Unlocking the Power of Breathwork, Hot and Cold Exposure: Transforming the Human Body
Medical, Biological and other Sciences
PLEASE NOTE
- This internship is open to Female HDR candidates only and may be eligible for funding through the Australian Government Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WiSE) grant.
- Students from Universities in Victoria are only eligible to apply.
ABOUT THE INDUSTRY PARTNER
Inner Studio’s mission is to change the way we perceive stress, using hormetic stress conditioning through breathwork, hot and cold exposure to build resilient individuals. Hormetic stress is a term used to describe healthy stress, the sweet spot between too much stress and not enough stress. By exposing the mind, body and nervous system to extreme environments in a controlled setting, we begin to build resilience to general stress. This allows us to live a happier and more purposeful life.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
This project offers the opportunity for a PhD student to contribute to a growing area of health science, with implications for individual well-being and broader public health strategies.
RESEARCH TO BE CONDUCTED
Despite promising anecdotal and early scientific evidence, there remains a paucity of rigorous, integrative studies that examine the combined and comparative effects of these modalities on human health. This project aims to address this gap by setting up a comprehensive study to explore their physiological, psychological, and biochemical impacts, ultimately contributing to the development of evidence-based interventions for health optimisation.
The research will be conducted in two main phases:
- Preliminary Setup:
- Literature Review: Comprehensive review of existing research on breathwork, cold water therapy, and sauna use to identify gaps and establish hypotheses.
- Protocol Development: Design of a multidisciplinary study protocol, including participant recruitment, ethical approvals, and selection of biomarkers for analysis.
- Pilot Testing: Implementation of a small-scale pilot study to refine methods, assess feasibility, and optimize data collection techniques.
- Main Study:
- Study Design: A randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing the individual and combined effects of breathwork, cold water therapy, and sauna use.
- Data Collection: Collection of physiological (e.g., heart rate variability, inflammatory markers), psychological (e.g., mood, stress levels), and subjective (e.g., perceived well-being) data.
- Data Analysis: Advanced statistical analysis to identify trends, correlations, and causative effects among the modalities.
SKILLS WISH LIST
If you’re a postgraduate research student and meet some or all the below we want to hear from you. We strongly encourage women, indigenous and disadvantaged candidates to apply:
- Academic Background: A strong foundation in health sciences, physiology, psychology, or a related field.
- Research Skills: Experience with study design, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and data analysis.
- Technical Proficiency: Familiarity with laboratory techniques (e.g., biomarker assays), statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R, or Python), and physiological monitoring tools.
- Interpersonal Skills: Effective communication and collaboration abilities to work with multidisciplinary teams and study participants.
- Adaptability: Capability to troubleshoot challenges, refine protocols, and incorporate emerging findings.
RESEARCH OUTCOMES
- Scientific Contributions: A clearer understanding of how breathwork, cold water therapy, and sauna use impact physiological and psychological health.
- Health Recommendations: Evidence-based guidelines for integrating these modalities into health and wellness programs.
- Publications: Peer-reviewed articles and presentations at academic conferences to disseminate findings.
- Future Directions: Identification of potential therapeutic applications and avenues for further research.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
The intern will receive $3,000 per month of the internship, usually in the form of scholarship payments.
It is expected that the intern will primarily undertake this research project during regular business hours and maintain contact with their academic mentor throughout the internship either through face-to-face or phone meetings as appropriate.
The intern and their academic mentor will have the opportunity to negotiate the project’s scope, milestones and timeline during the project planning stage.
Please note, applications are reviewed regularly and this internship may be filled prior to the advertised closing date if a suitable applicant is identified. Early submissions are encouraged.
INTERNSHIP CONTACT
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