university of oxford phd biology

The Oxford Interdisciplinary Bioscience DTP is an inclusive and innovative four-year graduate training programme, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UKRI-BBSRC). It aims to equip a new generation of researchers with the skills, insight and knowledge needed to tackle the most important challenges in bioscience research.

The programme is led by the University of Oxford, in partnership with eight world-class research organisations: The Pirbright Institute, Oxford Brookes University, Diamond Light Source, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, STFC Central Laser Facility, The Rosalind Franklin Institute, the Research Complex at Harwell and the Novo Nordisk Research Centre Oxford (NNRCO).

The course admits students who wish to conduct fundamental and applied bioscience research. Students from a diverse range of backgrounds are encouraged to apply including students with degrees in the Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Computational and Mathematical Sciences.

Research areas include: Integrative Plant and Animal Biology, Mechanistic Molecular and Cellular Bioscience, Transformative Technologies, Bioscience for Health, Animal Health and Welfare, Crop Science, Industrial Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals.

Prospective students are invited to join us for our Open Day  on Wednesday November 8th 2023.

Mission Statement

Our Mission We aim to deliver training that will enable a new generation of researchers to drive forward the frontiers of bioscience, and to translate this research into high-impact applications.

Our Vision We aspire to be a world-leading partnership that inspires, enables and supports both staff and students to achieve their full potential in order to enrich scientific knowledge, tackle global and industrial challenges, and benefit the wider community. We are distinctive for our world-class research and facilities and our collaborative, interdisciplinary training approach.

Our values We aim to create a community that is innovative, inclusive and collaborative, in which everyone feels valued, respected, and supported.

Information about Professor Wei Huang's Lab for Synthetic Biology, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford

Synthetic Biology & Single Cell Biotechnology

Welcome to huang's lab for synthetic biology.

Our main research interests include:

Synthetic biology (simple cells - SimCells, biosensors and bioenergy)

Single cell biotechnology (single cell metabolism, raman activated cell sorting).

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Ginny L. Clements Breast Cancer Research Institute

UArizona graduate students advance cancer research

This month, students in the Cancer Biology Graduate Interdisciplinary Program graduated in a special convocation for Interdisciplinary and Biomedical Sciences at the Health Sciences Innovation Building on May 8. 

The Cancer Center Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) also had graduates, ranging from undergraduate to doctoral, who worked tirelessly for the Community Assessment of Southern Arizona survey and Research Outreach for Southern Arizona programs, according to Monica Yellowhair , PhD, interim associate director of COE and tribal relations.

We congratulate them all for their hard work and dedication to preventing and curing cancer through research and collaboration. We are also grateful for strong mentorship from Cancer Center members Cynthia Miranti , PhD; Curtis Thorne , PhD; Noel Warfel , PhD; George T Wondrak , PhD; Marina Cardo-Vila , PhD;   Koenraad Van Doorslaer , PhD; and Jorge Camarillo , MA, program coordinator. 

Cancer Biology, Graduate Interdisciplinary Program

Program chair: cynthia miranti, phd vice chair: noel warfel, phd.

Danielle L. Sawyer, PhD, spring 2024

"The S180R Human Germline Variant of DNA Polymerase β Exhibits Low Fidelity and the Potential to Drive Cancer Formation" Mentor: Joann Sweasy, PhD Hooding: Marina Cardo-Vila, PhD

Anh B. Hua, PhD, spring 2024

"Bifunctional Glycosylase NEIL2 Plays an Important Role in Maintaining Cellular Genomic Integrity" Mentor: Joann Sweasy, PhD Hooding: Georg T. Wondrak, PhD

Angelica Escoto, PhD, summer 2024

"Investigating the Role of Nuclear EGFR in Regulating the Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Breast Cancer" Mentor: Joyce Schroeder, PhD Hooding: Frans Tax, PhD

Carly Cabel, PhD, summer 2023

"The S180R Human Germline Variant of DNA Polymerase β Exhibits Low Fidelity and the Potential to drive Cancer Formation Mentor: Joann Sweasy, PhD Hooding: Marina Cardo-Vila, PhD

Not pictured:

Reeba P. Varghese, PhD, winter 2023 “Discover and Characterization of a Glycogen Synthase Kinase – 3 Small Molecule Activator” Mentor: Curtis Thorne, PhD

David Evan Joseph Williams, PhD, spring 2024 “Quasivirus Infection Model Identifies a Novel Role for Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 1 in the   HPV Lifecycle” Mentor: Koenraad Van Doorslaer, PhD

Allison Moreno Samayoa, PhD, summer 2024 “Cysteine and Methionine Deprivation and N-Acetyl Cysteine as a Novel Cancer Treatment A” Mentor: Andrew Paek, PhD

Amber N. Clements, PhD, s ummer 2024 “Pim Kinases Alter the Prostate Tumor Immune Microenvironment” Mentor: Noel Warfel, PhD   

Jennifer Nicole Daw, PhD, summer 2024 “A New Role of Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS2) in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) Cells” Mentors: Ronald Heimark, PhD and William Monfort, PhD

Cancer Center Office of Community Outreach and Engagement

Interim associate director of coe and tribal relations: monica yellowhair, phd.

Vikrant Deshmukh , MS, spring 2024

Major:  Data Science What are your goals after graduation? My goal is to drive positive change in healthcare, with a focus on the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, by utilizing my skills in analytics and business strategy to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiencies. I would also like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Namoonga Mantina , and the COE team for their constant support throughout these years.

Gauri Yadav, MS, December 2023 Trevor Centeno-Hall, MS Halle Kirk-Tiefenthaler, BS Desiree Jones, DrPH

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Volume 110, Issue 5, May 2024

An interview with professor sally camper.

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30 years of (re)productive biology: a symposium honoring professor Martin M. Matzuk, MD, PhD

The pathogenesis of endometriosis and adenomyosis: insights from single-cell rna sequencing.

This review describes the recent findings about the pathogenesis of endometriosis and adenomyosis from single-cell RNA sequencing insights.

Research Articles

Bta-mir-301a targets acvr1 to influence cleavage time and blastocyst formation rate of early embryos in cattle.

Summary Sentence  

Preliminary evidence that bta-miR-301a targets ACVR1 to influence remodeling of the microfilament skeleton, prolong the first cleavage time, and improve the developmental competence of embryos by negatively regulating ACVR1 translation.

• Supplementary data

Gamete Biology

Coiled-coil domain containing 159 is required for spermatid head and tail assembly in mice.

CCDC159 as a novel centrosomal protein is essential for assembling and maintaining spermatid head–tail coupling apparatus.

Role of miRNAs in glucose metabolism of mouse cumulus cells

Neuroendocrinology, foxp2 deficiency impairs reproduction by modulating the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis in zebrafish.

FOXP2, initially associated with speech and language disorders, is discovered to play a crucial role in vertebrate reproduction, affecting courtship behavior, gonad development, and the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis in zebrafish, shedding light on its broader biological functions.

Activation of interleukin 33-NF κ B axis in granulosa cells during atresia and its role in disposal of atretic follicles

Interleukin 33–suppression of tumorigenicity 2–NFκB axis is activated in granulosa cells of early atretic follicles to downregulate mTOR, which, in turn, intensifies autophagic digestion of atretic follicles for self-disposal.

High-throughput mRNA-seq atlas of human placenta shows vast transcriptome remodeling from first to third trimester

Comparison of first versus third trimester human placenta mRNA finds a subset of SEGs as well as significant changes in 86.7% of transcripts, highlighting the dynamic nature of placental function across gestation.

Establishment and comparison of human term placenta–derived trophoblast cells

We established an immortalized term placenta–derived trophoblast cell line and demonstrated functional and transcriptomic differences against chorion trophoblasts and BeWo cells.

Membrane inflammasome activation by choriodecidual Ureaplasma parvum infection without intra-amniotic infection in a Non-Human Primate model

Choriodecidual Ureaplasma infection results in activation of inflammasome signaling and pathways associated with preterm labor and pPROM prior to microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity.

Inefficient Sox9 upregulation and absence of Rspo1 repression lead to sex reversal in the B6.XY TIR mouse gonad

Despite the normal onset and expression of Sry in the B6.Y TIR mouse gonad, the SRY of the TIR origin upregulates Sox9 only inefficiently and fails to repress Rspo1 on the B6 genetic background, leading to sex reversal.

Regulation of early spermatogenesis in the giant prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii by a GCL homolog

Cyclophosphamide activates ferroptosis-induced dysfunction of leydig cells via smad2 pathway, prenatal exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and high-fat diet synergistically disrupts gonadal function in male mice.

The combined exposure to DEHP and high-fat synergistically impairs reproductive function in maleoffspring, greater than exposure to DEHP or HF diet alone.

In Remembrance of a prolific reproductive biologist, editor of Biology of Reproduction, and enthusiastic supporter of young investigators

Correction to: activation of hand2-fgfr signaling pathway by lncrna hand2-as1 in adenomyosis, email alerts.

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Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowships 2025-2027 in New Testament, University of Oxford, UK

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowships 2025-2027: As part of the Faculty of Theology and Religion and the Humanities Division at the University of Oxford, we are inviting expressions of interest from candidates interested in a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship funded by the European Research Council.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowships in New Testament, 2025-2027

Designation: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow

Research Area: New Testament

Location: University of Oxford, UK

Eligibility/Qualification:

• You should have a doctoral degree by the time of the deadline for applications (11 Sept 2024).
• You must have a maximum of eight years’ experience in research, from the date of the award of your PhD degree.
• You must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline.

Job Description: New Testament candidates will be assessed for shortlisting and those selected by the Faculty of Theology and Religion will receive professional support to develop and submit their applications to the European Research Council. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships can last 1-2 years.

How to Apply: You should contact a permanent New Testament post-holder (Profs. Bockmuehl, Downs or Strawbridge) as soon as possible to ask if they are willing to act as a supervisor for your fellowship. All Expressions of Interest must have the agreement and confirmed support from an Oxford supervisor in the Faculty where you wish to be based.

To submit an expression of interest you should submit:

• 2 page (maximum) description of your project which should address the project aims, objectives, research questions, methodology and outcomes. You should explicitly name the Faculty of Theology and Religion as well as the agreed supervisor. In drafting this document, please bear in mind that some or most of the assessors will be outside your field of specialisation.
• A maximum 2 page CV .

Please send these two documents as PDF attachments to [email protected] by the deadline for New Testament expressions of interest: Friday 24 May 2024 .

If selected by the Faculty, you will be provided with professional support to develop your application in time for the official European deadline on 11 September 2023 (implying an internal University Research Services deadline in late August).

Last Date for Apply: Friday 24 May 2024

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PhD Research Position: KU Leuven, Belgium

UChicago instructors, graduate and undergraduate students honored for exemplary teaching

May 16, 2024

The University of Chicago has honored 11 instructors, graduate and undergraduate students for their exceptional work as teachers. Nominated by undergraduates in the College, these winners demonstrated the ability to push students to think beyond the classroom, and to share their disciplines in exciting ways.

Hannah Lant, Thomas Newbold, Alan Parma and Keith Jonathan Ruskin have been awarded the Glenn and Claire Swogger Award for Exemplary Classroom Teaching, which recognizes outstanding teachers with College appointments who introduce students to habits of scholarly thinking, inquiry and engagement in the Core Curriculum—the College’s general education program.

Quan Duong, Casey Ferrara, Taylor Hains and Andrea Reed-Leal have been named the winners of the Wayne C. Booth Prize for Excellence in Teaching, awarded annually to University of Chicago graduate students for outstanding instruction of undergraduates.

And for the first time, three undergraduate teaching assistants have been awarded the College Undergraduate Student Prize in Undergraduate Teaching: Vincent Hou, Liam Pak and Laura Zielinski. 

Prize recipients were selected on the basis of nominations from students in the College. The prize itself was established in 1991 in honor of Booth, PhD’50, the late UChicago faculty member who was one of the 20th century’s most influential literary critics.

In addition to the Swogger Award, Booth Prize and Undergraduate Student Prize, five faculty members were recently awarded the Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Awards .

Learn more about this year’s Swogger Award and Booth Prize recipients below:

Glenn and Claire Swogger Awards

Hannah lant, assistant instructional professor, chemistry.

Each year, Assistant Instructional Professor Hannah Lant teaches nearly 500 students, and cherishes getting to know each one. An instructor for several courses, including General Chemistry, a capstone lab for majors called “Experimental Physical Chemistry,” and a Core class designed for non-STEM students, Lant said she treats her students as colleagues, and collaborates with them to expand their knowledge and interests. 

“UChicago students are creative, curious, and resilient, and it is thus a pleasure to work with them,” she said.

The University of Chicago campus is another reason she deeply enjoys her work. Any General Chemistry textbook, Lant explained, will refer to at least several ground-breaking developments in chemistry that took place right here at the university. She appreciates that she can teach in the same setting where these experiments, which helped lead to the modern-day conception of the atom, occurred.

“It’s a wonderful thing to teach students, for example, about the world’s first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, and then be able to say, ‘it happened down the street,’” she said.

Whether she is teaching her non-STEM or her Experimental Physical Chemistry students, Lant guides them towards reaching the ever-rewarding ‘Eureka!’ realization. In these moments, she feels her students can most appreciate the challenges of lab work. 

At the end of the course, though, it’s the progress that matters most to Lant. She witnesses firsthand her students’ trajectory from tackling the basics of the subject to wading through much more complex ideas of chemistry. 

“As a professor, I can show them the road, but they ultimately are the ones to walk the path,” she said. “I like to encourage them on the last day to turn around and see how far they have come.”

Thomas Newbold, Teaching Fellow, Social Sciences Collegiate Division

Though history has always fascinated Thomas Newbold, it wasn't until he was a high school student at an international school in India that he first became interested in what he would now call "the kind of disorienting shock colonial conquest must have been." 

Newbold is now a historian of modern South Asia and the British empire, and oversees a variety of courses covering the history of India and Bangladesh in the colonial period. Currently, he also teaches the Core sequence titled Self, Culture and Society.

He said he finds the University of Chicago to be the perfect place to ask hard questions about temporality and colonialism due to its specific culture of scholarship. 

It's no surprise then that many of his courses, from those on colonialism in 19th century India to those in the Core, are centered around interpretations and engagement with primary source readings and archival materials. 

Through this process, Newbold hopes his students realize that historical arguments stem from the reconstitutive and interpretative efforts of those who advance them– a task that he hopes they undergo for themselves as students in his class.

One moment that best embodies both Newbold's teaching philosophy and the culture of open inquiry he loves about UChicago occurred in his Self, Culture and Society sequence, when students used propositions from social and political theorists  outside  of the prescribed curriculum to support their arguments in what he found to be a thoughtful and resourceful way.

"In both the humanities and the social sciences, there is a strong tradition of disciplinary self-reflexivity here," Newbold said, "which is to say, a sense of being part of a tradition of inquiry that first and foremost interrogates itself." 

Alan Parma, Assistant Instructional Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures

Language instructor Alan Parma brings a wealth of international experiences to his teaching. Originally from Brazil, Parma taught English before coming to the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship to teach Portuguese, which he now teaches in the College, along with Spanish.

His exposure to second language acquisition research inspired him to pursue a Ph.D. focused on how students best learn new languages. He said he feels very honored to have the opportunity to teach his language and represent his country and culture to the UChicago community. 

What sets UChicago apart for Parma is the students’ evident enthusiasm, which helps support a welcoming classroom setting.

“I love the dedication the students demonstrate to the subject matter, this makes classes more engaging and motivates me to do my best for the students,” he said. “I love getting to know my students on a more personable level, and teaching beginning language classes allows me to do so. At the same time, I can share some aspects of my life with my students, which creates a very friendly and open environment.”

One of Parma’s favorite recent moments was when a former student who had studied abroad in Spain visited his office, conversing entirely in Spanish.

 “He wanted to show me that one of my students had successfully used Spanish in a Spanish-speaking country. That was a big validation of the work I have been doing,” he said.

Parma said he aims to help his students see the value in their language studies beyond his classroom. 

“On the last day of class, I hope my students are able to perceive how much they have grown in their language studies and how much understanding the culture of another country can enhance their lives,” he said.

Keith Jonathan Ruskin, MD, Professor of Anesthesia and Critical Care

Keith Ruskin is a jack of all trades. When he’s not working professionally as an anesthesiologist or teaching medical students and undergraduates in the College, he’s probably doing research for the Federal Aviation Administration on air traffic control alarms. 

He says the operating room and the aviation environment are not so different – both are high-pressure, life-or-death work environments.

Ruskin, a professor of anesthesia and critical care, says his nontraditional path to medicine informed his varied interests, which in turn inform his teaching approach.

“I went to an engineering school and because of that I tend to approach problems with a different mindset,” Ruskin said. “That applies to my practice of medicine and also to my teaching. Rather than asking students to memorize facts that they’ll forget as soon as the exam is over, I try to get them to learn concepts through classroom discussion. I then ask them to apply those concepts to solve clinical problems.”

In addition to teaching medical students and residents, Ruskin teaches undergraduates in a class called “Conquest of Pain.” The course covers pain physiology and anesthetic mechanisms.

He said he treats his undergraduates just like he does his medical students and residents, as colleagues who are at an earlier stage in their careers. In his course, there are no tests, only reflective essays based on students’ interests, which allows undergraduates to pursue complicated medical issues of interest.

Ruskin said something that makes UChicago different from other universities is that its undergraduate campus and medical center are connected, meaning he is able to teach students at all levels. This also makes site visits possible, allowing undergraduates to see the concepts they are learning about put into practice, which Ruskin says is one of his favorite parts of the course.

“I bring the students into the operating room with me to see me in my ‘day job,’” Ruskin said. “They always enjoy meeting the patients and seeing how surgery, anesthesia, and pain management are actually done.”

Wayne C. Booth Prizes

Quan duong, chemistry.

As a TA for Organic Chemistry, one of the ways Quan Duong has taught his students is through a simple analogy: Legos. The comparison, he explains, helps them to “play” with the molecules and keeps the subject from getting dry. 

“By encouraging them to manipulate and combine these molecular Legos, they find joy in learning and thus remember reactions more effectively,” he said. “It transforms the classroom into a dynamic space filled with enthusiasm and discovery.”

Aside from his work teaching students, Duong also works in chemical biology. Incited by his fascination with DNA, he has researched gene editing, hoping to help discover solutions to molecular diseases. He specializes in mitochondrial DNA editing—a field that may hold the answer to revolutionizing human health in the future. 

Duong’s time as a TA has given him many memorable experiences. He recalled a panicked evacuation due to the spilled liquid of a broken thermometer—it was mistaken as mercury, but fortunately it was just alcohol. 

He said he has enjoyed conversations with students, during which they often share their most brilliant insights and strongest concerns. He attributes much of his approach to teaching to advice he received from a senior teaching assistant.

“Remember your own days as a student,” he said. “The challenges were real, and so was the pressure. Empathize with your students rather than placing unrealistic expectations on them.”

Duong said that if he could give his students a lasting message, it would be to continue their curiosity and courage that they have demonstrated throughout the lab. 

“Continue to piece together the puzzles of the world,” he said, “just like we did with our molecular Legos.”

Casey Ferrara, Psychology

Casey Ferrara has a background in human cognition and language. She started with an undergraduate degree in psychology and linguistics, with a focus on psycholinguistics and pragmatics and continued with a four-year research assistant position studying post-stroke aphasia. 

Her fascination with how humans think and communicate culminated in an eventual Ph.D. in psychology, focusing on cognition and multimodal communication through spoken language, sign language and gesture.

Her time as an instructor at UChicago has similarly spanned across many topics and disciplines, from teaching “Mind” in the social science Core to designing and overseeing a course called “'Human Communications” that explores the various ways humans create meaning through communication systems. 

Ferrara's teaching philosophy is rooted in an experience she had as an undergraduate student, when one of her linguistics professors referred to her class as “linguists.”

"This seemingly innocuous choice instilled in me a sense of legitimacy and confidence in my ability to contribute something of value to the academic community," she said.

Now, as an instructor herself, she invites students to take themselves seriously as scholars and scientists, and hopes to instill confidence in them by doing so. 

"In the classroom, I want students to see their questions as valuable and worth asking," she said. “All students bring with them a wealth of lived experience and are themselves members of communities and speakers of a language, and in my classes, students learn that the intuitions and ideas that arise from this are of value and can be examined and interrogated to reveal insights about how humans think and communicate.”

Taylor Hains, Ecology and Evolution

Taylor Hains teaches “Ecology in the Anthropocene” in the Ecology and Evolution department. His passion for nature and genomics shines through, fueling an innovative teaching approach that leaves a lasting impact on students: infusing levity and theater into the classroom experience.

“I’ve always loved nature and wanted to make sure my scientific work helped society and preserve nature,” he said. “I think being able to connect the material to jokes allows for the students to remember the material a lot easier because they remember laughing.” 

Hains is committed to creating an engaging and exciting learning environment, in which he consciously cultivates an atmosphere of curiosity. 

He is also a proponent of making the extra effort to connect with his students on a personal level. 

“The thing I learned from my own academic experiences is that if you’re going to be stuck in the classroom you might as well have fun,” he said. “I always tell my students that I am always here for you, do please don’t hesitate to email me if you need me. And, if you pass me on campus and don’t say hi, I will be very sad.”

Andrea Reed-Leal, Romance Languages & Literatures

To Andrea Reed-Leal, college classes are as much about creativity and enjoyment as they are about learning, and she brings that philosophy into her work teaching Spanish and Hispanic history and culture in the College.

“One of the meanings of the Greek word skholè, the root of the Latin schola, means ‘leisure,’” Reed-Leal said. “The school is thus associated with enjoyment, joy and free time. The classroom should be a space of joyful learning, where everyone feels their voices are heard and included.”

Her approach to her instruction has been formed by the many years she spent teaching abroad, which exposed her to new ideas and cultures. Ultimately, she came to specialize in her particular field by working as a research assistant to anthropologist Lisa Overholtzer at McGill University, in Canada, who specializes in the everyday practices of ordinary people in Postclassic and Colonial Central Mexico.

Since Reed-Leal is a Ph.D. student, her teaching work is just as much about learning as it is about teaching others, an experience she says she has been privileged to experience at UChicago. 

Along with the commitment and dedication of the UChicago students she teaches, Reed-Leal said she is proud of the communities that can form in the classroom, where she and her students can mutually support each other. 

“I will always remember that the first time a professor came to observe one of my classes as part of my pedagogy training, I was very nervous – and I guess everyone could tell – I noticed my students were particularly patient and engaged, supporting me in moving through the class as we always did,” Reed-Leal said. “I read this as a gesture of ‘we have your back, Andrea!’ This made me realize that during the time we spend together in the classroom we not only exchange knowledge but create a sense of community.”

College Undergraduate Student Prize

Vincent hou, biology.

A sequence of classes Vincent Hou took in his first year—“Molecular Biology of the Cell,” “Biological Systems” and “Biological Dynamics”—inspired him to pursue research in the life sciences. These courses, which are all part of the Advanced Biology sequence, are some of the most rigorous courses he has taken at the university. Now, he’s a lab TA for the very same sequence. 

Hou often tells his students about the historical context of experimental technologies and the rationale for experimental design. By discussing his own research as well, he equips them to not only ask questions of  what , but of  why . 

“Simply performing the labs according to the protocol without considering why these steps are performed is not very helpful for learning,” he said. “I hope this will make them better at designing studies of their own when they go into research themselves.”

A favorite memory of his from winter quarter is representative of the good times Hou seeks to bring to the lab. Hou recalled that he hadn’t had a haircut for months, so his students styled it into an “apple.”

“I directed the whole 4-hour fruit fly lab with it. This truly epitomizes the joy in my lab session,” he said. “You can see my smile through the mask!”

Hou is a biochemistry major and conducts research in a protein structure lab. Outside of his studies, he’s appreciative of the conversations he’s had with his peers, whom he always finds open-minded and unconstrained by practicality—he fondly remembers discussing Thomas Kuhn with an astrophysics major and an economics major. 

As a TA since his second year, though, he’s not only well-versed in the life sciences, but in thinking like a scientist, too. This has lasted with him throughout his education. 

“The main driving principle is to think before you act, especially in science,” he said.

Liam Pak, Economics

When Liam Pak began his collegiate experience, he was stuck abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with an eight-hour time difference separating him from the students and professors in Chicago he shared Zoom classes with. 

He said that the understanding and accommodation his professors offered him during this time is integral to his current approach as a teaching assistant, in which he tries to be as helpful and understanding as possible to his students.

Pak currently supports a course called  “Managing in Organizations” which he has enjoyed both as a student and as a TA a year later. 

"I was first interested in this class as I wanted to learn about how the likes of intuitions and unstructured experiences can deeply influence the effectiveness of managing a culture and individuals," he said. 

Assisting Prof. Alexander Todorov as he taught the course again this past Winter Quarter allowed Pak to revisit some of the examples he had already found to be incredibly interesting the first time over, ranging from psychological experiments to space expeditions.

The theories Pak encountered as a student, and now helps teach as a TA, form the foundation for his favorite feature of the UChciago experience – the friendships formed during group work on projects and problem sets late at night. 

“I remember a time when our group was working on homework which we began in the afternoon, thinking that we had all the time in the world. We ended up submitting one minute before the deadline! That is the sort of intense, shared working experience that really pulls a team together in a memorable way,” he said.

This and other activities like the 'Primal Scream,' another of Pak's fondest memories, emphasize the strong collaboration between students at UChicago that he finds to be particularly rewarding.

Laura Zielinski, Computer Science

Laura Zielinski took Honors Calculus on a whim as a first-year student, and found her academic passion by noticing the number of math tie-ins to computer science. Now as a TA for courses like “Formal Languages” and “Theory of Algorithms,” she has guided students through the theoretical underpinnings that tie the two disciplines together. 

“I really liked being a TA for this “Algorithms” since I felt I could help computer science students with the math and proof-writing aspect, and maybe make them actually enjoy it,” she said. 

Zielinski said that in the course of her education, she has learned that at least half of writing code or math proofs is making them readable and understandable. Writing skills correlate strongly with coding and proof-writing ability, so, surprising as it may be, writing clarity, organization, and argumentation are things she focuses on when teaching math and computer science students.

“The most important skill in every academic discipline is good, clear writing,” she said.

Next year, she is starting a Ph.D. in programming languages, a field of computer science that closely relates to math. 

Even though algorithms (in this context, designing computer programs to solve hard problems) aren’t directly part of the field of programming languages, she said it is an extremely important branch of computer science theory that she is also interested in. 

Some of Zielinski’s most cherished memories as a student include helping her friends move into their apartments at the beginning of every school year, jumping into Lake Michigan this January, and finishing second in the intramural Euchre tournament, she said. 

Biological Sciences

• Mellon College of Science

M.S. in Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics

The study of Biology is undergoing a revolution driven by new technologies that enable scientists to generate extensive amounts of data.  For example, the costs of sequencing nucleic acids have dropped dramatically, resulting in unprecedented amounts of genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data.  Advances in imaging extend from the nano to the macro scale to probe function and generate enormous amounts of data that describe behaviours of cells from subcellular to organ-levels.  The new datasets cut across all subdisciplines in biology and enable scientists to ask questions in new ways to reveal the fundamental rules of life.

The M.S. in Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics (MS-QBB) will prepare students for new careers bioinformatics and related fields. Our mission is to provide students who have background in life sciences skills to prepare for careers in bioinformatics. This program allows student to choose a 2-semester or a 3-semester program of study. If you are interested in applying, learn more about the application process on our admissions page or e-mail us .

Program Mission

To provide students who have a background in biology and other sciences with a practical and focused educational experience to prepare them for careers in bioinformatics and quantitative biological science.

2-semester M.S. in QBB

Our 2-semester option allows students to quickly gain the most relevant skills in bioinformatics. Students will begin study in late August and graduate in late May.

3-semester M.S. in QBB - Advanced Study

The 3-semester option allows students to spend a third semester gaining additional experience and some more advanced coursework. Students will begin study in late August, have the option to earn course credit with optional summer internships (interested students may apply to these in the first year), then students will complete their third semester in the following Fall and graduate in late December.

Students are encouraged to seek external internships after their first year and pursue this degree full-time, completing the program in 3 semesters.

Related programs

Students who are interested in this program may also want to consider the M.S. in Computational Biology and M.S. in Automated Science programs . Those programs expect a higher level of quantitative background & skills to enter and are designed to engage students with a more in-depth focus computational machine learning competencies and the application of machine learning to biological research.

How to Apply

The CMU Rales Fellow Program is dedicated to developing a diverse community of STEM leaders from underrepresented and underresourced backgrounds by eliminating cost as a barrier to education. Learn more about this program for master's and Ph.D. students. Learn more

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• Accessibility
• Graduate School
• Subject Areas

Bioinformatics, Statistics and Computational Biology

Oxford has particular strengths in bioinformatics and statistical genetics in the Department of Statistics and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics , which is part of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine .

Groups in these departments have developed many of the methods now used worldwide in genetic association studies in humans and rodent models and in high-throughput DNA sequence analysis. DNA and protein sequence analysis and functional annotation is concentrated in the Department of Statistics and the MRC Functional Genomics Unit . There is a strong tradition of protein structure analysis in several groups in Oxford, notably in the Structural Biology Division of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine and the Structural Bioinformatics and Computational Biochemistry Unit in the Department of Biochemistry .

An exciting new development is the Big Data Institute ,  a centre of excellence for the analysis of large and complex data sets for health research aiming to develop, evaluate and apply methods to identify associations between lifestyle exposures, genetic variants, infections and health outcomes.

Researchers in Oxford form part of the MRC Centre for Genomics and Global Health , an international collaboration that integrates genomic and population genetic data with clinical and epidemiological data to understand and combat globally important infectious diseases.

The  Deep Medicine Programme  of the Oxford Martin School at  The George Institute for Global Health  applies established and novel techniques in data mining, machine learning and deep learning to complex biomedical datasets to generate insights into complex disease patterns, risk trajectories and treatment effects.

The Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences also has one of the strongest statistical groups in the UK (across all clinical areas) with a particular emphasis on monitoring.

There are many potential researchers in this theme that are not listed here because they are not in the Medical Sciences Division. They can be found in the  Departments of Statistics ,  Mathematics , Computer Science , Plant Sciences , and Zoology . Many of these supervisors are associated with relevant Structured DPhil Programmes  including Genomic Medicine and Statistics .

Supervisors in Bioinformatics, Statistics and Computational Biology

David Aanensen

Director of The Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance

Genes, Genetics, Epigenetics and Genomics

Aziz Aboobaker

Professor of Comparative and Functional Genomics,Tutorial Fellow, and Dean of ...

Functional genomics

Gene expression, epigenetics, developmental biology and stem cells, cell fate specification and differentiation, multipotent stem cells, cellular mechanisms (including tumour microenvironment, angiogenesis and metastasis), molecular mechanisms (including dna damage and repair), radiation biology.

Ageing, Geratology and Degenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases, neuroscience, structural biology, microbiology, infection and tropical medicine, molecular, cell, systems and structural biology.

Agne Antanaviciute

Computational Biologist

Daniel C Anthony

Professor of Experimental Neuropathology

Innate immunity and inflammation

Functional brain imaging, translational medicine and medical technology, motor neuron disease, diagnostics, dna and protein sequence analysis, cellular and molecular neuroscience, cell biology and microscopy.

Rachael Bashford-Rogers

Cancer diagnostics (biomarkers and imaging), cancer therapeutics (including biologicals) and vaccines, diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism, molecular & statistical genetics & translational genomics, gastroenterology and hepatology, inflammation-driven cancer, mucosal immunity, genomics and statistical genetics, genetic disorders and therapies, haematology, leukaemia and lymphoma, lineage commitment and differentiation in haematopoiesis, immunodeficiency, hiv and aids, mucosal immunology and inflammatory bowel disease, epidemiology and population dynamics, host-pathogen interactions, systems biology, ophthalmology, visual and circadian sciences, ophthalmology, antibody and protein therapy, biomedical engineering, drug discovery and pharmacology, immunology of reproduction.

Esther Becker

Professor of Translational Neuroscience

Cell commitment

Embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotency, organogenesis, biochemistry and chemical biology, membranes, membrane proteins, ion channels and transporters, signal transduction, structural biology, protein science and proteomics, clinical neuroscience, genes and developmental neuroscience, psychology, mental health and psychiatry, systems, cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, psychology and psychiatry, abnormal psychology and mental health, language development, stem cells and cell therapy.

David Bennett

Professor of Neurology and Neurobiology

Statistical genetics

Professor of Biochemistry

Bacteriology

Daniele Biasci

Group Leader (Innovation Investigator track) in A-TAP Data Science

Adaptive immunity and autoimmune disease

Inflammatory bowel disease, mathematical modeling.

Phil Biggin

Professor of Computational Biochemistry

Rafal Bogacz

Professor of Computational Neuroscience

Computational modelling

Chas bountra.

Neil Brockdorff

Professor of Biochemistry and Wellcome Principle Research Fellow

Chromosomal biology

Imaging development, chromosomal biology.

Marella de Bruijn

Professor of Developmental Haematopoiesis

Randy Bruno

Professor of Neuroscience

Cognitive neuroscience

Experimental psychology.

Martin Burton

Joint Co-ordinating Editor of the Cochrane ENT Disorders Group

Nanomedicine

Surgical science and practice, evidence-based health care, clinical trials methodology and epidemiology, clinical trials and epidemiology, medical statistics.

Zameel Cader

Director of the Oxford Headache Centre and Director of StemBANCC

Circadian sciences and sleep

Alfredo Castello Palomares

Posttranscriptional networks in infection

Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology

Professor of Immunology

Inflammatory joint diseases

Gary Collins

Professor of Medical Statistics and Director of CSM

Primary Care, Clinical Epidemiology, and Health Care Delivery

Design of patient pathways and clinical support systems, population, global, and public health, clinical trials methodology, evidence-based health care, health services research, medical statistics, musculoskeletal science.

Richard Cornall

Rui Ponte Costa

Group Leader

Kevin Coward

Associate Professor and Director of the MSc in Clinical Embryology

Reproductive, Genitourinary and Sexual Medicine

Sperm, oocytes and embryos.

Sarah Darby

Professor of Medical Statistics

Cardiovascular Sciences

Clinical trials, epidemiology & clinical trials, epidemiology and population genetics, health promotion, epidemiology.

Simon Davis

Professor of Molecular Immunology

Nick PJ Day

Antonella Delmestri

Lead Health Data Scientist

Global health

Aiden Doherty

Professor of Biomedical Informatics

Ana Domingos

Associate Professor of Neuroscience

Diabetes and the metabolic syndrome

Integrative physiology.

Peter Donnelly

Gwenaëlle Douaud

Associate Professor

Alzheimer's disease

Parkinson's disease.

Benoit Duchet

James Dunford

Senior Research Associate

Cellular and molecular biology in musculoskeletal systems

Structural biology and proteomics, surgical & pharmacological treatment & pain management.

Omer Dushek

Professor of Molecular Immunology, Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow

Terry Dwyer

Emeritus Professor of Epidemiology, Nuffield Department of Women’s & ...

Paul Elliott

MRC Career Development Fellow

Fumiko Esashi

Dna replication and repair, gene therapy, robert m esnouf.

Gwyndaf Evans

Principal Beamline Scientist

Professor of Infectious Diseases

Ben Fairfax

Consultant in Medical Oncology

Kevin Foster

Professor of Evolutionary Biology

Anti-microbial drugs

Christophe Fraser

Marco Fritzsche

Professor of Biophysical Immunology (Innovation Investigator Track)

Dominic Furniss

Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Health economics

Genetics and epigenetics.

Ian Gibbs-Seymour

CRUK Career Development Fellow

Robert Gilbert

Opher Gileadi

Stephen Goodwin

Professor of Neurogenetics

Jonathan Grimes

Natalia Gromak

Stephanie Halford

Senior Research Scientist

Visual sciences

Maria Harkiolaki

Bass Hassan

Endocrine action in cancer and endocrine tumors, musculoskeletal oncology.

Will Herrington

Professor of Trials and Epidemiology of Kidney Disease, Renal Studies Group

Matthew Higgins

Professor of Molecular Parisitology

Parasitology

Adrian Hill

Lakshmi Mittal and Family Professorship of Vaccinology

Chris Hinds

Senior Research Fellow

Deirdre Hollingsworth

Georg Holländer

Hoffmann and Action Medical Research Professor of Developmental Medicine

Paediatrics

Transplantation and tolerance.

Chris Holmes

Sarah Howles

Clinical Research Fellow

Professor of Gene Regulation

Georgia Isom

Astrid Iversen

Professor of Virology and Immunology

Viral and autoimmune liver disease

Aarti Jagannath

Saad Jbabdi

Professor of Biomedical Engineering

E. Yvonne Jones

Luke Jostins

Sir Henry Dale Fellow

Fredrik Karpe

Professor of Metabolic Medicine

Dominic Kelly

BRC Consultant in Paediatrics and Vaccinology.

Benedikt Kessler

Syma Khalid

Colin Kleanthous

Iveagh Professor of Microbial Biochemistry

Professor of Genetics

Julian C Knight

Samantha jl knight.

Benoit Kornmann

Associate Professor of Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry

Dominic Kwiatkowski

Professor of Molecular Cell Biology

Trudie Lang

Clinton Lau

Wellcome CDA Research Fellow

Michael Lay

Head of Project Information Science

Cecilia Lindgren

KTRR Senior Research Fellow in Data Science

Martin Maiden

Jonathan Marchini

Brian marsden.

Kim Midwood

Professor of Matrix Biology

Karla Miller

Thomas Milne

Professor of Haematology

Robin A Murphy

Professor of Experimental Psychology

Applied psychology

Developmental psychology, psychophysics.

Simon Myers

Christoffer Nellåker

MRC Methodology Research Fellow

Chris O'Callaghan

Jill O'Reilly

Associate Professor of Experimental Psychology

Udo Oppermann

Professor of Molecular Biology

Endometriosis

Allen Orville

Group Leader, XFEL Hub

Catherine Pears

Pharmacology, axis patterning.

Stuart Peirson

Professor of Circadian Neuroscience

Sir Andrew Pollard

Ashall Professor of Infection & Immunity

Daniel Prieto-Alhambra

Professor of Pharmaco- and Device Epidemiology

Orthopaedic & biomedical engineering

Primary care and general practice, musculoskeletal ageing, oliver pybus.

Professor of Evolution & Infectious Disease

Jordan Raff

Kazem Rahimi

Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Population Health

Monitoring Chronic Disease

Telemedicine and telecare, vascular disease.

Dr Nilufer Rahmioglu

Group Leader, Soft Condensed Matter Village

Christina Redfield

Professor of Molecular Biophysics

Peter Robbins

Professor of Physiology

Myocardial biology & energetics

Respiratory sciences.

Anthony Roberts

Irene Roberts

Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Haematology

Haematopoietic stem cells

Anindita Roy

Professor of Paediatric Haematology

Epigenetics in haematopoiesis

Stephen Sansom

Peter Sarkies

Michael Maia Schlussel

Senior Medical Statistician

Maternal health

Benjamin schuster-böckler.

Elena Seiradake

Associate Professor & Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow

Glycobiology

Peter Simmonds

Professor of Virology

Associate Professor of Computational Genomics

Stephen Smith

Shankar Srinivas

Professor of Developmental Biology

Cardiac development

Simon Stringer

Departmental Lecturer

David Stuart

Christopher Summerfield

Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience

Pawel Swietach

Electrophysiology.

Francis Szele

Associate Professor of Developmental Biology

Jenny Taylor

Alain Townsend

Emeritus Professor of Molecular Immunology

Irina Udalova

Professor of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Group Head / PI and Hon Consultant ...

Stephan Uphoff

Sir Henry Dale Research Fellow

Lidia Vasilieva

Associate professor, group leader

Frank von Delft

Paresh Vyas

Sarah walker.

Martin Walsh

Deputy Director of Life Sciences

Robin Walters

Senior Scientist

David Wedge

Professor of Modelling and Epidemiology

Linda Wicker

Suzannah Williams

Associate Professor & Senior Research Fellow

Clive Wilson

Professor of Cell and Developmental Genetics

Microvesicles and exosomes in pregnancy

Daniel Wilson

Matthew Wood

Stem cell biology and tissue engineering.

Dan Woodcock

Associate Professor of Translational Data Science

Alison Woollard

Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Career Development Fellow

Christopher Yau

Professor of Artificial Intelligence

Gynaecological cancer

Patient safety

Nicole Zitzmann

Professor of Virology & Director of Glycobiology Inst

Krina Zondervan

Head of Department, Professor of Reproductive & Genomic Epidemiology, ...

• Interdisciplinary Bioscience DTP (BBSRC)
• Systems Biology Centre for Doctoral Training (EPSRC)
• Doctoral Training Fellowship Scheme for Clinicians
• Genomic Medicine and Statistics

Other Relevant Programmes

• MSc Applied Statistics

Related links

• Computational Biology Group

Engineering Biology (EPSRC and BBSRC CDT)

• Entry Requirements
• Funding and Costs
• College Preference
• How to Apply

About the course

Engineering Biology applies engineering principles to biology and aims to exploit our synthetic biology knowledge to drive the bioeconomy. The Engineering Biology Centre for Doctoral Training (EngBioCDT) will provide bespoke cohort-based training with a focus on how synthetic biology concepts and technologies can be translated into products with real-world impact.

This course is run jointly with the University of Bristol. 

After training in the fundamentals of mathematics, biology, engineering and computing and team-based problem solving projects, you will complete two short research projects, one of which will develop into your substantive DPhil project. Throughout the course, you will undertake bespoke training in translational aspects.

Throughout the four years of the programme, there will be bespoke innovation and commercialisation training, responsible innovation, EDI and bioethics training, and career development programmes.

Each year, a summer school will take place in June/July which will include talks from engineering biology leaders, pitches from the innovation in engineering biology projects, and outreach projects.

Course structure

The first year of the course will be divided into three segments. 

The first segment will begin with a series of inductions as part of the department's welcome weeks in Oxford. This will include meeting tutors, potential supervisors, the management team, and students from other cohorts.

You will then receive around four weeks of foundation training. The student cohort will be split into two groups, based on background. Those students with a background in life sciences will receive foundation training in engineering and computational principles, and for those with engineering/physical sciences backgrounds, foundation training in biology will be provided.

This will be followed by around six weeks of specialised training in engineering biology topics, techniques and challenges. This training will take place at the University of Bristol for all students. It will typically include interdisciplinary training in engineering biology design across scales (from biomolecules to cells), as well as advanced engineering biology topics and techniques such as:

• Modelling and control theory
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning
• Gene circuit design
• Protein design and engineering
• Tissue engineering.

At the end of this first segment, you will typically attend a retreat for innovation in engineering biology group projects. This may be attended by students from earlier cohorts, Synthetic Biology graduates, industrial partners, and supervisors, who will provide input and case studies.

During the first four weeks of your second segment, you will work on your innovation in engineering biology group projects and write a report in the style of a scientific publication and make (where possible) data and code available to students of future cohorts to offer the opportunity to build on the research performed (eg via GitHub). This will be followed by the first of two individual short research projects.

Segment three will comprise the second of these research projects and a summer school. Research will aim to align with four major focus areas:

• Robust methods for bioengineering;
• Rational biomolecular & biosystems design;
• Evolution-guided biodesign; or
• Digital cells & AI.

Potential collaborative research projects will also be offered by the University of Bristol and can be found on the institution's website.

One of the two short research projects will typically develop into the substantive DPhil project that you will work on throughout years two to four.

You will also take advanced units in AI and robotics for engineering biology and in current engineering biology applications for industry alongside the rest of the course cohort.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Engineering Science and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. A supervisor is often found outside the Department of Engineering Science.

Students will meet with course directors on a termly basis during the training year. During their DPhil studies they will meet according to the stipulations of their host department.

During the training year there will be formative and summative assessment (eg essays, presentations).

You will also complete two short research projects during this first year, one of which you will develop into your substantive DPhil. Projects will be assessed via written reports and oral presentations.

All students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Within a maximum of six terms as a PRS student you will be expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status.

If you cannot complete transfer to DPhil status in Oxford, exit awards (from the University of Bristol, regardless of home institution) will be made depending on the credit points (CPs) gained (MRes with 180 CPs, or different for lower CPs, following the University of Bristol Credit Framework).

A successful transfer of status from PRS to DPhil status will require submission of work and interview according to the local rules of your host department. Students who are successful at transfer will subsequently be expected to apply for and gain confirmation of DPhil status within 10 terms of admission, to show that your work continues to be on track.

You will be expected to submit a substantial, original thesis after four years from the date of admission. To be successfully awarded a DPhil you will need to defend your thesis orally (viva voce) in front of two appointed examiners.

Graduate destinations

As this is a new course for 2024-25, there is no graduate destination data. However, for context, graduates of the Synthetic Biology programme which preceded this Engineering Biology CDT, progressed into industry (50%), academia (40%), and start-ups (10%).

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2024-25

Proven and potential academic excellence.

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. 

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in engineering, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, medicine or related disciplines.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

• Experience of, and an interest in, interdisciplinary research
• Experience of research projects involving modelling, wet lab research or ideally a combination of the two
• A publication record commensurate with the opportunities and experience of the applicant is expected

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's  higher level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides  further information about the English language test requirement .

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process.

The interview will be conducted by two course directors and possibly an expert in the field of research of interest to the student. The interview will last approximately 40 minutes and will cover your interest in and understanding of the field, research experience, your understanding of the fundamental mathematics and biology relevant to your experience and also your future aspirations. The interview will take place face-to-face where possible; online arrangements will also be offered.

Finally, there will be discussion of some mathematical and biological concepts relating to the your experience and background education. These will be pen and paper exercises lasting about five minutes.

How your application is assessed

Your application will be assessed purely on your proven and potential academic excellence and other entry requirements described under that heading.

References  and  supporting documents  submitted as part of your application, and your performance at interview (if interviews are held) will be considered as part of the assessment process. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.

An overview of the shortlisting and selection process is provided below. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide  more information about how applications are assessed . 

Shortlisting and selection

Students are considered for shortlisting and selected for admission without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, sexual orientation, as well as other relevant circumstances including parental or caring responsibilities or social background. However, please note the following:

• socio-economic information may be taken into account in the selection of applicants and award of scholarships for courses that are part of  the University’s pilot selection procedure  and for  scholarships aimed at under-represented groups ;
• country of ordinary residence may be taken into account in the awarding of certain scholarships; and
• protected characteristics may be taken into account during shortlisting for interview or the award of scholarships where the University has approved a positive action case under the Equality Act 2010.

Processing your data for shortlisting and selection

Information about  processing special category data for the purposes of positive action  and  using your data to assess your eligibility for funding , can be found in our Postgraduate Applicant Privacy Policy.

Admissions panels and assessors

All recommendations to admit a student involve the judgement of at least two members of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise, and must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Admissions Committee (or equivalent within the department).

Admissions panels or committees will always include at least one member of academic staff who has undertaken appropriate training.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

• the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the  About  section of this page;
• the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
• minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions . 

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a  Financial Declaration  in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any  relevant, unspent criminal convictions  before you can take up a place at Oxford.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)

Some postgraduate research students in science, engineering and technology subjects will need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate prior to applying for a  Student visa (under the Student Route) . For some courses, the requirement to apply for an ATAS certificate may depend on your research area.

Oxford's Department of Engineering Science is located across several sites, including central Oxford buildings adjacent to the University Parks, as well as the commercial and clinical translational hub in Headington (Old Road Campus and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre).

There are numerous seminar and meeting rooms available within the department, fully equipped with audio-visual equipment. You will be provided with bench space in your supervisor's laboratory and a suitable desk.

There are central facilities for nanoscale characterisation, flow cytometry, microscopy and genome engineering. Members of the department also have access to a wide range of shared facilities, including proteomics, imaging, structural biology, genomics, 3D printing and bioprinting, and drug-discovery. Training and support is available for use of all these resources.

You will have use of University Libraries such as the Radcliffe Science Library and the Cairns Library. Library access includes full online access to all relevant scientific journals.

You will also have access to the extensive range of seminars and symposia in both the Department of Engineering and other departments of the University. During term-time there are regular departmental seminars which all graduate students are expected to attend, along with the annual Department of Engineering specific Lubbock Lecture and BioEnginuity events. Students also present at regular progress seminars, which bring together groups in the department working in related areas. Your research group will be able to advise you as to which seminar series you should attend. All seminars are advertised on the web portal Oxford Talks.

There are multiple opportunities for students to present their work, within the course and to a wider university audience. All students also have opportunities to present their work at national and international conferences.

Graduate students in the department run a lively Graduate Students' Association and meet regularly for social, science and networking events.

Engineering Science

The Department of Engineering Science brings together the study of all branches of engineering at Oxford. It has a community of around 550 graduate students at any given time.

The department has a substantial research portfolio, including much that is directly supported by industry. The major theme underlying this research portfolio is the application of cutting-edge science to generate new technology, using a mixture of theory, computation and experiment.

Study and research opportunities in the department include both conventional disciplines of engineering and newer areas of interest, such as information engineering, low-temperature engineering, nanotechnology and experimental plasma physics.

There are no barriers between different branches of engineering. The department is involved in a great deal of multidisciplinary and collaborative research with groups in other departments, from archaeology to zoology. 

The department has an excellent record of engagement with industry and of translating research results into real-world applications. It has generated numerous successful spin-out companies.

The department offers a range of research degrees, including four-year programmes as part of several specialised Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs).

View all courses   View taught courses View research courses

We expect that the majority of applicants who are offered a place on this course will also be offered a fully-funded scholarship specific to this course, covering course fees for the duration of their course and a living stipend.

For further details about searching for funding as a graduate student visit our dedicated Funding pages, which contain information about how to apply for Oxford scholarships requiring an additional application, details of external funding, loan schemes and other funding sources.

Please ensure that you visit individual college websites for details of any college-specific funding opportunities using the links provided on our college pages or below:

Please note that not all the colleges listed above may accept students on this course. For details of those which do, please refer to the College preference section of this page.

Annual fees for entry in 2024-25

Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.

Information about course fees

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Continuation charges

Following the period of fee liability , you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding  section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

For the 2024-25 academic year, the range of likely living costs for full-time study is between c. £1,345 and £1,955 for each month spent in Oxford. Full information, including a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs, is available on our living costs page. The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. When planning your finances for any future years of study in Oxford beyond 2024-25, it is suggested that you allow for potential increases in living expenses of around 5% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. UK inflationary increases will be kept under review and this page updated.

Please consult the University of Bristol website for further information about living costs while studying at that institution.

College preference

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief  introduction to the college system at Oxford  and our  advice about expressing a college preference . For some courses, the department may have provided some additional advice below to help you decide.

The following colleges accept students on the Engineering Biology CDT:

• Exeter College
• Hertford College
• Jesus College
• Keble College
• Kellogg College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Linacre College
• Mansfield College
• New College
• Reuben College
• St Cross College
• St Edmund Hall
• Wadham College
• Wolfson College
• Worcester College

Before you apply

Our  guide to getting started  provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the  information about deadlines and when to apply  in our Application Guide.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £75 is payable per course application. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

• applicants from low-income countries;
• refugees and displaced persons; 
• UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
• applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to  check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver  before you apply.

Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students

If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission .

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You do not need to make contact with the department before you apply, but you are encouraged to visit the relevant departmental webpages to read any further information about your chosen course. 

Any informal enquiries should be made to the department's graduate studies administrator in the first instance. 

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents .

For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application .

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Proposed field and title of research project

Proposed supervisor, referees: three overall, academic preferred.

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

Academic references are preferred, although a maximum of one professional reference is acceptable where you have completed an industrial placement or worked in a full-time position. If you are a current master’s student or have completed a master’s course, one of your referees should be your supervisor or course director from this course. If you do not provide a reference of the kind, the department will usually ask you to do so before completing the assessment of your application.

Your references will support your intellectual ability, your academic achievement, your motivation and interest in the course and the subject area, and your ability to work both in a group and independently.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

Personal statement: A maximum of 1,000 words

Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at Oxford, your relevant experience and education, and the specific areas that interest you. It should focus on your academic achievements and interests rather than personal achievements, interests and aspirations. 

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

Your statement will be assessed for:

• your reasons for applying
• your ability to present a reasoned and coherent case in English
• your commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course
• your preliminary knowledge of the subject area and research techniques
• your capacity for sustained and intense work
• your reasoning ability
• your ability to absorb new ideas, often presented abstractly, at a rapid pace
• your interest in interdisciplinary research within a cohort-based training-type DPhil

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please  refer to the requirements above  and  consult our Application Guide for advice . You'll find the answers to most common queries in our FAQs.

Application Guide   Apply

ADMISSION STATUS

Closed to applications for entry in 2024-25

Register to be notified via email when the next application cycle opens (for entry in 2025-26)

12:00 midday UK time on:

Friday 1 March 2024 Applications may remain open after this deadline if places are still available - see below

A later deadline shown under 'Admission status' If places are still available,  applications may be accepted after 1 March . The 'Admissions status' (above) will provide notice of any later deadline.

Further information and enquiries

This course is offered by the Department of Engineering Science

• Academic staff in the department
• Research in the department
• Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences
• Residence requirements for full-time courses
• Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0)1865 683391

Application-process enquiries

See the application guide

Georgetown Biology Graduate Student Tackles Global Health Challenges Through Research

Isabel Powell (C’24) isn’t your typical college graduate. Her time at Georgetown University hasn’t been confined to classrooms, but rather a journey around the world conducting public health research, marrying her passions for science and policy.

Powell, graduating with a major in biology of global health and a minor in justice and peace studies, initially wasn’t sure of her exact path. “I knew I would do something with biology,” she said. “But I also wanted to use that scientific interest to solve real-world problems, problems that directly impact people’s lives.”

A Global Perspective on Public Health

Powell’s academic journey was shaped by research and mentorship that allowed her to bridge the gap between science and social impact.

• Early Research:  After her first year, Powell traveled to Boston for a Royden B. Davis Fellowship, investigating cellular indicators in cancer tumors. While intellectually stimulating, she craved research with a more immediate impact on people’s lives.
• Shifting Focus:  Back at Georgetown, she worked with Dr. Indira Narayanan on neonatal mortality in Jordan. This experience, focusing on practical solutions and policy changes, resonated deeply with her.
• Global Health Institute:  Through the Global Health Institute (GHI), Powell connected with Dr. Samson Haumba, studying barriers to cervical cancer screenings in Eswatini. Here, she explored the social and economic reasons behind low screening rates, highlighting the importance of cultural factors.
• Independent Study:  Studying abroad in India, Powell conducted research on HIV and tuberculosis stigma within the Tibetan refugee community. This project explored how cultural stigmas affect healthcare-seeking behaviors and patient well-being.
• Thailand Experience:  Powell further honed her skills in Thailand, working with the Research Triangle Institute on USAID’s Health Research Program. There, she helped develop a national strategy for malaria elimination among school children.

Leadership and Mentorship on the Hilltop

Beyond research, Powell was actively involved in the Social Responsibility Network (SRN), a student group fostering interest in service-based careers. As co-chair, she led site visits and connected students with professionals in the field.

“The SRN was a space where we learned from alumni and practitioners, making seemingly impossible careers feel achievable,” Powell said. Her dedication was recognized by Thomas Chiarolanzio, a senior associate dean overseeing the SRN, who praised her as an “inspiration” to other students.

Senior Research Project Close to Home

For her senior research project, Powell investigated preventative healthcare-seeking behaviors and social determinants of health for undocumented people in the United States. inspired by a close family-friend, this project was deeply personal.

“Growing up, someone close to me was undocumented,” Powell said. “Witnessing the challenges she faced accessing healthcare was eye-opening. This project allowed me to use my research skills to advocate for change.”

Recognition and Looking Forward

Powell’s outstanding work was recognized with the Chapman Medal, awarded to the undergraduate student with the most exceptional research project in the Department of Biology. Professor Jeanetta Floyd, who oversaw her project, called Powell “truly exceptional” and highlighted her dedication to impactful global health solutions.

Reflecting on her time at Georgetown, Powell feels immense satisfaction. “When projects are meaningful, they don’t feel like work,” she says. “I was fortunate to always have something that kept me engaged and motivated.”

Powell’s journey exemplifies how Georgetown fosters well-rounded graduates, equipped to tackle global health challenges with not only scientific expertise but also empathy and a dedication to positive change.

Find out more about the people who make up our department. A list of senior academic post holders can also be found on the Contact Us page .

If you are a new member of our department and would like to have a profile page created, or you're a current member wishing to update an existing profile, please fill in this form . 

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