RCT of Vitamin D supplementation for prevention of allergy

Summary The candidate will analyse the wealth of VITALITY data to determine whether vitamin D supplementation has a role in optimising infant immune health in the first year of life and reducing the risk of allergic disease.

Project Details

Food allergy affects 10% of infants and is becoming more common around the world. There is no cure, so management relies on allergen avoidance, however accidental ingestion is frequent so life-threatening reactions are an ever-present risk. Understanding early life determinants of food allergy is likely to be key to reversing this rise. We have shown that low vitamin D at birth or during infancy is associated with an increased risk of food allergy and eczema and the prevalence of these diseases is higher the further away from the equator a person resides. Low vitamin D may play a role in aberrant immune development in early life and increase the risk of developing food allergy and eczema. VITALITY (n=2739, recruitment completed) is the first large-scale randomised placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation in the first year of life for the prevention of food allergy. VITALITY has an internationally unique comprehensive set of data variables from infants and families through questionnaires and clinic visits including oral food challenged confirmed food allergy, eczema and matched biological samples from 2 to 12 months of age.

We are looking for an enthusiastic PhD candidate to join a friendly, dynamic multidisciplinary team (including other PhD students working on the immunological aspects of the VITALITY cohort, clinician and research scientists, and epidemiologists). The candidate will analyse the wealth of VITALITY data to determine whether vitamin D supplementation has a role in optimising infant immune health in the first year of life and reducing the risk of allergic disease. Findings from VITALITY will directly inform global guidelines on the role of vitamin D supplementation to improve early infant health and, if successful, provide one of the first tangible ways to prevent food allergy.

The project would suit someone with a clinical (e.g. paediatrician, allergist, immunologist) or science background with an interest and some content knowledge in these areas. Excellent people skills are essential, and some experience of data management and statistical analysis would be beneficial. Stipend may be available.