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Brighton & Sussex Medical School

PhD opportunities

BSMS > Postgraduate > Research degrees > PhD opportunities

PhD opportunities

All our current PhD studentship opportunities are listed on this page. 

In order to apply, please visit the University of Brighton website by clicking the “Apply Now” link below, and select “Doctoral College” as the School. You should then select the project that you wish to apply for. 

Apply for your PHD here >

We are also happy to consider applications from self-funded individuals, and for personally developed projects, we recommend an approach to a lead supervisor, following which you will have help and support with your application. 

For self-funded and speculative applications, we require that you submit a research proposal alongside your application. Within this you should take the opportunity to clearly outline your research idea; your research methodology and critical approaches; experience; and original contribution to knowledge and key themes, concepts and ideas. See our guidance on writing a research proposal >

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

CREATE PhD Programme Fellow (x5)

Salary: £43,923 to £63,152 per annum, inclusive.

Closing Date: Friday 08 November 2024

Reference: ITD-CRD-2024-09

Applications are invited for this PhD training programme to commence in September 2025. Led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, this PhD Programme is offered by five UK and six African partner institutions bringing together the expertise of these institutions in global health research.

The focus of this PhD Programme is on research focusing on the health problems of African countries, centering on Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, The Gambia, and Uganda. Successful applicants will develop their potential to become global health leaders within a structured and mentored training environment. Further information on the programme is available at: PROGRAMME | CREATE PhD Programme.

This programme is aimed at supporting health professionals who wish to undertake rigorous research training.  Support is for three years and includes a matched salary, research expenses, home rate tuition fees, and training and travel costs.

Applicants must be practicing healthcare professionals and be registered with a national professional regulatory body in the UK/Republic of Ireland. Medical graduates must be registered on a UK/Republic of Ireland specialist training programme or must be a registered GP. Applicants should maintain their clinical skills, if applicable. Applicants must have an interest in global health research and be looking to develop their academic career. 

They should be interested in spending extended periods of time (18-24 months) at one of the Programme African Partner Institutions in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, The Gambia, and Uganda as part of their PhD. All applicants must have completed their undergraduate degree and be registered with the relevant professional regulatory body (e.g. - General Medical Council, Health and Care Professions Council). 

This is a full-time, fixed term post (part-time equivalent is available) funded by the Wellcome Trust based at one of the following partner/host institutions: The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), King’s College London (KCL), Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), City St George’s, University of London (SGUL) or Brighton and Sussex Medical School at the University of Sussex (BSMS). Candidates accept that, if successful, they may be awarded a fellowship at any of the five partner institutions.

Appointments will be made to match an appointee’s current salary plus London allowance if applicable. Doctors who have completed their specialist training (GPs and Consultants) should contact the Programme director for a discussion about their salary scale.

Medical doctors, dentists and vets will be placed on the standard clinical academic salary scale for doctors in formal clinical training in the range £43,923 to £63,152 per annum plus £2,162 London allowance per annum where applicable. NMAHPS will be placed on the appropriate scale of their employing institution and could be in the range of £43,947 to £49,908 per annum. Placement on the scales will be according to an appointee’s current salary, stage of training (if applicable) and transitional pay arrangements and will be subject to approval by the employing institution. Annual leave entitlement is dependent on the employing institution’s terms and conditions. In addition, staff are entitled to public holidays.

If successful, fellows will be required to take up the fellowship within 12 months of the award being made. 
Applications should be made via: http://jobs.lshtm.ac.uk. Online applications will be accepted by the automated system until 11.59pm of the closing date. Any queries regarding the application process may be addressed to jobs@lshtm.ac.uk. Please quote reference ITD-CRD-2024-09.

The supporting statement section should set out how your qualifications, experience and training meet each of the requirements in the job description. Please provide one or more paragraphs addressing each criterion. The supporting statement is an essential part of the selection process and thus a failure to provide this information will mean that the application will not be considered. An answer to any of the criteria such as "Please see attached CV" will not be considered acceptable. 

Closing date for the receipt of applications is Friday 8th November 2024.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit a full application and to interview.  

Interviews will be held at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in mid-May 2025.  Up to five candidates per year will be selected for the programme.

Find out more and apply here >

PhD studentships now recruited

  • Coping Strategy Enhancement - adapting the intervention for the treatment of hallucinations in the context of dementia
  • Developing a co-designed brief, low cost and scalable intervention for student carer mental health and wellbeing
  • Optimising infection prevention and control in healthcare settings through applied genomics and prediction
  • Determining the role of long non-coding RNA in the pathogenisis of high-risk gain(1q) positive, multiple myeloma
  • Detection and characterisation of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM)
  • Development of a new treatment for osteoarthritis
  • Substance use in relation to the mental and sexual heath of vulnerable adolescents and young adults under 25 in coastal areas of Kent and Sussex 
  • The mental health and wellbeing needs of looked after and displaced children in southeast England 
  • Helping young people to live successfully with long-term health issues
  • Resourcing Resilience: Positive psychology among adolescents living with HIV 
  • Widening access to psychological interventions for diverse communities: exploring the potential of community-led interventions 
  • Co-producing stigma-proof mental health interventions with and for newcomers (asylum seekers, refugees and migrants) in southeast England 
  • Defining Mycobacterium tuberculosis in lung tissue – a novel discovery platform for new vaccine and drug targets
  • Epidemiology of cancer in the elderly (aged > 65 years) in England
  • The roles of oxidative stress and redox regulation in chronic inflammatory disease (Supervisors: Dr Lisa Mullen, Prof Pietro Ghezzi, Prof Kevin Davies)
  • Pillars of Expertise: Visual Perception & Memory (Supervisors: Dr Natasha Sigala, Prof Mara Cercignani
  • Investigating the genetic basis of osteosarcoma in children & dogs (Supervisors: Prof Sarah Newbury, Dr Peter Bush, Dr Chris Jones)
  • The embodiment of unconscious knowledge in maladaptive behaviour (Supervisors: Prof Hugo Critchley, Dr Sarah Garfinkel, Prof Dora Duka)
  • Can simulation clarify diagnostic skills for newly qualified doctors? (Supervisors: Dr Inam Haq, Dr Wesley Scott-Smith)
  • Impact of oxytocin on emotional regulation in binge drinking and alcoholism: behavioural, physiological and fMRI investigations (Supervisors: Prof Hugo Critchley, Prof Dora Duka)
  • Developing an algorithm for predicting children with severe asthma (Supervisors: Prof Somnath Mukhopadhyay, Dr Katy Fidler)
  • Development of a refined model of neuropathic pain: a model without frank nerve injury (Supervisors: Dr Andrew Dilley, Prof Pietro Ghezzi)
  • Role of secreted oxidoreductases in osteoarthritis, rheumathoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (Supervisors: Prof Pietro Ghezzi, Dr Manuela Mengozzi)
  • Measuring quality of life in severe dementia: validation of DEMQOL-Proxy in family and professional carers of people with severe dementia (Prof Sube Banerjee, Prof Naji Tabet)
  • Stigma in health care: Does it influence the way general practitioners record consultations? (Supervisors: Dr Elizabeth Ford, Prof Helen Smith, Prof Flis Henwood)
  • Interoception and preventative intervention for anxiety in adults with autism (supervisors: Dr Sarah Garfinkel, Prof Hugo Critchley)