Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

My research focuses on adolescent and adult sexual health, and health inequalities experienced by LGBTQ+ individuals and communities. Within the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC), a WHO collaborative cross-cultural study involving 51 countries, my colleagues and I are investigating sexual intercourse, age at first intercourse, protective sexual behaviours (such as condom and contraceptive pill use) and other aspects of sexuality in adolescents, for instance pornography consumption and romantic attraction. I compare various indicators of health in sexual and gender minority youth and their non-minority peers, including mental and psycho-somatic health, substance use, bullying and risky sexual behaviours. For further details, visit www.universityofgalway.ie/hbsc. I am co-ordinator of the Irish National Survey of Sexual Health (INISH), a national population survey on sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in adults aged 18-59 from the Republic of Ireland. The study uses a combination of computer-assisted personal interviews and self-completion questionnaires and covers various dimensions of sexual and reproductive health. These include sexual practices and function, sexual well-being and pleasure, pregnancy, abortion, periods and menopause, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and STD testing, learning about sexuality and various sociodemographic and mental health characteristics. A feasibility study for INISH with 305 people has been carried out in 2025, and we aim to roll out the main, nationally representative survey in 2027. For further details, visit www.universityofgalway.ie/inish. I welcome expressions of interest from prospective PhD students in the above areas.

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Personal profile

Biography

András Költő is a psychologist and a specialist in health promotion. Currently he works at the Health Promotion Research Centre at University of Galway, investigating adult and adolescent sexual health. Beside his postdoctoral research, András teaches in the Health Promotion and Medicine Masters' Programmes. Since April 2023, he is the co-ordinator of the Irish National Survey of Sexual Health (INISH).

Until June 2017, András served as Lecturer at ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary. He taught several subjects, including affective psychology, research methods and counselling in health psychology, to undergraduate and graduate students. His main research topic was hypnosis and hypnotic susceptibility. He wrote his PhD dissertation on hypnotic responsiveness, parental rearing style and affective processing. Besides his appointment at the university, he worked at the National Institute of Health Promotion, Budapest, Hungary, where he studied adolescent health in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) WHO collaborative international research project. Since 2017, he serves as Chair of the Sexual Health working group in HBSC.

He served as a Volunteer Clinical Health Psychologist at Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermato-Oncology between 2011 and 2013, where he was in charge of psychological support of inpatients with skin conditions, and conducted clinical research in psychodermatology. As a health psychologist and candidate hypnotherapist he saw clients with psychosomatic, somatisation and skin diseases in his private practice. He also studies health inequalities in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and other gender and sexual minorities (LGBTQ+), and provided counselling for LGBTQ+ clients.

Research Interests

  • Adolescent and Adult Sexual Health
  • Adolescent mental health and well-being
  • LGBTQ+ Health and Wellbeing 
  • Hypnosis and Hypnotic Susceptibility
  • Affective Regulation

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Education/Academic qualification

PhD

Accepting PhD Students

  • Accepting PhD Students

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