PhD Training

We run a thriving postgraduate training programme for both the Centre for Genetics and Genomics and the School of Biology. Our aim is to produce research scientists of the highest quality. The majority of our PhD graduates go on to do postdoctoral research with the objective of becoming group leaders in leading universities, research institutes or industry.

For MSc and MRes information please visit the School of Biology masters courses .

We offer training in a wide variety of subjects and techniques. Our groups are located in well-equipped modern laboratories funded by the UK Research Councils (especially BBSRC, MRC and NERC), The Wellcome Trust and other charities, the European Union and by other Government agencies. Visit our projects page for more details of the research we do and project supervisors.

We place emphasis on research scholarship but also aim to develop skills applicable to a wide variety of careers. During the first two years of study PhD students may undertake formal training in computing, presentation skills, design and analysis of experiments, and other 'top-up' courses.  Students also contribute to seminar meetings, discussion groups, and literature reviews.

The barriers between traditional scientific disciplines are now disappearing with the result that PhD graduates are no longer constrained by their early training and often work at the interface between disciplines where some of the most exciting discoveries are made. This trend is especially evident within biology. Recent years have seen considerable unification of biological disciplines brought about by advances in genetics and cell biology, coupled with genome analyses and bioinformatics. Cross-fertilization of ideas and a flow of information from model organisms to humans have become commonplace. Our postgraduate programme exposes students to cutting-edge research at the international forefront.