wellcome PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

We have 50 wellcome PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

The use of life course epidemiology to support the experimental characterisation of genetic variation

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Project Background. There has been a rapid expansion in the generation of genetic sequence data over the last decade. Understanding the potential relevance of genetic mutations to human health remains challenging. Read more

Supervisors: Prof N Timpson, Dr L Corbin, Dr BL Lam

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Understanding novel aspects of the phage infection process in WHO Critical pathogens using bacterial impedance cytometry

UK Health Security Agency Public Health

Clinicians are increasingly working with a limited range of antibiotics, which are becoming less effective as many bacteria develop resistance to them. Read more

Supervisor: Dr L Bock

15 May 2024 PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

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The genetic map of human molecular phenotypes

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Genome wide associations studies (GWASs) have discovered many genetic associations with a large range of human traits, but the functional consequences of GWAS signals often remain elusive, as most GWAS signals reside in non-coding genomic regions. Read more

Supervisors: Dr J Min, Dr G Hemani, Dr JH Hawe

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Estimating the global cancer burden due to low levels of physical activity

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Around 40% of all cancers are thought to be avoidable by modification of lifestyle factors. Obesity has been found to be a risk factor for several cancers and was estimated to have caused around 3.6% of all new cancers which occurred in 2012. Read more

Supervisors: Dr S Lewis, Prof R Martin, Dr R Pulsford, Prof R Jago, Dr FB Bray

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Discovering off-target side-effects and drug repurposing candidates using expression perturbation data

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Mendelian Randomization (MR) is a genetic epidemiology method which utilises variants sourced from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to assess causality between risk/protective factors and disease outcomes in a manner less biased to observational studies(1). Read more

Supervisors: Prof T Gaunt, Dr M Sobczyk

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Prospectively mapping the development of liver disease amongst young adults. Who is developing it early and why?

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Historically, cirrhosis (irreversible liver scarring), often due to alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), presents in the 5th and 6th decade. Read more

Supervisors: Dr KA Abeysekera, Prof M Hickman, Prof N Timpson

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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The genetics of human scarring – cross-cutting approaches to the understanding of human wound repair.

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Repair of adult tissues involves a complex interplay of several key cell lineages and inevitably leads to formation of a fibrotic collagenous scar. Read more

Supervisors: Prof N Timpson, Prof P Martin

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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How does parental education increase risk to ADHD in the offspring?

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition, characterised by persistent difficulties in the areas of attention span/impulse control. Read more

Supervisors: Dr E Stergiakouli, Dr L Howe, Dr AH Havdhal

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Development of methods to triangulate multiple sources of evidence.

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Triangulation, in which multiple methods are strategically used to answer a single question, is a currently developing area. Read more

Supervisors: Prof J Higgins, Prof K Tilling, Prof M Munafo

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Identifying causal risk factors and outcomes of atopic dermatitis

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Several traits such as cardiovascular disease[1] and mental health disorders[2] have been reported to be observationally associated with atopic dermatitis (AD). Read more

Supervisors: Dr A Budu-Aggrey, Dr L Paternoster

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Identifying DNA methylation signatures of prostate cancer progression and mortality among patients with clinically confirmed, localised disease at baseline in a large prospective clinical trial

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Prostate Cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of male mortality, with 336,000 deaths worldwide each year (1). Although most PCa cases are indolent, slow-growing, and tend not to progress, a subset of PCa cases are more aggressive and will progress to metastases, treatment resistance and death. Read more

Supervisors: Dr P Yousefi, Prof R Martin, Dr M Suderman, Dr A Lane, Dr SM Merriel

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Investigating the genetic architecture of orofacial cleft: A genome-wide association study using trio data and an investigation of parent of origin and mother-children interaction effects.

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Orofacial clefts (OFCs) are the most prevalent craniofacial congenital disabilities globally, occurring at a frequency of 1 out of 700 newborns. Read more

Supervisors: Dr S Lewis, Dr E Stergiakouli, Prof H Cordell

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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An investigation of the causal relationship and genetic overlap between sleep traits and physical and mental health using Mendelian randomization

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Sleep has long been known to play a role in physical and mental wellbeing and sleep disruption has been observed to co-occur with a number of health conditions including. Read more

Supervisors: Dr S Lewis, Dr MR Renteria, Dr HJ Jones

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Identifying causal risk factors for disease progression

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Typical epidemiological studies aim to identify causal risk factors for onset of disease by comparing diseased cases with disease free controls. Read more

Supervisors: Dr L Paternoster, Prof G Davey-Smith, Dr A Hartley

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Establishing the feasibility of serial optical coherence tomography-otoscopy and microbiological testing in children with suspected acute otitis media in primary care: systematic review and prospective cohort study

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Supervisors. Professor Alastair Hay (lead), Dr Ashley Hammond,. Rationale. Acute otitis media (AOM) is a common, painful condition of childhood, often treated inappropriately with antibiotics. Read more

Supervisors: Prof A Hay, Dr AH Hammond

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Linking multivariable Mendelian randomization with lifecourse epidemiology: developing the methodology and application to a contemporary exemplar

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Mendelian randomization (MR) uses genetic variants as instrumental variables to estimate the causal effect of an exposure on an outcome, free from bias due to unobserved confounding. Read more

Supervisors: Dr E Sanderson, Prof K Tilling, Prof G Davey-Smith

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Investigating causal effects of neurodevelopmental and mental health problems in childhood on adult physical health

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Neurodevelopmental and mental health problems in childhood have been linked to adverse physical health outcomes in both childhood and adult life. Read more

Supervisors: Dr E Stergiakouli, Dr L Howe, Dr RB Blakey, Ms CD Dardani

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Causal risk factors and biological mechanisms for colorectal cancer risk

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Diet and lifestyle are likely to play an important role in colorectal cancer risk; obesity, low levels of physical activity, red and process meat consumption and low intake of dietary fibre have all been shown to predict colorectal cancer risk. Read more

Supervisors: Dr S Lewis, Dr KT Tsilidis

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Identifying metabolic drivers of cancer development

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Growing evidence suggests that cell extrinsic factors are key in modulating tumor progression. Metabolites are small molecules that act as sources of fuel and building blocks essential for cells and tissues when present at normal levels. Read more

Supervisors: Dr E Vincent, Dr CB Bull, Prof N Timpson

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Mendelian Randomisation for mediation analysis with multiple mediators: theory and applications

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Many of an individual’s traits are observationally associated with their health outcomes. Understanding the relationships between these factors is critical to effective public health intervention. Read more

Supervisors: Dr E Sanderson, Dr R Daniel, Dr L Howe

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Prenatal and pre-conception effects on neurodevelopmental disorders.

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. There is growing concern that paternal exposures before conception have been greatly neglected. Studying how these impact on future generations’ health could open new avenues for prevention-prospective fathers are not generally advised to change their behaviour. Read more

Supervisors: Dr L Zuccolo, Dr G Sharp, Dr D Caramaschi, Prof A Thapar

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Understanding the long-term effects of breastfeeding and lactation on maternal and child health

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Breastfeeding is the biological norm and sustainable. It is also potentially life-saving, particularly for premature babies and those without access to clean water. Read more

Supervisors: Dr L Zuccolo, Dr C Borges, Dr R Freathy

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Evaluating the role of circulating proteins in cancer risk and progression using genetic and observational approaches

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Circulating proteins play fundamental roles in biology and disease aetiology, including development of cancer, and are the direct targets of many drugs (1). Read more

Supervisors: Prof R Martin, Dr JY Yarmolinsky, Dr P Haycock

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Harnessing genetics of DNA methylation to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying human phenotypes.

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. GWAS studies have discovered many genetic associations for traits and diseases, but it has been difficult to elucidate the functional consequences of these variants. Read more

Supervisors: Dr J Min, Prof C Relton, Prof J MIll, Dr E Hannon, Dr G Hemani, Prof T Gaunt, Dr B Heijmans, Dr J Bell

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Identifying causal pathways to disease using DNA methylation derived scores.

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. DNA methylation is an epigenetic biomarker that has been shown to reflect lifestyle and biological factors (smoking, alcohol use, chronological age). Read more

Supervisors: Dr J Min, Prof C Relton, Prof J MIll, Dr E Hannon, Dr G Hemani, Prof T Gaunt, Dr B Heijmans, Dr J Bell

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Using supermarket loyalty cards data to study reproductive health

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Shopping history records collected by supermarkets contain population level health information which could be missing from traditional health research data such as medical records. Read more

Supervisors: Dr AS Skatova, Prof D Lawlor

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Integration of transactional and Ecological Momentary Assessment data for cancer risk factor prediction

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Shopping history records, collected via purchases tracked on loyalty cards, can provide a new perspective on lifestyle choices and behaviours and how these relate to health outcomes such as cancer. Read more

Supervisors: Dr AS Skatova, Dr A Skinner, Prof T Gaunt, Prof R Martin

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Establishing and orienting causal relationships between sleep characteristics and reproductive function

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. A large body of literature from animal studies has highlighted the role of core clock genes in relation to reproductive function [1]. Read more

Supervisors: Dr R Richmond, Dr G Sharp, Prof D Lawlor

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Investigating the relationship between digital media use and children’s mental health

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. Children are now exposed to and use digital media from a very young age both for entertainment and educational purposes. Read more

Supervisors: Dr E Stergiakouli, Prof C Haworth, Dr O Davis, Dr AH Havdhal

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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Breastfeeding and big babies - lifecourse and genomics epidemiological approaches to disentangle cause and effect.

University of Bristol Bristol Medical School

Rationale. The World Health Organisation recommends exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months, but in the UK, only 1% of infants meet the guidelines (1). Read more

Supervisors: Dr L Zuccolo, Dr LJ Johnson, Dr L Howe, Dr C Borges

Year round applications PhD Research Project Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

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We have 50 wellcome PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

wellcome PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

We have 50 wellcome PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

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