parasite 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.

More than a quarter of the global population is infected with a parasitic worm, resulting in a range of diseases and pathologies.

Molecular regulation of surface remodelling in the human pathogen Schistosoma mansoni

Kingston University
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing

Prof A Walker

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.

In this PhD project you will perform cutting edge research that aims to identify molecular signalling events that underpin the survival of schistosomes in their human host.

Ultrastructural analysis of the mouse whipworm as a model for human trichuriasis

The University of Manchester
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Prof R K Grencis, Dr T Starborg

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.

Gastrointestinal dwelling nematode parasites are extremely successful parasites of both man and animals infecting over a billion people worldwide and are responsible for considerable morbidity and ill health worldwide.

Evolution and biochemistry of photosynthesis - electron transfer reactions, renewable energy production, biotechnology, and chloroplast genomes

University of Cambridge
Department of Biochemistry

Prof C J Howe

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

Awaiting Funding Decision/Possible External Funding

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 supervisor does not yet know if funding is available for this project, or they intend to apply for external funding once a suitable candidate is selected. Applications are welcome - please see project details for further information.

The common theme of our work is the biochemistry and evolution of photosynthesis.

Validating gene essentiality using functional genomics

University of Melbourne
Melbourne Veterinary School

Dr N Young, Prof RB Gasser

Applications accepted all year round

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.

Parasitic worms (helminths) cause some of the world’s most neglected diseases, affecting billions of animals and people worldwide.

Master by Research: Gregarine apicomplexan parasites in freshwater invertebrates

Edinburgh Napier University
School of Applied Sciences

Dr S Rueckert, Dr J Dodd

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.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION. Gregarine apicomplexans are micro-eukaryotic parasites that are found in almost every group of terrestrial, freshwater and marine invertebrates (Leander 2008; Desportes & Schrével 2013).

Polymers for treating amoebic infections in India

University of Bradford
Faculty of Life Sciences

Research Group: Chemistry and Biosciences

Prof S Rimmer, Dr W Martin

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.

Amoebic parasitic infections are widespread in the tropics. Amoebic dysentery can be fatal if the parasite progresses to the brain.

Cloning and expression of topoisomerase genes from Trypanosoma brucei (SteverdingD-2U19SF)

University of East Anglia
Faculty of Medicine and Health Science

Dr D Steverding

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.

Topoisomerases (TOPs) are essential enzymes that catalysis topological changes in DNA. TOPs are pivotal to cell survival and therefore inhibitors have been developed to target these enzymes both for antimicrobial and anti-cancer chemotherapy.

Identification of the Trypanosoma brucei transferrin receptor-recognition site of transferrin (SteverdingDU19SF)

University of East Anglia
Faculty of Medicine and Health Science

Dr D Steverding

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 transferrin receptor of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei (TbTfR) is a heterodimeric protein complex encoded by two expression site associated genes, ESAG6 and ESAG7, which shows no homology to the homodimeric human transferrin receptor (hTfR).

Genome-wide responses to stress

University of Cambridge
Department of Biochemistry

Dr J Mata

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

Awaiting Funding Decision/Possible External Funding

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 supervisor does not yet know if funding is available for this project, or they intend to apply for external funding once a suitable candidate is selected. Applications are welcome - please see project details for further information.

We are interested in gene regulation in responses to stress, using both simple model organisms, human and plant pathogens. Cells respond to stress conditions by launching complex programs of gene expression, both transcriptional and posttranscriptional, and which are often closely linked with each other.

The Consequences of Transmission Heterogeneities for Disease Outbreaks

University of Liverpool
Institute of Integrative Biology

Prof A Fenton, Prof M Viney

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.

There are ever-increasing concerns about the threat of emerging infectious diseases, in both wildlife (e.g., rabies, chytridiomycosis in amphibians, white nose syndrome in bats etc.) and humans (e.g., covid-19, Ebola, pandemic influenza, etc.).

Decoding the genomes of parasites

University of Melbourne
Melbourne Veterinary School

Dr N Young, Prof RB Gasser

Applications accepted all year round

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.

Parasitic worms (helminths) cause some of the world’s most neglected diseases, affecting billions of animals and people worldwide.

Exploring relationships between Wild house mouse ecology and immunology

University of Nottingham
School of Life Sciences

Prof J Bradley

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.

Understanding the causes of variability in the immune systems response underpins our knowledge of disease susceptibility, control of infectious diseases and ultimately, healthy aging.

How do nematodes hijack root development in plants?

University of Warwick
School of Life Sciences

Dr J Gutierrez-Marcos, Dr A Pires da Silva

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 plant root interface undergoes a dynamic range of interactions with other soil organisms.