PhD Studentships

Research training for life science graduates

The Centre offers a number of 4-year PhD studentships, funded by Cancer Research UK, that are designed to give students an opportunity to complete a PhD in one of its wide range of excellent research labs. These provide students with a generous stipend of £21,000 per year (to cover their living expenses) plus their university matriculation fees and some lab running expenses. Studentships are open to graduates with a very good degree in a life sciences subject, who have an aptitude for experimental work. Studentships typically start in September or October each year with the call for applications opening 7-8 months before.

Applications are invited from outstanding candidates to join a Cancer Research UK funded PhD programme at the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, CRUK Beatson Institute and the School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow. These are funded by the Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, which brings together cancer scientists and clinicians from across the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, delivering outstanding cancer research and improved patient care. The Cancer Research UK PhD programme is integrated into the research activities of the Centre with over 80 principal investigators contributing to this cross-disciplinary programme spanning from fundamental science to translational research. Research projects benefit from state-of-the art facilities for genomics, mass spectrometry, advanced microscopy, single cell technologies, and from advanced computational and informatics capabilities.

Application procedure

Up to 4 studentships are available to start in September or October 2023 for outstanding applicants with a stipend of £21,000 p/a. Successful students will be registered for their degree in either Glasgow or Edinburgh, depending on the project they apply for.

We are looking for students with a very good degree in a Life Sciences subject and an aptitude for experimental work, who are also highly committed to pursuing a PhD and a career in cancer research. You should hold at least an upper second-class degree in a relevant subject and comply with English language requirements.

All applications will be administered centrally via the University of Edinburgh or University of Glasgow, please apply on the links below:

Closing date: 5 March 2023

Interviews are expected to be held week beginning 17 April 2023

Applications are open to all individuals irrespective of nationality or country of residence

2023 Projects - Apply Now (by following the link)

• Targeting mitochondria to stall the engine in liver cancer Dr Tom MacVicar, CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow
• Evolutionary genomics based on Somatic Copy Number Variation in Mesothelioma Prof Kevin Blyth, University of Glasgow
• Differential growth factor pathways in mesothelioma subtypes Prof Daniel Murphy, University of Glasgow
• Identifying the histomorphological features and molecular drivers of pancreatic cancer progression Dr Fieke Froeling, University of Glasgow
• Does radiotherapy of glioblastoma lead to unwanted promotion of invasive microenvironments in the brain via extracellular vesicle-mediated mechanisms? Dr Joanna Birch, University of Glasgow
• Investigation of the conflicting roles of cell death during colorectal cancer using real-time, in vivo imaging Dr Andrew Davidson, University of Glasgow
• Functional dissection of mitochondrial mutations in high grade serous ovarian cancer Dr Patricia Roxburgh, University of Glasgow
• Functional dissection of signalling pathways involved in the monocyte-driven chemoresistance of biliary tract cancers Dr Chiara Braconi, University of Glasgow
• Interrogating the impact of cardiovascular risk factors on outcomes for patients with brain tumours Dr Paul Brennan, University of Edinburgh
• Identification of biomarkers of drug response in soft tissue uterine sarcoma Dr Ailith Ewing, University of Edinburgh
• Understanding the chromosome 11 CRC risk locus genes and the role they play in intestinal homeostasis Dr Susan Farrington, University of Edinburgh
• A multimodal deep learning model to predict individual cancer patient survival probabilities Dr Colin McLean, University of Edinburgh
• The Precision of New Therapies for Intraoperative Brain Cancer Surgery Prof Marc Vendrell, University of Edinburgh
• The role of dynamic changes in proteome in pancreatic cancer initiation Dr Simon Wilkinson, University of Edinburgh