The MRC LMS is a core-funded interdisciplinary institute in which scientists and clinicians collaborate to advance the understanding of fundamental biology and its relevance to human health.
We have multiple fully-funded studentships available for our core 4-year PhD programme commencing in October 2025. These studentships provide a generous stipend (£25K per year), tuition fees and consumables for 4 years.
The MRC LMS PhD programme is aimed at exceptional undergraduates with a keen interest in pursuing ground-breaking interdisciplinary research, who are interested in learning how to think broadly to tackle a problem. We welcome applications from biologists, chemists and physical scientists who have a passion for the biology of health and disease.
Applications for 2025 starters are now OPEN.
We have ten fully-funded studentships available for October 2025 starters. One application form is required to be considered for all projects, but you can highlight your project preference on the if you wish to do so. These studentships are available to all students who meet the acadmic eligibility requirements, including overseas students.
How to Apply
Please download an Application Form from HERE, complete and email to by the deadline date of Wednesday 11 December 2024 9am (UK time).
You must also contact two academic referees and ask them to send their letter of support to the same address () by the same deadline date (11/12/2024).
Letters of support must come directly form the referee (we cannot accept references send by the candidate) and should be on either institute headed paper or from an institute email address (we cannot accept references from yahoo, gmail, hotmail etc).
Only candidates for whom we have received a completed application form AND two references will be invited to interview for one of our studentships.
After you have applied
You will receive an email notification within ten business days of submitting your application form to confirm receipt and let you know when you will next hear from us.
Your application form will be viewed by all recruiting supervisors and you will hear the outcome in January.
If your application is not successful we will inform you via email.
If you are invited to interview you will receive instructions on when this will take place (remotely via Zoom) and you will be sent a scientific paper one week prior for you to read, prepare and answer questions on during your interview. Remote interviews will take place on either the 22nd or 23rd January 2025.
An Open event at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences will take place on the 29th and 30th January. All candidates who pass thier remote interview will be invited to this event. This will give an opportunity to meet with potential supervisors, current students and see the campus in person (accommodation can be arranged for those who require it).
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must hold, or expect to obtain, a first or upper second-class honours degree or equivalent in an appropriate scientific subject from a recognised academic institution. Whilst a Master’s degree is preferable, equivalent research experience (at least one year in total) can be accepted in its place.
Successful candidates will also be expected to meet the Imperial College Entry Requirements, including the English Language Requirement, where relevant.
For further information about the application process or the LMS PhD programme in general please contact our Postgraduate Coordinator.
Available Projects
Supervisors: Alexis Barr (LMS – Cell Cycle Control) & Julia Sero (University of Bath)
Project Title: Non-genetic mechanisms of resistance to cell cycle inhibitors in cancer
Project Description: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/non-genetic-mechanisms-of-resistance-to-cell-cycle-inhibitors-in-cancer/?p175250
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Supervisors: Dave Carling (LMS – Cellular Stress) & Graeme Birdsey (Imperial College London)
Project Title: Investigating the role of AMPK in endothelial cell function
Project Description: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/investigating-the-role-of-ampk-in-endothelial-cell-function/?p175252
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Supervisors: Helena Cocheme (LMS – Redox Metabolism) & Ed Tate (Imperial College London)
Project Title: Dysregulation of redox signalling by pH imbalance in age-related disease
Project Description: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/dysregulation-of-redox-signalling-by-ph-imbalance-in-age-related-disease/?p175254
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Supervisors: Boris Lenhard (LMS – Computational Regulatory Genomics) & Alexis Barr (LMS – Cell Cyle Control)
Project Title: Uncovering novel rules of cell cycle stage-specific transcriptional regulation
Project Description: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/uncovering-novel-rules-of-cell-cycle-stage-specific-transcriptional-regulation/?p175255
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Supervsiors: Petra Hajkova (LMS – Reprogramming & Chromatin) & Camille Dion (LMS – Reprogramming & Chromatin)
Project Title: Epigenetic reprogramming in the germ line: the role of an unusual chromatin composition in the pre-meiotic germ cells
Project Description: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/epigenetic-reprogramming-in-the-germ-line-the-role-of-an-unusual-chromatin-composition-in-the-pre-meiotic-germ-cells/?p175256
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Supervisors: Will Scott (LMS – Genomics of Obesity) & Jesus Gil (LMS – Senescence)
Project Title: Single cell genomics to advance treatments for human adipose tissue dysfunction.
Project Description: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/single-cell-genomics-to-advance-treatments-for-human-adipose-tissue-dysfunction/?p175258
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Supervisors: James Ware (LMS- Cardiovascular Genomics) & Sean Zheng (Imperial College London)
Project Title: Profiling the isoform-resolved transcriptomic landscape of human cardiomyopathy
Project Description: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/profiling-the-isoform-resolved-transcriptomic-landscape-of-human-cardiomyopathy/?p175259
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Supervisors: Louise Fets (LMS – Drug Transport & Tumour Metabolism) & Chris Rowlands (Imperial College London)
Project Title: Probing drug distributions with fast Raman imaging
Project Description: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/probing-drug-distributions-with-fast-raman-imaging/?p175260
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Supervisors: Christian Speck (LMS – DNA Replication) & Yuriy Chaban (Diamond Light Source Ltd)
Project Title: Developing AI Approaches to Uncover Regulatory Protein Dynamics in DNA Replication
Project Description: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/developing-ai-approaches-to-uncover-regulatory-protein-dynamics-in-dna-replication/?p175261
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Supervisors: Vicki Metzis (LMS – Development and Transcriptional Control) & Omer Karin (Imperial College London)
Project Title: Modelling Cellular Differentiation during Neural Crest Development
Project Descrption: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/modelling-cellular-differentiation-during-neural-crest-development/?p175263
