The School of Life Sciences at the University of Westminster is pleased to offer three full-time Studentships for prospective PhD researchers starting in September 2025.
The School is home to the Centre for Resilience, Centre for Nutraceuticals and the Research Centre for Optimal Health. Research in the School across these fields has an international reputation for excellence, as confirmed by the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), resulting in substantially increased funding from Research England for our School.
About the studentships
Building on these successes, we offer three PhD studentships to ensure our research continues to be impactful for the next REF exercise in 2029. Located in the heart of London, the School of Life Sciences has an active research culture to which our well-established doctoral research programme contributes. 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 relevant Life Science discipline: Mechanisms of disease; Biomarkers of healthy ageing, infection and disease; AI, imaging and health; exercise, resilience and nutrition; medicines development; quantum biology; stem cells, biomaterials and nanotechnology.
The studentships will consist of: a home fee waiver of £5,006, bench fees of £4,000, and an annual stipend of £22,780 for three years. This includes London weighting.
Please note that while overseas fee-paying students may apply, the fee waived would be at the home rate, and successful applicants will need to pay the difference in the tuition fee if assessed as overseas (the overseas fee rate for 2025–26 will be £17,000 per annum).
Impactful doctoral research projects
We are seeking high-quality prospective doctoral students who will select one research project from the list below. We highly recommend discussing your proposal with the relevant Director of Studies before submission.
SLS1. Harnessing the body’s anti-inflammatory and pro-resolution defences for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
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 key drivers of peripheral inflammatory resolution, melanocortin type 1/3 agonists and formyl peptide receptor (Fpr2) in models of chondrocyte activation to ascertain agonist effects on the underlying inflammation, chondroprotection and mechanosensitive processes using patch clamping in 2D/3D chondrocyte models.
Experience in cell culture, biochemical assays, molecular techniques, and some knowledge of patch clamping would be desirable.
Please contact Dr Stephen Getting to discuss: [email protected]
SLS2. Applying comparative genomics and artificial intelligence to identify targets for more sustainable control of plant parasitic nematodes.
Plant pests impact crop yields, food security and environmental sustainability worldwide, likely worsening as climate change leads expanded geographical range. Plant Parasitic nematodes (PPNs) cause ~$100bn losses to global agriculture, but major nematicides have been banned due to environmental harm. We need new more sustainable approaches to PPN control.
In this project we seek to identify new targets for PPN control with the aim of finding more sustainable modes of action that are safer and have less impact on beneficial invertebrates. We will combine bioinformatics and artificial intelligence structure predication and drug discovery methods with lab validation of new targets. This project would suit a bioscientist with a demonstrable interest in a combination of laboratory and computational approaches or someone from a computational background with an interest in applying their skills to biological problems.
Please contact Dr Freddie Partridge to discuss: [email protected]
SLS3. Phenotypic and Genotypic Responses of UTI Pathogens to Hypomagnetic Condition
Space missions expose microorganisms to unique environmental stresses, including low gravity, increased radiation, and hypomagnetic conditions (HMC). Research has shown that factors like radiation and reduced gravity trigger microbial defense mechanisms, influencing traits such as antibiotic resistance, gene expression and adhesion. However, the effects of HMC remain largely unexplored. This project aims to investigate how hypomagnetic environments affect microbial physiology and pathogenic potential.
The successful candidate will gain expertise in bacterial phenotypic characterization, WGS, and omics technology, as well as in applying machine learning techniques to predict bacterial stress responses. The findings will contribute to astronaut health and well-being by informing strategies to mitigate key risks during spaceflight.
Please contact Dr Yizhi Xu to discuss: [email protected]
The studentships 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 committed to decolonising and diversifying policies, practices and cultures within and beyond Higher Education.
Entry requirements and how to apply
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).
Read more about:
To make an application, follow the link below to apply for the programme most appropriate to your research.
Apply for September 2025 Entry
Applications should be submitted by 5pm on Friday 16 May 2025. Interviews will take place in June.
You must include the code and title of which studentship you are applying for in your application header i.e. “SLS1 Studentship”.
For queries about any aspect of the application process or informal enquiries contact our Doctoral Coordinator Dr Polly Hayes: [email protected]
* Minimum full-time enrolment before submission is 33 months. Fee waivers and maintenance are in place for the three-year studentship. 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.