MRC LMS 4-year PhD studentships
The MRC LMS is a core-funded transdisciplinary institute in which scientists and clinicians collaborate to advance the understanding of fundamental biology and its relevance to human health.
What we offer our PhD students
Successful applicants are awarded a PhD studentship that includes:
- A generous, tax-free stipend of £26,500 per year, for four years
- Full coverage of student tuition fees
- Funding for all necessary research consumables
- Visa costs for overseas students
To find out more about our recruitment process, please read this page. To find out more about our PhD programmes, please read our PhD Students page.
PhD positions available
We are recruiting for four Team Science PhD students and one core PhD student.
Team Science PhD Programme:
AI-Driven Discovery of Modulators of Nucleic-Acid Sensors in Inflammation and Ageing
Luis Aragon (LMS), Pedro Ballester (Imperial) & Jesus Gil (LMS)
Metabolic and Immune Regulation of the Gonadal Niche: Decoding Germline-Soma Crosstalk in Fertility
Petra Hajkova (LMS), Suchira Gallage (University of Tübingen) & Juanma Vaquerizas (LMS)
Identifying the genetic causes of human infertility
Enrique Martinez-Perez (LMS), Channa Jayasena (Imperial) & Joris Veltman (University of Edinburgh)
AI-Driven Decoding of the Male Regulatory Genome: Predicting Infertility and Ageing Trajectories
Juanma Vaquerizas (LMS), Dennis Wang (Imperial) & Steven Niederer (Imperial)
Core PhD Programme:
Engineered proteins to protect plants and animals from parasites
Andre Brown (LMS) & Karen Sarkisyan (LMS)
Eligibility and entry requirements
Our PhD programmes are open to applicants of all nationalities.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Hold, or expect to obtain, a first or upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant scientific subject from a recognised academic institution.
- A Master’s degree is preferred. Equivalent research experience (at least one year in total) will be considered.
- Meet the entry requirements of Imperial College London, including the English language requirement.
We welcome applications from individuals with backgrounds in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, or engineering. We’re looking for candidates who are passionate about advancing our understanding of fundamental biology and its impact on human health and disease.
For more information about the PhD application process or our LMS PhD programmes, please contact our Postgraduate Coordinator at .
Application Timeline for the 2026 PhD programmes
- Application deadline: Tuesday 10th March 2026 (9:00)
- Interviews: March – April 2026
- Programme start date: Monday 28th September 2026