Available PhDs

EASTBIO (College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine) 

Understanding the contribution of reduced niche oxygenation on haematopoiesis during healthy ageing

Applications accepted up till Monday 15th December, 2025.  Competition funded PhD Project. 

Supervisors: Dr Ananda Mirchandani (The University of Edinburgh), Dr Tony Ly (The University of Dundee) 

About the Project

As we age, a common phenomenon across tissues is the loss of capillaries and capillarisation. These tiny vessels are essential for the delivery of oxygen to tissues, as oxygen can only be accessed through its passive diffusion from an area with a higher partial pressure of oxygen, to a lower one. (doi:10.14336/AD.2017.0430). The ageing bone marrow is no different to other organs in this process. A number of key changes have been observed in both the circulating cells and bone marrow composition of healthily ageing individuals. These changes include an increase in the neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2022-170882), as well as an increase in multipotent stem cell numbers, however the function of these stem cells appears to be defective. Importantly, these observed changes are conserved across species, including in the mouse, making the aged mouse model a useful means to understand and identify the molecular mechanisms that drive this process (doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07238-x.). 

Data from our lab has identified some overlapping changes induced by acute hypoxia  exposure in young mice, with these ageing changes, including a skewing towards myelopoiesis and a reduction of lymphopoiesis (unpublished) raising the possibility that hypoxia itself could be an important driver of the ageing bone marrow phenotype. Healthy tissue oxygenation has been largely overlooked as an important niche factor, but less so in the bone marrow, where stem cells are known to reside in less oxygenated niches enabling them to maintain quiescence (doi: 10.1038/nature13034). 

This PhD will offer the applicant the opportunity to use mouse models and human bone marrow samples, alongside both in-vivo and ex-vivo oxygen availability manipulation systems, to dissect the contribution of reduced oxygen availability to the ageing bone marrow immune phenotype. To obtain crucial new insights, the PhD student will utilize cutting edge single cell assays that will characterize gene expression and proteome changes with spatial and temporal resolution to understand bone marrow evolution during ageing. The successful candidate will assess the interplay between niche vascularity, oxygen availability and haematopoiesis to determine the molecular mechanisms that drive the changing circulating immune landscape in healthy ageing.

Funding Notes

UKRI-funded studentships are open to students worldwide and will cover tuition fees at the UK rate, plus a stipend to support living costs and an annual research grant of £5,000 for the first three years of the PhD research. The proportion of international students appointed through the EASTBIO DTP is capped at 30%.  All students must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the UKRI guidance on UK, EU and international candidates. This guidance should be read in conjunction with the UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions

Apply Now 

EASTBIO Webpage (to download the documents required for email application process, detailed below) 

• EASTBIO Application
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) survey
• Reference Forms can be downloaded via link above

Please send your completed EASTBIO Application Form and EDI survey along with a copy of your academic transcripts to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk before the deadline. You should also ensure that two references have been sent to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk by the deadline using the EASTBIO Reference Form.

For research or project-related queries, please reach out directly to the supervisors. For inquiries about the application process, contact the postgraduate administrator.

The EASTBIO team will run a series of 1-hour online sessions in November/December 2025, open to applicants who have queries about the application process. Please view EASTBIO How to Apply webpage for details. 

Unfortunately due to workload constraints, we cannot consider incomplete applications.

EASTBIO (College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine) 

Cellular responses to fluid forces: Phases across the ages

Applications accepted up till Monday 15th December, 2025.  Competition funded PhD Project. 

Supervisors: Dr Carsten Gram Hansen (The University of Edinburgh), Dr Tyler Shendruk (The University of Edinburgh), Dr Pierre Bagnaninchi (The University of Edinburgh) 

About the Project

Water is essential for life and the most abundant molecule in the human body, accounting for more than 50% of body weight. Around 15–20% of this is extracellular, mainly interstitial fluid. These fluids, and the hydrostatic pressures they exert, are central to cellular processes in development, inflammation, regeneration, and homeostasis. Fluid forces and phases therefore play vital roles across biology.
This project will uncover how fluids influence biological structures and functions across scales, and how ageing alters these interactions. By combining intrinsic cellular ageing with ageing-induced changes in the microenvironment, we will explore how these stressors impair cellular capacity to respond to stimuli.

Research Challenge

The key challenge is to decipher the heterogeneity in how dynamic fluids influence cells. Such parameters have been difficult to study, but recent advances now allow us to do so. We will combine bioimaging, modelling, and advanced imaging platforms to analyse dynamic cellular behaviours at single-cell resolution.

Objectives

1. Develop imaging pipelines to stratify responses to fluid dynamics.
   We will extract cellular features from confocal and label-free images, enabling classification of cell types and states under different fluidic conditions.
2. Assess responses to microenvironmental change.
   Using models of young and aged microenvironments, we will analyse how cells adapt and correlate these behaviours with genetic and proteomic profiles.
3. Integrate proteomics, modelling, and imaging to identify modular nodes

By linking molecular signatures to phenotypic features captured through bioimaging, we will identify potential targets for genetic or therapeutic intervention.

Approach

The project will be delivered through an interdisciplinary, team-based framework built around these three objectives. We will combine microfluidics, phase-change systems, bioengineering, label-free quantitative phase imaging, and high-content imaging with diverse cellular models. Experimental data will be integrated with fluid simulations to enable predictive and iterative modelling.

Training and Environment

The student will join a supportive interdisciplinary environment, gaining expertise in:

• Biomedical image analysis, omics, genome editing, and molecular biology
• High-content and label-free imaging
• Tissue culture, microfluidics, and bioengineering methods
• Programming with Python/Matlab

The training programme will prepare the candidate for a broad range of career paths in academia, industry, and beyond. They will also participate in outreach, including Science Festivals and Open Doors events, and benefit from professional development workshops offered by the Institute for Academic Development (IAD).

Research Culture

The collaborative setting of the Institute for Regeneration and Repair (IRR; CGH/PB) and the Institute for Condensed Matter and Complex Systems will provide a positive, inclusive research culture. The project’s interdisciplinary and team-focused design ensures the candidate develops both deep technical expertise and cross-disciplinary collaboration skills, equipping them for future success.

Funding Notes

UKRI-funded studentships are open to students worldwide and will cover tuition fees at the UK rate, plus a stipend to support living costs and an annual research grant of £5,000 for the first three years of the PhD research. The proportion of international students appointed through the EASTBIO DTP is capped at 30%.  All students must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the UKRI guidance on UK, EU and international candidates. This guidance should be read in conjunction with the UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions

Apply Now 

EASTBIO Webpage (to download the documents required for email application process, detailed below) 

• EASTBIO Application
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) survey
• Reference Forms can be downloaded via link above

Please send your completed EASTBIO Application Form and EDI survey along with a copy of your academic transcripts to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk before the deadline. You should also ensure that two references have been sent to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk by the deadline using the EASTBIO Reference Form.

For research or project-related queries, please reach out directly to the supervisors. For inquiries about the application process, contact the postgraduate administrator.

The EASTBIO team will run a series of 1-hour online sessions in November/December 2025, open to applicants who have queries about the application process. Please view EASTBIO How to Apply webpage for details. 

Unfortunately due to workload constraints, we cannot consider incomplete applications.

EASTBIO (College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine) 

Establish proximity labelling strategies in zebrafish to capture cellular interactions in vivo 

Applications accepted up till Monday 15th December, 2025.  Competition funded PhD Project. 

Supervisors: Dr Yi Feng (The University of Edinburgh), Dr Mattias Malaguti (The University of Edinburgh)

About the Project

Unravelling the outcomes of cell–cell interactions is fundamental to understanding biological processes. The ability to visualise and track these interactions in vivo greatly enhances our capacity to dissect contact-dependent communication. Synthetic biology approaches, such as the engineered synNotch system, have been successfully applied in models including mouse and fly. Zebrafish larvae, with their translucency, provide a powerful platform for live imaging of cell–cell interactions at subcellular resolution. Using lineage-specific fluorescent reporter fish, we have observed close interactions between oncogene-expressing cells and innate immune cells in vivo and demonstrate that host innate immune cells support early tumour development. However, direct contacts and interactions between emerging oncogene-expressing cells and their immediate neighbours have not yet been visualised in vivo, despite the likelihood that these interactions influence mutant cell progression, either positively or negatively. This project aims to address this gap by generating a suite of proximity-labelling transgenic zebrafish tools including the synNotch system for live imaging of neighbouring cell interactions at tumour initiation. These tools will provide broadly applicable resources for uncovering fundamental mechanisms of cell–cell communication in both development and tumourigenesis.

Funding Notes

UKRI-funded studentships are open to students worldwide and will cover tuition fees at the UK rate, plus a stipend to support living costs and an annual research grant of £5,000 for the first three years of the PhD research. The proportion of international students appointed through the EASTBIO DTP is capped at 30%.  All students must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the UKRI guidance on UK, EU and international candidates. This guidance should be read in conjunction with the UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions

Apply Now 

EASTBIO Webpage (to download the documents required for email application process, detailed below) 

• EASTBIO Application
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) survey
• Reference Forms can be downloaded via link above

Please send your completed EASTBIO Application Form and EDI survey along with a copy of your academic transcripts to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk before the deadline. You should also ensure that two references have been sent to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk by the deadline using the EASTBIO Reference Form.

For research or project-related queries, please reach out directly to the supervisors. For inquiries about the application process, contact the postgraduate administrator.

The EASTBIO team will run a series of 1-hour online sessions in November/December 2025, open to applicants who have queries about the application process. Please view EASTBIO How to Apply webpage for details. 

Unfortunately due to workload constraints, we cannot consider incomplete applications.

EASTBIO (College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine) 

The impact of diet-microbiome-immune interactions on intestinal function

Applications accepted up till Monday 15th December, 2025.  Competition funded PhD Project. 

Supervisors: Dr Chengcan Yao (The University of Edinburgh), Dr Laura Glendinning (The University of Edinburgh), Dr Cecile Benezech (The University of Edinburgh)

About the Project

Maintenance of gut health is determined by a balance among epithelial cell function, proper immune response, and symbiotic microbiota. A disruption in this balance can result in uncontrolled pathological epithelial dysfunction and diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and cancer. Environmental factors and life style, such as diet, smoking, and exercise, significantly impact gut health, although the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully elucidated. Diets, especially dietary fats, have long been known to influence the gut microbiota and, consequently, both gut resident and systemic immune responses. Metabolites of dietary fats, once digested by gut commensal bacteria, can either directly stimulate host cells or act as procurers for the generation of small molecular lipid mediators such as prostaglandins (PGs). PGs play critical physiological and pathological roles in both health and disease, for example, by mediating bone development, regulating immune cell function, and driving inflammatory responses such as fever and pain. Notably, PGs are crucial in maintaining gut epithelial homeostasis, possibly through modulating host cell function and the microbiota.

In this PhD project, we will investigate the effects of dietary fats on the modulation of intestinal health and their roles in systemic metabolic functions. The main objectives of the project include examining how dietary fats modulate the gut microbiota and intestinal immune function, the effects of the microbiota on fatty acid metabolism in intestinal cells, and the roles of fatty acid metabolites in modulating gut immune cell function. We will utilise cutting-edge immunological, pharmacological, genetic and systems biological approaches to examine the interactions among intestinal immune cells, epithelial cells and the gut microbiota in response to the consumption of dietary fatty acids. Techniques such as flow cytometry, single-cell RNA-seq, and in vitro cell culture systems will be applied for profiling intestinal immune cell and assessment of epithelial function. Microbial RNA sequencing will be used for profiling the gut microbiota and identifying functional bacterial pathways, which will be validated by manipulation (i.e. depletion and transplantation) of the microbiota. Fatty acid metabolism and PG production in immune cells will be examined through immuno-metabolic phenotyping and lipidomics. The impact of lipid mediators will also be examined using pharmacological reagents and gene-modified animals. Upon completion of this project, we expect to gain a comprehensive understanding of how dietary fatty acids interact with the gut microbiome and the host immune system, and how these interactions fundamentally regulate gut health.

Funding Notes

UKRI-funded studentships are open to students worldwide and will cover tuition fees at the UK rate, plus a stipend to support living costs and an annual research grant of £5,000 for the first three years of the PhD research. The proportion of international students appointed through the EASTBIO DTP is capped at 30%.  All students must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the UKRI guidance on UK, EU and international candidates. This guidance should be read in conjunction with the UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions

Apply Now 

EASTBIO Webpage (to download the documents required for email application process, detailed below) 

• EASTBIO Application
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) survey
• Reference Forms can be downloaded via link above

Please send your completed EASTBIO Application Form and EDI survey along with a copy of your academic transcripts to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk before the deadline. You should also ensure that two references have been sent to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk by the deadline using the EASTBIO Reference Form.

For research or project-related queries, please reach out directly to the supervisors. For inquiries about the application process, contact the postgraduate administrator.

The EASTBIO team will run a series of 1-hour online sessions in November/December 2025, open to applicants who have queries about the application process. Please view EASTBIO How to Apply webpage for details. 

Unfortunately due to workload constraints, we cannot consider incomplete applications.

EASTBIO (College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine) 

Using proteomics and informatics approaches to uncover novel host antimicrobial responses in macrophages

Applications accepted up till Monday 15th December, 2025.  Competition funded PhD Project. 

Supervisors: Prof David Dockrell (The University of Edinburgh), Dr Brian McHugh (The University of Edinburgh), Dr Clark Russell (The University of Edinburgh)

About the Project

Introduction

Macrophages are key innate immune cells with wide-ranging antimicrobial functions. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease caused by inflammation of the small airways leading to breathlessness and frequent bacterial chest infections - COPD alveolar macrophages (AM) display faulty responses to bacteria persisting in the airway (e.g. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae), with ineffective bacterial clearance contributing to COPD worsening. Based on our data we hypothesise that COPD alters AM mitochondrial responses to bacteria and that these impact metabolism, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) production, and mitochondrial fission; all required for pathogen clearance – defining novel bactericidal roles for these host mechanisms will advance understanding of macrophage microbicidal activity and uncover new therapeutic targets to help circumvent antimicrobial resistance.  

Project

Aim 1: Metabolic and proteomic landscape of macrophage antimicrobial responses

A proteomics screen with an unlabelled approach (via our established collaboration with Professor Doreen Cantrell at EastBio partner University of Dundee) will be used to determine core macrophage metabolic responses to bacterial infection. Comparisons of human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) from COPD patients and healthy controls will determine infection-related alterations in metabolic responses at baseline and following bacterial challenge, with key findings confirmed in AM obtained from bronchoscopy. Additionally, macrophages obtained from established murine models of bacterial lung infection will be compared by proteomics in control mice versus an LPS/elastase murine model of chronic lung disease. These comparative approaches will identify candidates for further evaluation.

Aim 2: Data integration to prioritise targets for validation

Proteomics results from the human and mouse studies above will be integrated with metabolomics and transcriptomics datasets generated previously in the laboratory. This will be done in silico using meta-analysis by information content, an algorithm which integrates results from genome-scale studies to generate a single aggregated gene list, ranked based on the cumulative evidence supporting each gene. This data-driven approach will further identify and prioritise key factors in the macrophage antibacterial response that can then be targeted for validation.

Aim 3: Validation in vitro and in vivo

Factors regulating mitochondrial dynamics and metabolism in macrophages will be of interest, since mROS production is associated with mitochondrial fission. After in vitro investigation (in MDM using genetic and chemical modification), the in vivo relevance of our findings will be explored in our murine model of chronic airway disease, using relevant knock-out strains.

Overall, the student will gain experience of omics methods, informatics, and mouse infection models.
 

Funding Notes

UKRI-funded studentships are open to students worldwide and will cover tuition fees at the UK rate, plus a stipend to support living costs and an annual research grant of £5,000 for the first three years of the PhD research. The proportion of international students appointed through the EASTBIO DTP is capped at 30%.  All students must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the UKRI guidance on UK, EU and international candidates. This guidance should be read in conjunction with the UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions

Apply Now 

EASTBIO Webpage (to download the documents required for email application process, detailed below) 

• EASTBIO Application
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) survey
• Reference Forms can be downloaded via link above

Please send your completed EASTBIO Application Form and EDI survey along with a copy of your academic transcripts to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk before the deadline. You should also ensure that two references have been sent to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk by the deadline using the EASTBIO Reference Form.

For research or project-related queries, please reach out directly to the supervisors. For inquiries about the application process, contact the postgraduate administrator.

The EASTBIO team will run a series of 1-hour online sessions in November/December 2025, open to applicants who have queries about the application process. Please view EASTBIO How to Apply webpage for details. 

Unfortunately due to workload constraints, we cannot consider incomplete applications.

EASTBIO (College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine) 

Investigating how neural signalling regulates adaptive immune responses

Applications accepted up till Monday 15th December, 2025.  Competition funded PhD Project. 

Supervisors: Dr Laura McCulloch (The University of Edinburgh), Dr Joy Edwards-Hicks (The University of Edinburgh)

About the Project

Increasing evidence shows that our central nervous system can interact with our immune system and modulate our immune responses. Lymphocytes, in particular, have receptors for noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter that is released by our sympathetic nervous system. Our previous investigations has shown stroke leads to excessive output of noradrenaline leading to lymphocyte death and dysregulated function, however noradrenaline signalling can also increase during periods of stress and can be dysregulated with age. This indicates a key role for noradrenaline in fine tuning our adaptive immune responses but our understanding of the impact of these signals on lymphocyte function in healthy immune responses is currently limited. We have shown using in vitro models with healthy human donor cells that noradrenaline signalling can alter lymphocyte viability, proliferation and cytokine production. We would now like to understand the importance of these signals in normal homeostatic immune responses and in ageing. This could provide us with new targets to improve vaccine responsiveness and the effective development of immunological memory.

This project will use in vivo animal studies to block or enhance noradrenaline signalling during systemic bacterial challenge to understand the role of these signals in the development of a healthy immune response. Aged animals will be used to understand how dysregulation of these pathways may impair immune responses and the development of immune memory. This will be complemented with analysis of young and aged human peripheral blood monocytes to examine noradrenaline receptor expression and responsiveness.

Training provided will cover a breadth of wet lab research techniques including: in vivo research and experimental design; immunological profiling including flow cytometry, immunostaining and image analysis; measurement of soluble mediators using muliplex ELISA; isolation of cells from tissue and blood, cell culture and ex-vivo assays; metabolic profiling including SCENITH assay and mass spectrometry. Training on data analysis including relevant image analysis software, statistical analysis including graphpad prism and R and flow cytometry analysis using FlowJo will also be provided

References:

• McCulloch L, et al (2017)  Nature communications 8:15051-15016
• Ramer-Quinn DS, et al (2000) Brain, behavior, and immunity 14:239-255.
• Sanders VM (2012) Brain, behavior, and immunity 26:195-200.
• Swanson MA et al (2001) The Journal of immunology (1950) 166:232-240
   

Funding Notes

UKRI-funded studentships are open to students worldwide and will cover tuition fees at the UK rate, plus a stipend to support living costs and an annual research grant of £5,000 for the first three years of the PhD research. The proportion of international students appointed through the EASTBIO DTP is capped at 30%.  All students must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the UKRI guidance on UK, EU and international candidates. This guidance should be read in conjunction with the UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions

Apply Now 

EASTBIO Webpage (to download the documents required for email application process, detailed below) 

• EASTBIO Application
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) survey
• Reference Forms can be downloaded via link above

Please send your completed EASTBIO Application Form and EDI survey along with a copy of your academic transcripts to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk before the deadline. You should also ensure that two references have been sent to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk by the deadline using the EASTBIO Reference Form.

For research or project-related queries, please reach out directly to the supervisors. For inquiries about the application process, contact the postgraduate administrator.

The EASTBIO team will run a series of 1-hour online sessions in November/December 2025, open to applicants who have queries about the application process. Please view EASTBIO How to Apply webpage for details. 

Unfortunately due to workload constraints, we cannot consider incomplete applications.

EASTBIO (College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine) 

Peptide-based precision anti-infectives for prophylaxis and prevention of foodborne listeriosis.

Applications accepted up till Monday 15th December, 2025.  Competition funded PhD Project. 

Supervisors: Prof Jose Vazquez-Boland (The University of Edinburgh), Dr Christopher R Coxon (The University of Edinburgh)

About the Project

Listeriosis is a life-threatening foodborne infection caused by the facultative intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, which can contaminate ready-to-eat preserved by refrigeration. Listeriosis primarily affects vulnerable groups, including the elderly, pregnant women and their babies, and immunocompromised individuals. The disease is severe, manifesting as meningoencephalitis, bacteraemia, stillbirth, and neonatal sepsis. It is the leading cause of death from foodborne illness in Western countries and the third most common cause of bacterial brain infection. Current antimicrobial treatments are suboptimal, with 15–35% lethality and neurological sequelae in 14–40% of cases despite therapy. Managing exposed at-risk individuals is also challenging, as antibioprophylaxis can disrupt the microbiota and promote antibiotic resistance. New approaches are therefore needed to mitigate the risks associated with Listeria contamination in the food supply chain, prevent Listeria infection in vulnerable individuals, and improve clinical management of listeriosis. This PhD project aims to develop novel molecules usable across these three fronts, with a focus on application in the food industry.

Listeria infection depends on activation of its virulence regulator PrfA, a transcription factor that senses the host environment. PrfA function is essential for pathogenesis; its inactivation renders the bacterium harmless. This project will explore PrfA inhibition as an anti-Listeria strategy, building on the host group’s fundamental discoveries on the molecular mechanisms of PrfA regulation. The Vázquez-Boland group recently showed that PrfA’s transcriptional activity is inhibited by environmental oligopeptides, which compete with its activating cofactor, glutathione, for the same binding site. This mechanism has been characterised at atomic resolution via crystal structures of PrfA–peptide complexes.

Building on these findings, this PhD will develop peptide-based PrfA inhibitors as novel anti-Listeria agents. The project will leverages structural-functional data to design, synthesise, and evaluate these compounds in relevant experimental models, including food matrices. These innovative compounds have dual potential: (i) as Listeria-targeted food-safety additives that specifically neutralise Listeria virulence without affecting food properties; and (ii) as therapeutics to prevent or treat listeriosis without disrupting the microbiota or promoting antibiotic resistance.

This CASE-EASTBIO PhD studentship brings together the University of Edinburgh (Centre for Inflammation & Infection Research, IRR Biomedical Research Institute, EaStChem School of Chemistry) with Campden-BRI-Group, an industry leader in food safety and quality innovation. You will join a unique interdisciplinary training environment at the interface of infection biology, microbial pathogenesis, chemical biology, and medicinal chemistry while gaining valuable industrial experience in food safety, contamination control and product development.

References 

1. Koopmans, M.M., Brouwer, M.C., Vazquez-Boland, J.A. & van de Beek, D. Human listeriosis. Clin Microbiol Rev, e0006019 (2022).
2. Krypotou, E. et al. Control of bacterial virulence through the peptide signature of the Habitat. Cell Rep 26, 1815-1827 e5 (2019).
3. Hainzl, T. et al. Structural basis of promiscuous inhibition of Listeria virulence activator PrfA by oligopeptides. Cell Rep 44:115290. (2024).
    

Funding Notes

UKRI-funded studentships are open to students worldwide and will cover tuition fees at the UK rate, plus a stipend to support living costs and an annual research grant of £5,000 for the first three years of the PhD research. The proportion of international students appointed through the EASTBIO DTP is capped at 30%.  All students must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the UKRI guidance on UK, EU and international candidates. This guidance should be read in conjunction with the UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions

Apply Now 

EASTBIO Webpage (to download the documents required for email application process, detailed below) 

• EASTBIO Application
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) survey
• Reference Forms can be downloaded via link above

Please send your completed EASTBIO Application Form and EDI survey along with a copy of your academic transcripts to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk before the deadline. You should also ensure that two references have been sent to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk by the deadline using the EASTBIO Reference Form.

For research or project-related queries, please reach out directly to the supervisors. For inquiries about the application process, contact the postgraduate administrator.

The EASTBIO team will run a series of 1-hour online sessions in November/December 2025, open to applicants who have queries about the application process. Please view EASTBIO How to Apply webpage for details. 

Unfortunately due to workload constraints, we cannot consider incomplete applications.

EASTBIO (College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine) 

Decipher the immune landscape of the highly regenerative mammals – Spiny mouse (Acomys)

Applications accepted up till Monday 15th December, 2025.  Competition funded PhD Project. 

Supervisors: Dr Wei-Yu Lu (The University of Edinburgh), Dr Sofia Ferreira-Gonzalez (The University of Edinburgh)

About the Project

Most mammals have limited regenerative abilities for their organs following tissue damage.  Although the stable turnover of cells is well regulated in healthy individuals, the deposition of scar tissue tends to be a consequence of tissue healing following damage. Although scar deposition is required to limit the extent of the initial insult and facilitate wound closure, it also inhibits the regeneration and reorganisation of the original tissue architecture. For example, scar deposition without hair follicles on the skin following burn injury. This principle does not only apply to external organs but also to internal organs such as the intestines and the liver.

Interestingly, some mammals have remarkable regeneration ability, mainly for adapting to the environment and living conditions. For example, naked mole rats have a different immune system and adaptation to low oxygen levels that allows them to live longer underground. Furthermore, spiny mouse can shred their skin as an anti-predatory mechanism, and the skin regrows without scar deposition. It is still unclear how the Spiny mouse has such a remarkable regeneration ability, and it is thought that the immune system may contribute to the scarless regeneration. However, this is still unclear as the field is hindered by the lack of adequate tools to study the scarless regeneration process in detail. The ability to have scarless regeneration sparks great research interests and will provide insights about how we can improve human tissue repair. Humans also have a highly regenerative organ, the liver. The liver can restore to its original mass when 70% of the liver has been resected, but this regeneration mechanism tends to fail during chronic liver injury, which can be affected by diet, lifestyle and age. The adaptive immune response plays a crucial role during chronic injuries.

We aim to study the immune landscape of the regenerative spiny mouse after liver injury and whether we can augment or fine-tune the regenerative response by manipulating the immune system, especially the adaptive immune response. By comparing the regenerative capacity of the Acomys and the scarring immune landscape in mice, we hope to identify the crucial difference in the immune system and signals that determine scar and scarless tissue repair. Eventually, the understanding of these highly regenerative organisms will provide cues for improving human health.
 

Funding Notes

UKRI-funded studentships are open to students worldwide and will cover tuition fees at the UK rate, plus a stipend to support living costs and an annual research grant of £5,000 for the first three years of the PhD research. The proportion of international students appointed through the EASTBIO DTP is capped at 30%.  All students must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the UKRI guidance on UK, EU and international candidates. This guidance should be read in conjunction with the UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions

Apply Now 

EASTBIO Webpage (to download the documents required for email application process, detailed below) 

• EASTBIO Application
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) survey
• Reference Forms can be downloaded via link above

Please send your completed EASTBIO Application Form and EDI survey along with a copy of your academic transcripts to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk before the deadline. You should also ensure that two references have been sent to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk by the deadline using the EASTBIO Reference Form.

For research or project-related queries, please reach out directly to the supervisors. For inquiries about the application process, contact the postgraduate administrator.

The EASTBIO team will run a series of 1-hour online sessions in November/December 2025, open to applicants who have queries about the application process. Please view EASTBIO How to Apply webpage for details. 

Unfortunately due to workload constraints, we cannot consider incomplete applications.

EASTBIO (College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine) 

Functional Genomics of Host Determinants in Viral Entry and Transmission

Applications accepted up till Monday 15th December, 2025.  Competition funded PhD Project. 

Supervisors: Dr Richard Sloan (The University of Edinburgh), Prof Kenneth Baillie (The University of Edinburgh), Dr Finn Grey (The University of Edinburgh), Dr Rob Young (The University of Edinburgh)

About the Project

The overall aim of this project is to identify host factors that govern viral entry and cross-species transmission using the signatures of evolutionary pressure and genetic variation.
Viruses depend on host cell surface and endosomal proteins to gain entry into cells, yet many of these host determinants remain uncharacterised despite being a key step in the zoonotic transmission of virus. This project will explore how host adaptation and selective pressures have shaped viral entry pathways, identifying both established and novel genetic factors that influence infection and viral host range between species.
Our recent work combines CRISPR screen ranking with pan-mammalian positive selection analysis to pinpoint antiviral and proviral genes. Using this framework, we have already identified genes that affect influenza A virus entry and transmembrane proteins influencing SARS-CoV-2 entry. Building on these findings, this PhD will integrate comparative genomics with functional experimental validation to uncover new determinants of viral entry for a range of RNA viruses, including influenza A virus, coronaviruses and paramyxoviruses.

Specific aims:
1.    Identify and characterise known viral receptors under positive selection across mammalian genomes, testing how adaptive change affects viral binding and cell tropism.
2.    Use ontology and meta-analysis approaches to highlight cell surface and endosomal proteins not previously linked to virus entry but implicated in CRISPR screens, GWAS, or evolutionary analyses.
3.    Experimentally validate candidate factors using CRISPR sub-screens and cell-based infection assays with viral pseudotype panels to define proteins affecting viral entry and transmission potential.

Research training:
The student will gain a comprehensive training that bridges molecular biology, virology, and bioinformatics. Laboratory work will include mammalian cell culture, CRISPR-based gene editing, and infection models using pseudotyped and replication competent viruses. The student will learn to perform and interpret high-content functional assays, protein–virus interaction studies, and flow cytometry analyses.

Complementing this, the project provides computational training in comparative genomics, evolutionary analysis, and integrative data mining of CRISPR screens and genetic association datasets. Full training will be provided through project work and workshops.

Working in a collaborative environment with multiple research groups with expertise in virology, molecular genetics, and host–pathogen evolution, the student will develop a broad skill set suited to both academic and applied biological research. The project will show how viruses exploit and are constrained by the genetic diversity of their hosts and how this can drive zoonosis.

References:

1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06034-3
2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02121-5
3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06261-8
4. https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1012763

Funding Notes

UKRI-funded studentships are open to students worldwide and will cover tuition fees at the UK rate, plus a stipend to support living costs and an annual research grant of £5,000 for the first three years of the PhD research. The proportion of international students appointed through the EASTBIO DTP is capped at 30%.  All students must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the UKRI guidance on UK, EU and international candidates. This guidance should be read in conjunction with the UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions

Apply Now 

EASTBIO Webpage (to download the documents required for email application process, detailed below) 

• EASTBIO Application
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) survey
• Reference Forms can be downloaded via link above

Please send your completed EASTBIO Application Form and EDI survey along with a copy of your academic transcripts to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk before the deadline. You should also ensure that two references have been sent to CIR.Postgraduate@ed.ac.uk by the deadline using the EASTBIO Reference Form.

For research or project-related queries, please reach out directly to the supervisors. For inquiries about the application process, contact the postgraduate administrator.

The EASTBIO team will run a series of 1-hour online sessions in November/December 2025, open to applicants who have queries about the application process. Please view EASTBIO How to Apply webpage for details. 

Unfortunately due to workload constraints, we cannot consider incomplete applications.