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Wellcome Trust Doctoral Training Fellowship Scheme for Clinicians

Programme Director: Professor H McShane

Programme Co-Director: Professor D Clark

The Medical Sciences Division at the University of Oxford offers up to six fellowships per year for clinical trainees, to allow a 3-year period of study working towards a PhD.

The Doctoral Training Fellowship Scheme for Clinicians is tailored specifically to the needs of talented clinicians who aspire to a career in academic medicine or clinical psychology. Successful applicants will work towards a PhD on one of three streams which are in basic sciences, mental and cognitive health, and translational/experimental medicine.

Basic Sciences

Training Fellowships in the Basic Sciences stream are designed to form a partnership between basic-scientists and clinician-scientists, bridging the gap between basic and applied research, and providing high-quality research training in basic and applied molecular science. Research projects are available in any relevant area including:

• Metabolism
• Genomics
• Haematology
• Infection/Immunity/Inflammation
• Neurobiology
• Cardiovascular

Mental and Cognitive Health

This stream will provide training in translationally-focused research for clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and neurologists. It will focus on:

• the development of effective new treatments and methods for their evaluation
• experimental medicine approaches to psychopharmacological treatments
• clinical assessments & rehabilitation procedures for individuals with mental health problems or cognitive impairments

Translational/experimental medicine

This theme takes advantage of other strengths in biomedical science. These include projects in:

• Biomedical Engineering, which provides a unique environment where engineers and clinicians work together, focusing on novel technological approaches to healthcare problems;
• Vaccinology through the Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group, where novel vaccine approaches for infection and also non-infectious targets such as cancer are developed and tested through clinical trials;
• Veterinary science in collaboration with the Pirbright Institute and the Royal Veterinary College;
• Applied neurosciences including advanced neuro-imaging available through the Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Building (fMRIB) and novel PET approaches with Imanova;
• Non-communicable diseases through the Nuffield Department of Population Health, Clinical Trials Service Unit, and Epidemiologic Studies Unit, and the new Big Data Institute (BDI);
• Ethox, also based in the Nuffield Department of Population Health, provides an environment where empirical research and ethical analyses can be combined around clinical ethics, research ethics, and global/population health ethics;
• International health and tropical medicine, building on collaborations between Oxford investigators and major overseas programmes based in Kenya, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Further information & how to apply

Applicants will apply to the Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre at the University of Oxford for a fellowship, based on a track record of academic achievement and potential. Five fellowships are funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Please review the information on choosing a supervisor/project and guidance on the admissions process. Applicants must be eligible for clinical practice in the UK.

For queries please contact enquiries@msdtc.ox.ac.uk

Deadline for applications: 12 noon UK time Friday 8 January 2021.

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