Understanding cellular ageing of protective immunity to inform vaccine design and T-cell therapies
Not stated
- Funding
- Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
- Application deadline
- 21 October 2026
About the project
About the Project Summary The risk of dying from infection is particularly high in the elderly and is related to ageing of the immune system. Immune cells called T-cells can confer long-term protection against infection and hence are critical for vaccine development. However, T-cell responses to infection become less effective with age, but the reasons for this are not yet well understood. You will examine T-cell dynamics using engineered protein technology, sophisticated imaging platforms (e.g., a FACSDiscover S8 with CellViewTM), molecular techniques (transcriptomics and telomere length assays), and bioinformatics to gain a better understanding of immune ageing to inform future vaccine design and immunotherapies. A full description of the project can be found on the GW4 BioMed website . Academic criteria: Applicants for a studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a first or upper second-class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK. English requirements: IELTS with an overall score of 6.5 with 5.5 in all subskills, or acceptable alternative. Please see our English Language Requirements guidance for more details. How to Apply A list of all the projects and how to apply is available on the GW4 BioMed website . You may select up to 2 projects and submit one application per candidate only. Please complete an application to the GW4 BioMed3 for an ‘offer of funding’. If successful, you will also need to make an application for an 'offer to study' to your chosen institution later. Please note that we may close the application process before the stated deadline if an unprecedented number of applications are received– check the GW4 BioMed website for details and updates. If you are shortlisted for interview, you will be notified from Tuesday, 22nd December 2026. Interviews will be held virtually on 26th and 27th January 2027. Studentships will start on 1 st October 2027.