Postgraduate research

Funded opportunities

Listed below are the funded studentship opportunities which are currently accepting research student applications.

College of Life Sciences

Please read the studentship adverts for eligibility criteria, funding and application process.

Population Health Sciences: Uncovering environmental injustice: the spatial distribution of air and noise pollution exposures in Leicestershire

Supervisors: Professor Anna Hansell, Dr Calvin Jephcote, Dr Bharathy Kumaravel
Start date: 22 September 2025
Closing date: 20 March 2025

Population Health Sciences (NIHR BRC funded) Using physical activity and physical function metrics to develop a ‘movement age’ in those with multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs)

Supervisor: Dr Joe Henson
Start date: 22 September 2025
Closing date: 31 March 2025

Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology

4 projects to select from
Start date September 2025
Closing date: 30 March 2025

Cancer Studies: A multimodal fine-funded foundation model to support precision medicine of mesothelioma

Open to UK applicants only
Supervisors: Professor Dean Fennell, Professor Hiuyu Zhou, Professor Hongyi Yang
Start date: 1 October 2025
Closing date: 10 April 2025

Molecular and Cell Biology PhD for January 2025 Master's students

Available for 2026 entry for students who register on the University of Leicester Master's MSc Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology or MSc Molecular Genetics January 2025 intake.

Self funded projects

Open to overseas applicants who can fund their own study or hold their own external sponsorship. For further information about the available projects please click on the subject page links.

Projects open until filled unless stated

Population Health Sciences

Dr Sharmin Shabnam: Personalising thresholds of risk factor control for prevention of cardiovascular disease in subjects with diabetes
Dr Dimitrios Papamargaritis: Harnessing mechanistic technologies and real-world clinical data to advance the interdisciplinary field of obesity and cancer prevention
Dr Rupert Major: Patient support for decision making in relation to arterio-venous fistula formation before dialysis and ligation after a successful transplant: a mixed-methods study (open to UK and overseas)

Respiratory Sciences

Dr John E. Pearl: Survey of clinical non-tuberculous mycobacteria isolates for mycobacteriophages: their presence, diversity and potential role in disease
Dr Natalie Garton: Rhodococcus equi lipid bodies: Targeting the pathogen’s fat reserves for infection control
Professor Andrea Cooper: Stratification of TB risk by immunophenotyping and expression of key diagnostic markers
Professor Galina Mukamolova: Development of novel therapeutic strategies to target Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence

Healthcare

Professor Joseph Manning: Reducing pressure injury in critically Ill hospitalised infants, children and young people: An intervention bundle development and feasibility testing study
Professor Debi Bhattacharya: Development and evaluation of a theory and evidence-based model for normalising Self-Administration of Medicines (SAM) in hospital
Professor Joseph Manning: Paediatric to Adult intenSive care tranSition for chronicAlly critically ill younG pEople: The PASSAGE Study
Dr Linda Birt: Advance care planning conversations in care home, understanding resident and family experiences
Dr Sion Scott: An intervention to facilitate deprescribing for people with intellectual disability