The School of Life Sciences at the University of Westminster is pleased to offer four self-funded opportunities for prospective PhD researchers starting in September 2024.
The School is home to the Centre for Resilience, the Centre for Nutraceuticals and the Research Centre for Optimal Health. Research in the School across these fields has an international reputation for excellence.
Located in the heart of London, the School of Life Sciences has an active research culture to which our well-established doctoral research programme makes a vital contribution. The School is fully committed to enabling a supportive and safe learning and working environment which is equitable, diverse and inclusive, based on mutual respect and trust, and in which harassment and discrimination are neither tolerated nor acceptable.
The successful candidates will have exceptional research potential in a Life Science discipline: Biomarkers of healthy ageing, infection and disease; AI, imaging and health; exercise, resilience and nutrition; medicines development; quantum biology; stem cells, biomaterials and nanotechnology.
Impactful doctoral research projects
We are looking for high-quality prospective doctoral students who will select one research project only from the list below. We highly recommend that you discuss your proposal with potential supervisors before submitting your proposal.
Salmonella Dublin belongs to non-typhoidal Salmonella that primarily causes self-limiting gastrointestinal illness in humans; however, it has adapted to cause invasive disease and life-threatening infections, especially in elderly people, children, and immunocompromised individuals. The basis underlying the virulence of S. Dublin is not well characterised. Our preliminary data suggest several virulence genes might contribute to bacterial virulence and its ability to evade the immune system; however, no particular genetic determinants were identified to differentiate between invasive and non-invasive S. Dublin strains.
In this project, you will use genomic and transcriptomic approaches to characterize the invasome of S. Dublin responsible for bacterial virulence, identify differentially expressed genes in invasive strains compared with their expression in non-invasive strains and understand the mechanisms used by bacteria to regulate virulence gene expression during its replication inside macrophages.
The project’s findings will enhance our understanding of the basis of virulence in invasive S. Dublin and antimicrobial resistance, ultimately leading to the development of targeted prevention and management strategies, including effective vaccines and novel antimicrobials, which will significantly improve the health and well-being of high-risk individuals and reduce mortality. You should have good laboratory skills in microbiology and/or immunology techniques and demonstrate a genuine interest in next-generation sequencing technologies and associated bioinformatics data analysis.
Please contact Dr Manal Mohammed to discuss: [email protected]
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease being a major contributor to long-term disability, leading to increased morbidity and social isolation within groups of individuals over 65 years of age. With over 8.75 million people in the UK experiencing a reduction in quality of life and reliant on current therapeutics that treat aspects of the pathology, but not the underlying causes. The major causal factors of joint injury, obesity and age lead to cartilage degradation with subsequent pain and inflammation occurring via chondrocyte apoptosis and upregulation in catabolic markers of disease.
In this project we intend to explore the role of a key driver of peripheral inflammatory resolution, formyl peptide receptor (Fpr2) in models of chondrocyte activation to ascertain agonist effects on the underlying inflammation and chondroprotection. Utilization of cell lines and primary cells in 2D/3D models using available compounds as well as ones identified from virtual screening libraries will determine the effectiveness of this therapeutic approach.
Please contact Dr Stephen J. Getting to discuss: [email protected]
Within our lab we study human ion channels, mainly potassium channels, that contain genetic mutations which lead to disease states. Understanding ion channel structure in relation to its function allows us to specifically target ion channels to treat certain diseases - also known as channelopathy.
This PhD will utilise a range of electrophysiological techniques to pharmacologically target mutated ion channels and their reverse their functional changes seen within atrial fibrillation. Our lab conducts a variety of techniques including in silico computational modelling, whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology, cellular fluorescence, confocal microscopy and molecular biology. We work closely with structural biologists, pharmacologists and medicinal chemists to identify novel compounds selective for ion channels.
This project will aim to elucidate potassium channel structure in relation to cardiac disease states and harness this in the development of novel selective compounds. Please contact Dr Kevin P. Cunningham to discuss: [email protected]
Our ageing society is a critical issue. Remaining healthier for longer is a priority with the burden of age-related disease. We want to identify drug targets to develop pro-longevity pharmaceuticals that preserve cognitive function later in life. We will do this by investigating the ways in which the nervous system controls aging and lifespan. The successful applicant will gain skills and experience in areas including:
- genetic screening using C. elegans, an important model organism for the study of aging
- computational methods for protein structure prediction and compound library virtual screening
- assays in human cell culture that enable us to examine aging-related processes.
Please contact Dr Freddie Partridge to discuss: [email protected]
These PhD opportunities will include comprehensive personal and professional development training and a mentoring programme from the University of Westminster Graduate School. The researchers will join a School firmly committed to decolonising and diversifying policies, practices, and cultures within, and beyond, Higher Education.
Entry requirements
Candidates should have a minimum classification of 2.1 in their bachelor’s degree or equivalent and preferably a Masters degree. Applicants whose secondary level education has not been conducted in the medium of English should also demonstrate evidence of appropriate English language proficiency normally defined as IELTS: 6.5 (overall score with not less than 6.0 in any of the individual elements).
You can read more about what should be in a PhD research proposal on our how to write your research proposal page.
You can also take a look at our entry requirements for research degrees.
How to apply
To make an application, follow the linked button below to apply for the programme most appropriate to your research.
Applications should be submitted by 17 May 2024. Interviews will take place in June.
It is essential you include the code of the project you are applying for in your personal statement i.e. “SLS SF1”. Please also include the title of the specific project you wish to apply for in your application.
Fees
These opportunities are self-funded only*
2024/5 fees per annum
- Home: £5,800 full-time, £2,900 part-time
- Overseas: £ 15,450 full-time
- Bench Fees: £4,000 pa
* Minimum full-time enrolment before submission is 33 months. Following that there is a six month no fee period for writing up. Should a doctoral research student not have submitted by the end of the no fee period then a £1,500 fee is applicable.