gut PhD Projects, Programs & Scholarships

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

"The gut microbiota (100 trillion cells) outnumber human cells by 10 to 1. Its composition of around 500 to 1000 species is specific for each individual and is dynamic, changing with age, health and diet.

The impact of gut microbiome and diet interplay on neurodegeneration

University of Reading
School of Biological Sciences

Dr E Kevei

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

"Neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or Huntington’s disease represent major health risks and economic burden for the society.

The Gut Microbiota and Colorectal Surgery

University of Reading
Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences

Dr M Lewis, Prof S C Andrews

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

"Background. Antibiotic use prior to and following colorectal surgery is conventional practice, and is aimed at reducing the incidence of postoperative infection which is a major risk of such surgery.

Development of a novel 3D gut-microbiota model for the assessment of absorption and metabolism of health supplements and therapeutic drugs

Keele University
School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering

Dr P Ragazzon

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

The gut epithelium is a complex setting of intestinal cells and epithelial cells filled with transporters, enzymes and channels; these cells are then populated by bacteria (microbiota) that help with the metabolism of nutrients and transport into the blood stream.

Computational methods to explore the relationship between gut microbes, metabolites and human health

King’s College London
Health Schools

Research Group: Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology

Dr C Menni, Assoc Prof A Valdes

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Start date. 1st January 2020. Metabolomics and the gut microbiome are intricately involved in susceptibility and potentially monitoring of metabolic diseases.

How does the human gut microbiota protect against infection with enterohaemorrhagic E. coli? (SchullerS-NarbadAU19SF)

University of East Anglia
Norwich Medical School

Dr S Schüller, Prof A Narbad

Application Deadline: 31 May 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

The human body is populated by trillions of commensal bacteria (microbiota), most of which reside in the intestine and have established a symbiotic relationship with the host.

The microbiome as a mediator of focal epilepsy

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
RCSI StAR International PhD Programme Research Projects

Prof G Cavalleri, Dr N Delanty

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but potential funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Epilepsy is a group of common brain disorders characterized clinically by the occurrence of recurrent unprovoked seizures. There are many different types of epilepsy, both common and rare.

Bacteriophage role in the establishment of preterm infants’ gut microbiota (Ref: SF20/APP/SMITH3)

Northumbria University
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

Dr D Smith

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Survival of very preterm infants has increased over the last 20 years, but late onset sepsis (LOS) and necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) remain a major cause of death and ongoing developmental problems in this population.

What role do chiral amino acids play in host-microbiome interactions?

University of Auckland
Liggins Institute

Dr C Pook, Dr J O'Sullivan

Application Deadline: 31 May 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

The pioneering Gut Bugs Trial by researchers at the Liggins Institute looked at whether the transfer of gut bacteria – already used to treat a severe form of diarrhoea - could also treat obesity.

How protective signals from the gut modify neuronal activity and behaviour, using C. elegans as a model system.

University of Leeds
Faculty of Biological Sciences

Research Group: Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology

Dr P van Oosten-Hawle, Prof N Cohen

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

Amyloid protein misfolding leading to loss of neuronal function are fundamental pathogenic mechanisms of numerous age-associated neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s (AD).

Molecular-genetic analysis of intra- and extra-cellular iron reduction systems in bacteria: role in gut colonisation and utilisation of dietary iron sources.

University of Reading
School of Biological Sciences

Prof S C Andrews

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

The innate immune defense systems respond to bacterial infection by reducing the amount of available iron in order to restrict bacterial growth.

Role of the microbiome in neurodegenerative disease

University of Leicester
Department of Genetics and Genome Biology

Prof J Ketley, Prof F Giorgini

Application Deadline: 7 June 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

The human microbiome is essential for human health as it is crucial for the development of immunity, tissue development, host metabolism and protection from various infectious diseases.

Evolutionary adaptations to life in the gut by Candida albicans

Friedrich Schiller University of Jena
Jena School for Microbial Communication

Prof B. Hube

Application Deadline: 25 June 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

The Cluster of Excellence “Balance of the Microverse” of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany, combines expertise in life, material, optical and computational sciences to elevate microbiome studies from descriptive to hypothesis-driven and functional analyses.

Biochemical interactions of the gut microbiome with environmental pollutants

University of Cambridge
Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit

Dr K Patil

Application Deadline: 31 May 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

The Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit is an internationally renowned institution focused on the delivery of field-changing mechanistic insights into toxicology and disease.

RVC PhD: Investigating the role of gut microbiota in feline diabetes mellitus and hypersomatotropism

University of London
The Royal Veterinary College

Dr R Gostelow, Dr L Davison, Dr D Connolly, Dr D Xia

Application Deadline: 31 May 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common feline endocrinopathy, estimated to affect 1 in 200 cats examined in UK primary-care practice.