supervisor for this project before you make a formal application.</strong></p> <p>A formal application for research degree study should then be made online through the University's website. You will need to create a login ID with a username and PIN:</p> <ul> <li>For ‘Application type’ please select ‘Research Degrees – Research Postgraduate’.</li> <li>The admission year for this project is 2026/27 Academic Year.  </li> <li>You will need to select your ‘Planned Course of Study’ from a drop-down menu. For this project, scroll down and select ‘PhD Food Science and Nutrition Full-time’.  </li> <li>The project start date for this project is October 2026, please use this as your Proposed Start Date of Research.</li> <li>Please state clearly in the research information section that the research degree you wish to be considered for is ‘Physiological and psychological mechanisms of resistance to weight loss’ as well as <a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/food-nutrition/staff/7167/dr-mark-hopkins">Dr Mark Hopkins</a> as your proposed supervisor.</li> </ul> <p>If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence that you meet the University's minimum English language requirements (below).</p> <p>More information on how to apply is available on our website <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/research-applying/doc/applying-research-degrees">here</a>. You will need to provide copies of the following documents:</p> <ul> <li>a personal statement for this project, which outlines your interest in the project, why you have chosen it and how your skills map onto the requirements of the project</li> <li>your CV</li> <li>certificates and transcripts of all academic qualifications</li> <li>English language qualification certificates</li> <li>visa and immigration documents, if applicable</li> <li>funding information – sources of funding that you are applying for (e.g. government scholarship), or if you are able to pay your own fees and maintenance </li> </ul> <p><em>As an international research-intensive university, we welcome students from all walks of life and from across the world. We foster an inclusive environment where all can flourish and prosper, and we are proud of our strong commitment to student education. Across all Faculties we are dedicated to diversifying our community and we welcome the unique contributions that individuals can bring, and particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to Black, Asian, people who belong to a minority ethnic community, people who identify as LGBT+ and people with disabilities. Applicants will always be selected based on merit and ability.</em></p>

Applicants to research degree programmes should normally have at least a first class or an upper second class British Bachelors Honours degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate discipline.

For start dates from September 2026, the minimum English language entry requirement for research postgraduate research study in the School of Food Science and Nutrition is an IELTS of 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking) or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid.

<p paraeid="{25d0f48f-4f95-41bf-b56d-eadeecc79473}{26}" paraid="683438941"><strong>This is not a funded project, but you can apply for funding separately. Self-funding students are also welcome to apply. </strong></p> <p paraeid="{25d0f48f-4f95-41bf-b56d-eadeecc79473}{26}" paraid="683438941"><strong>Please note that in addition to the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/research-fees/doc/research-degrees-fees">tuition fee</a> for the programme there will also be a <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/research-fees/doc/postgraduate-research-bench-policy">bench fee</a> of £5,000 per year for this project. </strong></p> <p paraeid="{25d0f48f-4f95-41bf-b56d-eadeecc79473}{40}" paraid="424545816">Funding opportunities for Home students – The <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk/funding/209-leeds-doctoral-scholarships-2026" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Leeds Doctoral Scholarship</a> and <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk/funding/234-leeds-opportunity-research-scholarship-2026" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Leeds Opportunity Research Scholarship</a> are available to UK applicants.  <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk/funding/60-alumni-bursary" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Alumni Bursary</a> is available to graduates of the University of Leeds. </p> <p paraeid="{25d0f48f-4f95-41bf-b56d-eadeecc79473}{75}" paraid="431125959">Funding opportunities for International students –The <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk/funding/48-china-scholarship-council-university-of-leeds-scholarships-2021" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">China Scholarship Council - University of Leeds Scholarship</a> is available to nationals of China. <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk/funding/60-alumni-bursary" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Alumni Bursary</a> is available to graduates of the University of Leeds. </p>

<p>For further information regarding the project, please contact Dr Mark Hopkins by email (<a href="mailto:M.Hopkins@leeds.ac.uk">M.Hopkins@leeds.ac.uk</a>). You must contact Mark before making a formal application.</p>