Available funded PhD studentships

Details of the currently funded PhD studentships open to applications.

These studentships are funded by SWBio DTP

Project: Functional analysis of novel transcriptional regulators in plant stem cell gene regulatory networks
Supervisor:  Dr Simon Scofield, Dr Tamara Lechon and Professor Jim Murray
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

Project: Role of cholesterol and cholesterol metabolites in brain development
Supervisor:  Dr Helen Waller-Evans, Dr Yasir Syed and Professor Emyr Lloyd-Evans
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

Project: The ABC of liver fluke: developing Augmented BioControl against Fasciola hepatica.
Supervisor:  Dr Jo Lello and Dr Fredric Windsor
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

Project: Investigating the structure, function and dynamics of the P2X7 receptor ballast domain
Supervisor:  Dr Mark Young, and Dr Georgina Menzies
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications:11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

Project: Developing methods for differential mRNA secondary structure analysis    
Supervisor:  Dr Nathan Harmston and Professor Helen White-Cooper
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

Project: Drosophila models for mechanistic analysis of Huntingtin function in neurodegeneration
Supervisor:  Dr Owen Peters, Dr Michael Taylor, Dr Wynand van der Goes van Naters, and Professor Anne Rosser
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications:11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

Project: Maintaining human lung - the role of fibroblasts and lipids in alveolar regeneration.
Supervisor:  Dr Renata Jurkowska, Professor Paola Borri and Dr Francesco Masia
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

Project: The curious case of Turritopsisdohrni jellyfish – elucidating epigenetic principles of immortality
Supervisor:  Dr Tomasz Jurkowski, Dr Renata Jurkowska, and Professor Peter Kille
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

Project: Building new nano-biosensors for healthcare: Linking biology to nanoscience through synthetic biology and computational modelling
Supervisor:  Professor Dafydd Jones and Dr Georgina Menzies
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

Project: Investigating regulation of lysosomal proteolysis by Kunitz domain proteins and their role in healthy ageing.
Supervisor:  Professor Emyr Lloyd-Evans, Professor Colin Berry, Professor  Simon Ward and Dr Hannah Best
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications:11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

Project: Endocytic profiling tools for complex in vitro 3D cell models to improve nanotherapeutic delivery. 
Supervisor:  Professor Peter Watson and Prof Arwyn Jones 
Hunter (Astra Zeneca)
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

Project: Understanding the dynamics of NFkappaB complex formation using combined in situ and in silico approaches.    
Supervisor:  Professor Richard Clarkson, Professor Dafydd Jones and Dr Georgina Menzies
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

Project: Genetic and Epigenetic mechanisms regulating postharvest aroma retention in strawberry
Supervisor:  Professor Hilary Rogers, Dr Hans-Wilhelm Nuetzmann (University of Exeter), Dr Graham Clarkson (Edward Vinson Ltd.) Dr Simon Scofield, Dr Tamara Lechon, Dr Carsten Muller, Dr Behzad Talle (Edward Vinson Ltd.)
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications:11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

Project: 'Fish Parasite 'Omic Interactions: Deciphering Genomic, Proteomic, and Nutritional Mechanisms Driving Host Resistance            
Supervisor:   Professor Jo Cable, Dr Sophie Watson, Dr Ronny van Aerle (Cefas), Professor Peter Kille and Dr Sean Rands (Bristol University)
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 11 December 2024
Funders: SWBio DTP

These studentships are funded by NERC RED-ALERT CDT

Project: Linking the changing chemical environment to biological recovery across formerly industrial rivers.
Supervisor: Dr Ian Vaughan, Professor Steve Ormerod, Dr V Bell, and Dr Steve Lofts
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 07 January 2025
Funders: NERC RED-ALERT CDT

Project: Otters versus gadgets: how does passive sampling compare with sentinel species monitoring for evaluation of freshwater pollution?
Supervisor: Dr Elizabeth Chadwick, Dr Frank Hailer and Gloria Pereira (UKCEH)
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 07 January 2025
Funders: NERC RED-ALERT CDT

These studentships are funded by NERC - GW4+ DOCTORAL LANDSCAPE TRAINING PARTNERSHIP (DLTP)

Project: Blue islands in a green sea: Understanding, managing and conserving pond ecosystem health
Supervisor: Dr Fredric Windsor, Daniel Read (UKCEH, Molecular Ecology Group, Lynsey Harper (Natural England, Evidence Directorate), Jordan Cuff (Newcastle University, School of Natural and Environmental Science)
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 13 January 2025
Funders: NERC - GW4+ DOCTORAL LANDSCAPE TRAINING PARTNERSHIP (DLTP)

Project: Sea sparkle: identifying and predicting bioluminescent blooms
Supervisor: Dr Catrin Williams, Dr Sarah Perkins, Oktay Karacus,  and Peter Miller  (Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML))
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 13 January 2025
Funders: NERC - GW4+ DOCTORAL LANDSCAPE TRAINING PARTNERSHIP (DLTP)

Project: Does woodland creation through natural processes enhance ecological processes & species interaction networks?
Supervisor:  Dr Ian Vaughan, Jane Memmott (University of Bristol, Biological Sciences) and Kevin Watts (Forest Research)
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 13 January 2025
Funders: NERC - GW4+ DOCTORAL LANDSCAPE TRAINING PARTNERSHIP (DLTP)

Project: Unravelling evolutionary uncertainty in African mammals: genomic insights into conservation and biogeographical patterns
Supervisor:  Dr Pablo Orozco-terWengel, Mark A Beaumont (University of Bristol, School of Biological Sciences) and Dr Frank Hailer
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 13 January 2025
Funders: NERC - GW4+ DOCTORAL LANDSCAPE TRAINING PARTNERSHIP (DLTP)

Project: Unravelling evolutionary uncertainty in African mammals: genomic insights into conservation and biogeographical patterns
Supervisor:  Dr Isa-Rita Russo, Dr David Stanton and Andrew Kitchener (National Museum Scotland)
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 13 January 2025
Funders: NERC - GW4+ DOCTORAL LANDSCAPE TRAINING PARTNERSHIP (DLTP)

Project: Ecology and evolution of mycelial cord formation in terrestrial fungi
Supervisor: Dr Sarah Christofides,  Torda Varga (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew) and Professor Lynne Boddy
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 13 January 2025
Funders: NERC - GW4+ DOCTORAL LANDSCAPE TRAINING PARTNERSHIP (DLTP)

Project: Coral Reef Restoration in Tobago
Supervisor:  Professor Jo Cable, Dr Sarah Perkins, Elizabeth Gabe-Thomas (Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML)) and  Lanya Fanovich, (Trinidad and Tobago Ministries of Fisheries)
Start date: 1 October 2025
Deadline for applications: 13 January 2025
Funders: NERC - GW4+ DOCTORAL LANDSCAPE TRAINING PARTNERSHIP (DLTP)