You can have the option to pursue an MPhil, typically completed in one year, or a PhD over three years, both providing a chance to contribute to cutting-edge research.
You can choose from a wide range of research areas, with the flexibility to join any of our dynamic research groups:
You will work under the supervision of Dr Fraser J Scott to investigate an aspect of Science Education Research. This will likely be on a topic involving the overlap of Science and Mathematics education, but the specific topic is open for discussion.
The aim of this project is to address the challenge of directly detecting disease biomarker panels in serum featuring target species whose relative concentrations span many orders of magnitude.
You will work under the supervision of Dr Fraser J Scott to develop Strathclyde Minor Groove Binders as anti-infective agents. Experimental work will include organic chemistry, but also biochemical (enzyme assays), biophysical (UV-vis, NMR) and biology (in vitro activity) aspects.
The aim is to take advantage of the noise in qubits as resource for materials simulations within quantum embedding approaches to overcome the finite size limitations of existing quantum algorithms. Based mainly in the Quantum Technologies Department at the Teddington NPL site in Greater London.
Glioblastoma is a lethal brain tumour with a worldwide incidence of ~5 per 100,000 persons and <5% five-year survival. We have identified a cholesterol intracellular transport gene signature in glioblastoma that correlates with worse prognosis. The proposed project aims to investigate the potential of targeting the cholesterol intracellular transport pathway as a novel target for therapeutic intervention in this cancer of unmet need.
Drug utilisation research; adherence; clinical effectiveness; Antimicrobial Resistance; antimicrobial stewardship; Health Service Research
The use of digital and technological innovations is increasing within all sectors to create "smart products, smart processes and smart procedures". Within pharmacy, this could facilitate the safe and effective medicines management. This PhD project will explore the use and priorities surround pharmacy-related digital and technological solutions.
People within prison services have a poor record of health and experience profound health inequalities. The prison population have significant disadvantages including poor health literacy. In general society people with poor health literacy experience worse health outcomes than normal and find it challenging to navigate health systems. This PhD will focus on co-designing a service that enables people within prisons to work with healthcare professionals to manage their common clinical conditions.
Immunology, infection, diabetes, mast cells, autoimmunity, obesity Cellular Basis of Disease
Protein kinases are central regulators in vital processes of the human parasite Leishmania. In this project we want to identify activators of Leishmania protein kinases and their substrates. This will allow to identify specific inhibitors for parasite protein kinases as novel drugs to treat human leishmaniasis.
This PhD will investigate changes that occur in pharmaceutically relevant materials under conditions similar to those in the tabletting press. We will investigate the hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic regime using diffraction and spectroscopy to elucidate the changes that occur in a range of materials from active pharmaceutical ingredients to fillers and glidants.
Combining synthetic lipid chemistry with microfluidics to design tailor made ionisable cationic lipids to be incorporated into optimum lipid nanoparticle delivery systems for RNA cancer therapeutics and new/improved COVID vaccines.
Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Diabetes Cell Biology
This PhD program will investigate the discovery and recovery of novel solid-state forms of pharmaceutically relevant materials so that their physicochemical properties can be assessed at ambient pressure. The program will be based around crystallisation methodologies and the characterisation of these materials through the use of multiple techniques.
Cellular Basis of Disease (Health and Wellbeing- Z and N Rattray), Metabolomics (Health and Wellbeing, Measurement and enabling sciences- N Rattray), Drug Delivery (Health and Wellbeing – Z Rattray)
The microbiome of mosquitoes plays an important role in their ability to transmit pathogens. This computationally focused project will address key gaps of knowledge to understand the how the mosquito microbiome forms as a community, and how this comparatively simple system compares to processes of human or other vertebrate microbiomes.
Neuroscience immunology neurodegenerative diseases
Leishmania could function as a model organism for flagellar/cilia disorders in humans. In this project we will analyse protein kinases and their substrates involved in flagellar length control.
In this project, you will produce an online compendium of genome-scale metabolic models spanning the full diversity of Streptomyces, and use this to analyse their differential biological phenotypes, and potential for engineering.
Crystal form and particle control is one of the most important factors in pharmaceutical manufacture and either is difficult to maintain through scale-up. In this project we will exploit the thermodynamic characteristic of some binary solvent mixtures to show microheterogeneity, phase separation on the micro-scale, which generates templating interfaces for crystal form and particle control.
The project will study the evolution and adaptation of Streptomyces bacteria as a means to understanding how antibiotic production evolves and the epistatic interactions that govern production.
Women’s health is a chronically under-researched area despite the fact that slightly more than half of the global population is female. Our understanding of several conditions primarily or exclusively affecting female patients – including endometriosis, which can have a profound impact on women’s well-being – is insufficient, and disease symptoms are frequently trivialised. Consequently, there is a substantial need to improve how patients are supported in their daily lives.
Research group: Neuroscience & Mental Health Key words: proteinase-activated receptor 2, inflammation, cytokines, major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression.
More females develop pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) than males. However, female PAH patients have better right ventricular (RV) function including less fibrosis and as a result better survival than the males. The mechanism for the sex-dependent RV fibrosis is not well studied and this project will investigate the underlying mechanism to gain better knowledge and develop therapeutic strategies for PAH.
Neuroscience & Mental Health proteinase-activated receptor 2, Alzheimer’s disease, β-amyloid cytokines, major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression
Advanced manufacturing (Y Perrie); Drug Delivery (Health and Wellbeing – Y Perrie, Z Rattray); Particle Characterization (Measurement and Enabling Technologies, Z Rattray)
Bacterial pathogens harvest haem (a pigment of life), an iron-containing cyclic tetrapyrrole cofactor involved in various essential biochemical reactions, from the host to survive and establish successful infection. This interdisciplinary project combines microbiology, biochemistry, immunology, and chemistry methodologies to investigate the enzymes of the haem utilisation systems of pathogenic bacteria for drug targets and biotechnology.
This research project will develop novel cutting-edge technology using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived cerebral organoids are a powerful tool for the in vitro study of stroke. iPSC-derived cerebral organoids will be as close as we can get to a human model of stroke that will be more biologically relevant whilst reducing the volume of animals used in stroke research.
This exciting PhD project addresses a critical global health challenge: poor compliance with vitamin supplementation in children, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Focusing on hydrophobic vitamins, which are more challenging to deliver, the project explores the use of nanocarriers (NCs) and 3D printing (3DP) to create novel, child-friendly dosage forms such as buccal and nasal films and gels.
This PhD project seeks to develop non-viral nanomedicine platforms capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier for the delivery of therapeutic agents to the brain. The focus is on advancing non-viral systems for gene and drug delivery to treat brain cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, where therapeutic access to the brain remains a key limitation.
This study will provide insights into the vascular processes underlying VEGFi-induced vascular dysfunction and hypertension and will help the development of novel strategies that will attenuate or ideally prevent cardiovascular events as unwanted side effects during cancer treatment. Findings from this proposal will also inform clinical guidelines for managing hypertensive cancer patients on anti-cancer therapies.
This PhD project will aim to develop innovative tumour-targeted nanomedicine platforms designed to deliver therapeutic drugs and genes, alone or in combination, directly to tumours after intravenous administration. By improving tumour specificity and therapeutic efficacy while reducing off-target effects, this research aims to enhance the safety and efficacy of cancer treatments.
More females develop pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) than males. However, female PAH patients have better right ventricular (RV) function including less fibrosis and as a result better survival than the males. The mechanism for the sex-dependent RV and insertion point fibrosis is not well studied and this project will investigate the underlying mechanism to gain better knowledge and develop therapeutic strategies for PAH.
Anti-angiogenic therapies targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway have become a cornerstone in cancer treatment, significantly improving patient outcomes. However, the clinical promise of VEGF inhibitors (VEGFi) is marred by severe cardiovascular toxicities such as hypertension, left ventricular dysfunction, thromboembolism, and atherosclerosis, leading to treatment interruption.
John Anderson Research Studentship Scheme (JARSS) doctoral studentships are available annually for excellent students and excellent research projects.
There are two main sources of funding:
The JARSS 2025/26 competition will open in October 2024 and students successful in this competition will commence studies in October 2025. Faculties will set their own internal deadlines for the competition.
Academics/Supervisors make the applications for this scheme and there are various deadlines across Departments and Faculties, therefore, in the first instance, all interested students should contact the Department where they would like to carry out their research.
All fees listed are per academic year unless otherwise indicated.
A small fee may apply during the writing-up period for some entrants.
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that the majority of fees will increase annually. The University will take a range of factors into account, including, but not limited to, UK inflation, changes in delivery costs and changes in Scottish and/or UK Government funding. Changes in fees will be published on the University website in October each year for the following year of study and any annual increase will be capped at a maximum of 10% per year.
| Scotland | £4,786 |
|---|---|
| England, Wales & Northern Ireland | £4,786 |
| Republic of Ireland |
If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status. For more information and advice on tuition fee status, you can visit the UKCISA - International student advice and guidance - Scotland: fee status webpage. Find out more about the University of Strathclyde's fee assessments process. |
| International | TBC |
| Funding | Take a look at our funding your postgraduate research web page for funding information. You can also view our scholarships search for further funding opportunities. |
| Postgraduate research opportunities | Search for all funded and non-funded postgraduate research opportunities. |
| Additional costs |
International studentsInternational students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see student visa guidance for more information. |
Please note: the fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year. Find out more about fees.
All fees listed are per academic year unless otherwise indicated.
A small fee may apply during the writing-up period for some entrants.
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that the majority of fees will increase annually. The University will take a range of factors into account, including, but not limited to, UK inflation, changes in delivery costs and changes in Scottish and/or UK Government funding. Changes in fees will be published on the University website in October each year for the following year of study and any annual increase will be capped at a maximum of 10% per year.
| Scotland | £5,006 |
|---|---|
| England, Wales & Northern Ireland | £5,006 |
| Republic of Ireland |
If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status. For more information and advice on tuition fee status, you can visit the UKCISA - International student advice and guidance - Scotland: fee status webpage. Find out more about the University of Strathclyde's fee assessments process. |
| International | £27,800 |
| Funding | Take a look at our funding your postgraduate research web page for funding information. You can also view our scholarships search for further funding opportunities. |
| Postgraduate research opportunities | Search for all funded and non-funded postgraduate research opportunities. |
| Additional costs |
International studentsInternational students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see student visa guidance for more information. |
Please note: the fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year. Find out more about fees.
| Name | Research methodologies & approaches used | Current PhD student topics |
|---|---|---|
| Professor Hannah Batchelor |
biopharmaceutics, dissolution, caco-2 cells, permeability, pharmaceutical oral dosage form manufacture and characterisation. |
|
| Dr Cameron Brown |
pharmaceutical manufacturing (small molecule drug substance, crystallisation), process modelling, physics-based, data-driven and hybrid modelling approaches. |
|
| Dr Trevor Bushell |
calcium imaging, electrophysiology, immunofluorescence, molecular biology, behavioural testing. |
|
| Dr Susan Chalmers |
fluorescence imaging (live-cell) - mitochondrial dynamics & function; calcium signalling; immunofluorescence; image analysis & quantification. |
|
| Dr Luke Chamberlain |
a range of biochemical and cell biology approaches including: gel electrophoresis, immunoblotting, cell culture and transfection, click chemistry, confocal microscopy, inhibitor screening. |
|
| Dr Hilary Carswell |
In vivo models of brain injury and behavioural testing, in vitro cell culture and stem cell biology, molecular biology, histology including immunofluorescence. |
|
| Dr Christine Dufès |
development of novel tumour-targeted nanomedicines for cancer therapy (synthesis and characterization of the nanomedicines, cell culture, flow cytometry, anti-proliferative assay, confocal microscopy, in vivo analysis) |
|
| Dr Ru Angelie Edrada-Ebel |
Natural Products Metabolomics, Co-culture applications on Marine Biotechnology, NMR Spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, High-throughput Chromatography, application of multivariate analysis on fused spectral data. |
|
| Dr Hui-Rong Jiang |
in vivo models of neuroinflammation (multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease), cell culture, molecular biology, immunoassays, immunohistochemical staining and imaging, application of nanoclusters |
|
| Dr Amanj Kurdi | clinical pharmacy, pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacy practice |
|
| Dr Helina Marshall |
bacteriology, Immunology, flow cytometry, molecular biology, microscopy, cell-based assays |
|
| Professor Gail McConnell |
optical microscopy and mesoscopy development, applications of new imaging technologies to cell biology and medicine |
|
| Dr Iain Oswald |
diffraction and spectroscopic methodologies under various thermodynamic regimes to explore the solid-state properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients. |
|
| Professor Yvonne Perrie |
drug delivery, delivery of drugs and vaccines, liposomes, nanoparticles |
|
| Dr Leighton Pritchard |
computational biology, bioinformatics, systems biology, microbial genomics |
|
| Dr Nicholas JW Rattray |
metabolomics, proteomics, hyphenated mass spectrometry, biogerontology (biochemistry of ageing), clinical trails, clinical sample handling, biobanking, chemometrics, AI and deep learning |
|
| Dr Zahra Rattray |
biologicals, nanomedicine, cell-based assays, advanced metrology techniques, cell culture, immunoblotting, imaging and image analysis |
|
| Dr Shuzo Sakata |
in vivo electrophysiology (including Neuropixels), fibre photometry, optogenetics, chemogenetics, viral-based gene delivery, deep learning |
|
| Dr Veronique Seidel |
molecular docking, molecular dynamics, cell-based assays, chromatography and spectroscopy techniques applied to natural products research |
|
| Dr Lian Tian |
in vivo animal experiments, ex vivo tissue measurement, in vitro cell culture and biological approaches |
|
| Dr Martin Wiese |
molecular parasitology and biochemistry, leishmania protein kinases |
|
As part of your PhD, you will be enrolled in the Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher Professional Development (PgCert RPD).
This certificate is designed to enhance your research experience and recognize the skills and activities you develop as a research student.
It will help you build essential skills for both professional development and employability, including:
You will plan these activities alongside your doctoral studies, documenting and reflecting on your journey to success along the way.
The University Careers Service can help you with everything from writing your CV to interview preparation.
From financial advice to our IT facilities, we have a wide range of support for all students here at Strathclyde. Get all the information you need at Strathlife.
The Strathclyde Doctoral School offers a vibrant, student-centred research and training environment, dedicated to supporting both current and future research talent.
Bringing together all four of our faculties, it is committed to enhancing the student experience, increasing research outputs and opportunities, and ensuring that training is delivered at the highest standard.
As a postgraduate researcher, you will automatically become a member of the Strathclyde Doctoral School.
I am a pharmacologist at SPBS where my research group focuses upon understanding the molecular level mechanisms of cardiovascular dysfunction. In addition to being a scientist, I am a mother of three, rugby enthusiast and dabble as an artist on the side. My recent art project involves painting rocks with STEM themes.
As the sister of a cancer survivor, I developed a passion for discovering new treatments in the fight against cancer. Fast forward to the present day, I have started my independent research career investigating ways to improve how cancer treatments target and reach tumours. I am passionate about sharing science with people from all walks of life and inspiring the next generation of scientists.
We've a thriving international community with students coming here to study from over 140 countries across the world. Find out all you need to know about studying in Glasgow at Strathclyde and hear from students about their experiences.
I'm a microbiologist/biochemist who works on antibiotic-producing bacteria with a view to combatting the antimicrobial resistance crisis we are facing. We also work on pathogenic bacteria and on exploiting frog proteins as drugs. Outside of my science I can normally be found in a pond or rainforest around the world trying to photograph frogs, snakes and lizards or watching cricket!
I have a passion for pharmacology and understanding how new drugs can be applied to diseases such as cancer, inflammation and heart disease. Outside my research, I spend time coaching the over 55s Scotland Hockey team to limited success (we always lose to the good teams!). I love writing poetry and have participated recently in a Poetry and leadership conference.
Upper second-class UK Honours degree or overseas equivalent.
During the application you'll be asked for the following:
By filling these details out as fully as possible, you'll avoid any delay to your application being processed by the University.
If you're applying as an international student, you'll need to provide:
By filling these details out as fully as possible, you'll avoid any delay to your application being processed by the University.
Research supervisors are assigned to you by the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences. Let us know in your application who you'd like to work with, but the department will team you up with the best supervisor for your project.
Once we've received your application, your research proposal is passed to potential supervisors for consideration. If it's not compatible with the researcher's current projects and they are unable to supervise, it's passed along to another for consideration. If they can supervise you, they’ll confirm and nominate a potential second supervisor. As soon as a second supervisor is confirmed, an offer will be sent to you through Pegasus, our online application system.
When you accept our offer of study, you'll receive a full offer in writing via the email address you'll have provided.
When you've accepted our offer, we'll need you to fulfil any academic, administrative or financial conditions that we ask.
If you're applying as a UK or EU student, you'll then be issued with your registration documentation.
An ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate is a mandatory requirement for some postgraduate students in science, engineering and technology.
Want to know more about what it’s like to be a Science student at the University of Strathclyde? A selection of our current students are here to help!
Our Unibuddy ambassadors can answer all your questions about courses and studying at Strathclyde and offer insight into their experiences of life in Glasgow and Scotland.
