Job Description

Ref Number

B02-08700

Professional Expertise

Research and Research Support

Department

School of Life & Medical Sciences (B02)

Location

London

Working Pattern

Full time

Salary

See advert text

Contract Type

Fixed-term

Working Type

On site

Available for Secondment

No

Closing Date

04-May-2025

About us

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PhD studentships are available at the UCL Division of Infection and Immunity in the research team led by Prof. Paola Bonfanti currently based at the Francis Crick Institute.



The Division of Infection and Immunity is part of the UCL Faculty of Medical Sciences, which brings together UCL Medical School and five other Divisions spanning clinical and basic biomedicine. The Francis Crick Institute (The Francis Crick Institute) is an institute of biomedical research, with a commitment to excellence, emphasis on multidisciplinary research, and a mission of promoting young and emerging talents, creating partnership with leading Universities and Institutions.



Three studentships are funded for 3 years by a European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant, Horizon Europe Guarantee Scheme) research grant that aims at developing an innovative cross-disciplinary approach to understand and drive thymus regeneration, combining clinical data, in vivo models, advanced ex vivo and in vitro technologies with computational science. This overall research aims to transform how thymus-related conditions are treated, with potential impacts on ageing, cancer, and immune disorders.



The PhD projects are inter-linked and will cover a combination of experimental and computational approaches to investigate thymus function. The main experimental techniques include mammalian cell culture, advanced imaging, molecular biology, bioengineering and in vivo models. Computational techniques include analysis and integration of datasets from single cell transcriptomics, spatial transcriptomics and proteomics combined with machine learning approaches.



Prof. Bonfanti directs an interdisciplinary team, across the two main institutions. The proposed project stems from a joint collaborative effort with UCL as University partner and developed thanks to the Secondment programme UCL/Crick of the lead applicants who have access to all STPs and Crick scientific environment. The Crick support staff collaboratively working across disciplines to understand the fundamental biology of health and disease and the translational science team helps rapidly turning discoveries into treatments. The Crick's Science Technology Platforms (STPs) provide researchers with access to state-of-the-art equipment and technical advice in the effective use of the technologies e.g., spatial technologies platforms, imaging, advanced sequencing, bioinformatic support and mouse genetic modification service.



See https://www.crick.ac.uk/research/labs/paola-bonfanti for further background information.

About the role

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Comprehensive Training:

The purpose of the training is to support the PhD students for 3 years to do internationally leading science in one of the project areas indicated above. The primary supervisor, together with the thesis committee members, will support the student during the PhD progress.

Outstanding scientific environment:

Students will be based at the Francis Crick Institute according to the secondment agreement described above. Students will be registered in the UCL Division of Infection & Immunity, which has an impressive scientific output. The Division and the Crick organise regular internal and external seminars, journal clubs, and clinical meetings.

Professional Development:

The students will not only gain research training but also develop a deeper understanding of the importance of their research for patients. The student will receive training in the ethical aspects of the research involving patients and tissue. They will present their research at national and international conferences, providing an opportunity to meet their peers and experts in the field.

About you

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The studentships will be awarded competitively. Candidates must have a First--or Upper-Second-Class degree from a recognised university. Research experience is essential. Applicants should be enthusiastic about research and be keen to work on the development of interdisciplinary approaches. The ideal candidates should have (or expect to achieve) a relevant master's qualification in biomedical sciences, immunology, molecular biology, biochemistry, engineering, bioinformatics or a related discipline. Prior lab experience and data science knowledge will be valued. A good level of spoken and written English is essential. Applications are welcomed from both UK and overseas candidates.

Please do not click the 'Apply Now' button next to the advert. See 'How to apply' below.

Please complete the following steps to apply.

Send an expression of interest and current CV to Prof. Paola Bonfanti: p.bonfanti@ucl.ac.uk or paola.bonfanti@crick.ac.uk . Please quote

B02-08700-PhD Scholarship in Thymus Biology (Bonfanti Team)

in the email subject line. Make a formal application via the UCL application portal: Division of Infection and Immunity MPhil/PhD | Prospective Students Graduate - UCL - University College London and summarise your motivation for PhD Studentship in Thymus Biology in your cover letter.

Application Deadline: 4th May 2025 at 23:59.

What we offer

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The scholarship includes:


A full-time stipend for three years (aligned with the Wellcome Trust stipend) Coverage of UCL registration fees (overseas fees) Provision for research lab consumables Travel budget to present at conferences

NB: You will be asked about your likely fee status at the interview so we would advise you to contact the UCL Graduate Admissions Office for advice should you be unsure whether or not you meet the eligibility criteria for Home fee status.



Further information on Brexit and the definitions for fee status assessment can be found on the UCL website and also the UKCISA website (Higher Education: Definitions for fee status assessment).

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

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As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.



Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment and demonstrable impact in advancing gender equality.