Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
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We have 12 Reproductive Biology PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for European Students (exc UK)
Reproductive Biology PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for European Students (exc UK)
We have 12 Reproductive Biology PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for European Students (exc UK)
PhD in Reproductive Biology
A PhD in Reproductive Biology would provide you with the time and resources to conduct a three to four-year research project into an area of reproduction. These projects could involve the study of pollinators, researching reproductive organ conditions such as the endometriosis or developing drugs to for contraception. Regardless, your work will contribute to the current understanding of Reproductive Biology.
What’s it like to do a PhD in Reproductive Biology?
As a PhD student in Reproductive Biology, you’ll likely gain experience with a range of laboratory techniques. Depending on your project, you may work directly with patients or observe and sample organisms in the field. Therefore, you’ll also develop an excellent understanding of ethics.
Some typical research topics in Reproductive Biology include:
- Studying reproductive hormones in animals
- Developing novel drugs for contraception or to assist conception in humans
- Investigating the response of natural pollinators to environmental changes
- Researching a specific condition such as polycystic ovaries
- Study the formation of the placenta in healthy or diseased cases
In a standard workday, you’ll be working in the laboratory, studying patients, or taking part in field work, depending on your research topic. You’ll also be writing up the results of previous experiments, analysing data and discussing your current work and plans with your supervisor.
Your PhD will end with you writing a thesis of roughly 60,000 words and a viva exam, in which you’ll defend your thesis.
Almost all Reproductive Biology projects have a research proposal attached outlining the work, which is written by the supervisor. Many of these projects come fully-funded, though some request you self-fund, which can be tricky since you must pay both PhD and bench fees.
Funding challenge also makes proposing your own research in Reproductive Biology uncommon, as well as the difficulty of finding a supervisor with research interests that overlap with your project, who also has adequate equipment.
Entry requiements
The entry requirements for most Reproductive Biology PhD programmes involve a Masters in a subject directly related to Biology, with at least a Merit or Distinction. If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need to show that you have the right level of language proficiency.
PhD in Reproductive Biology funding options
The research council responsible for funding Reproductive Biology PhDs in the UK is the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). They provide fully-funded studentships including a stipend for living costs, a consumables budget for bench fees and a tuition fee waiver. Students don’t apply directly to the BBSRC, you apply for advertised projects with this funding attached.
It’s uncommon for Reproductive Biology PhD students to be ‘self-funded’ due to the additional bench fees. However, if you were planning to fund yourself it might be achievable (depending on your project) through the UK government’s PhD loan and part-time work.
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Unravelling the effects of mitochondrial replacement therapy on mtDNA transmission
Commercial partner: Juno Genetics. Normal oocytes contain ~100,000 copies of mtDNA, which are effectively identical. Patients with mtDNA disease may harbour both mutant and normal mtDNA (heteroplasmy). Read more
How does the brain make decisions when faced with conflicting options?
Animals engage in daily activities that are essential for survival and reproduction, such as feeding, mating or fighting for resources. Read more
Maternal anxiety and language delays in children – both outcomes of the same epigenetic alteration?
Summary. Maternal depression and anxiety are highly common in pregnancy and associated with a negative effect on the child’s social and language skills. Read more
Structural investigation of chromatin organisation in development
The genome of the fertilised zygote undergoes rapid remodelling in order to develop into a multicellular embryo. Of these events, the reprogramming of chromatin structure is essential to generate totipotency - the capacity to form the whole organism including all embryonic and extraembryonic cell types. Read more
Avoiding extinction: natural and sexual selection in the wild
Wild populations are becoming smaller and more isolated; whilst simultaneously having to adapt to a rapidly changing environment and climate. Read more
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Understanding final oocyte maturation and ovulation in barramundi – a pathway to enhanced animal breeding
Research Group:
Aquaculture Genetics
Contact Supervisor. Jarrod Guppy (https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?userm9LLU8AAAAAJ&hlen ). Location. James Cook University, Townsville 4814, QLD Australia. Read more
Addressing key challenges in expanding green sea urchin production.
About the Project. The Green Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) is a high value marine species in the Northeastern US. Read more
Protecting Mum: how hormones act on neural circuitry to regulate postpartum mood and behaviour
Mammals give birth to dependent offspring and significant parental involvement is required to ensure offspring survive. During pregnancy and in the early postpartum period, hormones act on neural circuitry to bring about key changes in a mother's mood and behaviour. Read more
Oxytocin neuron activity in lactation
Pulsatile secretion of the hormone, oxytocin, is essential for milk delivery during suckling and its secretion from the posterior pituitary gland is triggered by coordinated bursts of action potentials across the population of oxytocin neurons. Read more
Sustainable Approaches to Biomedical Science: Responsible and Reproducible Research (EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training)
We welcome applications from graduates who wish to make an impact in the field of computational biomedical research. Our students gain the broad skillset needed to confront current and future biomedical research challenges. Read more
Our Mission: to Educate, Nurture and Discover for the benefit of Human Health
Founded in 1784 as the professional body for surgical training in Ireland, RCSI has evolved in the years since to become one of the world's leading health sciences universities. Read more
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