PhD Translational Medicine

About the project

• Research

PhD Translational Medicine

• Overview
• Degree details
• Our students
• Research
• Entry and fees
• Careers
• Facilities
• Supervisors
• Recently viewed
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Overview

Our School of Medicine and Biosciences offers excellent PhD opportunities in Translational Medicine research, to improve human health via a "bench to bedside" research approach.

Our doctoral training provides opportunity to transform scientific discoveries arising from laboratory, clinical or population studies into new clinical tools and applications that improve human health by reducing disease incidence, morbidity and mortality.

We invite applications for doctoral research in various Translational Medicine topic areas.

See details of specific PhD opportunities listed below .

This PhD is available for you to study:

As part of your application, please state whether you are applying for an online PhD.

See a list of potential PhD supervisors and read about their expertise in the " supervisors " section lower down the page.

Select your desired study option, then pick a start date to see relevant course information:

Start date:

If your desired start date is not available, try selecting a different study option.

• full-time or part-time
• on-campus or online
• starting in September or February.

About your degree

Our School of Medicine and Biosciences has an expert supervisory team that fosters multidisciplinary, patient-oriented and population-based research, with the long-term aim of improving public health across the world.

During your Translational Medicine research journey, you will benefit from a stimulating and supportive environment, providing:

Our online PhD allows you to undertake a postgraduate research degree from a location that fits with your lifestyle and commitments. As part of your application, please state that you are applying for an online PhD. As an online PhD student, you will not be required to visit the campus: all supervision, training, reviews and the viva voce examination are provided online.

An online PhD may not be suitable for all projects, and consideration will be given to the suitability of the research project and whether it can be completed successfully without regular access to campus facilities.

This course is available for you to study full-time or part-time, online or campus-based.

All PhD students will have access to the University’s student support services , the Library’s e-resources collection and IT support services . You are also welcome to attend the annual doctoral students’ conference on campus.

A PhD is founded on independent research. You will undertake a systematic and in-depth exploration of your chosen topic to produce a substantial body of knowledge and make an original and important contribution to the subject area.

The support provided by your supervisory team will be vital to your student experience and scholarly advancement. You and your supervisors will have regular one-to-one meetings which will provide you with opportunities to develop your research topic and discuss your progress.

Based in the heart of Ealing, west London, you can make use of the excellent transport links to travel to the capital or further afield - ideal for attending research meetings and networking events.

If you would like guidance or more information about studying for a Translational Medicine research degree, please contact Professor Richard Morgan .

• peer feedback and discussion
• a series of masterclasses and lectures from industry figures
• support by a supervisor and a second supervisor suited to your project.
• PhD opportunities
• Support
• Networking

Research areas

• 3D printed collagen-based scaffolds for targeted therapies for nerve impairments Supervisors: Professor Hanieh Khalili , Professor James Philips (UCL) Contact: [email protected] Location: UWL & UCL School of Pharmacy (UK) Collaborator: UCL School of Pharmacy This cross-disciplinary PhD project is a collaboration between the School of Biomedical Science at the University of West London and the School of Pharmacy at University College London (UCL), specifically the UCL Centre for Nerve Engineering. The project aims to investigate the fabrication of 3D printed collagen-based scaffolds for the treatment of peripheral nerve injury (PNI). Current treatments for PNI often involve harvesting nerve tissue from another part of the patient's body and grafting it to the injured site. However, there is a critical need for less invasive and more effective solutions. Tissue engineering offers a promising approach, with the ultimate goal of replacing damaged neural cells. Pioneering work at the UCL Centre for Nerve Engineering has resulted in the development of Engineered Neural Tissue (EngNT), incorporating living neural cells within a collagen hydrogel matrix. This approach holds significant promise for nerve regeneration. However, a key challenge remains: fabricating EngNT with precise cell patterning within a three-dimensional structure is crucial for effective regeneration. This is precisely the aim of this PhD project. The PhD candidate will benefit from working in both institutions: University of West London: Developing 3D printing of collagen-based biomaterials under the supervision of Dr Hanieh Khalili within the Biotherapeutic Drug Development lab . University College London: Incorporating nerve cells within the printed scaffolds under the guidance of Professor James B Phillips at the UCL Centre for Nerve Engineering . We hypothesise that these implants will act as targeted tissue nodes, effectively integrating therapeutic cells and/or drugs into damaged tissues and enhancing treatment efficacy for nerve impairments. To achieve this, the project will leverage: Combined pharmaceutical and chemical expertise including chemical synthesis, 3D printing and biomaterial development. Biological testing may involve in vitro assays including live cell imaging and confocal microscopy, with the opportunity for using preclinical models to test translationally relevant designs.

3D printed collagen-based scaffolds for targeted therapies for nerve impairments

• Supervisors: Professor Hanieh Khalili , Professor James Philips (UCL)
• Contact: [email protected]
• Location: UWL & UCL School of Pharmacy (UK)
• Collaborator: UCL School of Pharmacy
• University of West London: Developing 3D printing of collagen-based biomaterials under the supervision of Dr Hanieh Khalili within the Biotherapeutic Drug Development lab .
• University College London: Incorporating nerve cells within the printed scaffolds under the guidance of Professor James B Phillips at the UCL Centre for Nerve Engineering .
• AI-guided design of 3D ocular implants using click hydrogel Supervisors: Professor Hanieh Khalili , Professor Massoud Zolgharni Contact: [email protected] Long-acting ocular drug delivery remains challenging due to rapid clearance, limited residence time of topical formulations and the need for repeated injections for some conditions. Click-chemistry hydrogels offer a promising route to form safe, tuneable and minimally invasive implants, but designing an implant that reliably matches target release profiles and anatomical constraints is still largely trial-and-error. This PhD project will develop an AI-guided design pipeline for a 3D ocular implant fabricated from click hydrogel. The candidate will build predictive models that link hydrogel composition and crosslinking parameters (e.g. polymer concentration, functional group density, click reaction kinetics) to key performance outcomes such as swelling, mechanical integrity, degradation and drug-release kinetics. These models will be used to propose implant geometries and material recipes that meet clinically relevant requirements (comfort, stability, ease of implantation and sustained therapeutic delivery). Your work will integrate computational design (data-driven optimisation, surrogate modelling and simulation where appropriate) with experimental validation (hydrogel synthesis, 3D shaping/printing or moulding, mechanical testing and in-vitro release studies). The outcome will be a reproducible workflow to design and prototype ocular implants with tuneable properties, enabling faster iteration and a clearer route toward translational development of long-acting therapies for ocular inflammation and neovascular disease.

AI-guided design of 3D ocular implants using click hydrogel

• Supervisors: Professor Hanieh Khalili , Professor Massoud Zolgharni
• Contact: [email protected]
• Antibody mimetics as an implantable tablet for sustained ocular release Supervisor: Professor Hanieh Khalili Contact: [email protected] Corneal neovascularisation is a major cause of vision impairment, and current topical therapies are often limited by poor ocular penetration and the need for frequent dosing. This PhD project will develop an implantable, Fc-free antibody-mimetic formulation designed to deliver therapeutic payloads locally and continuously, reducing treatment burden while maintaining effective drug exposure at the target site. The project will focus on FpF and/or RpR antibody mimetics, formulated as a lyophilised implantable tablet. Lyophilisation will be investigated as a route to enable high-concentration loading (particularly for RpR) and to improve stability and handling during formulation. The lead prototype will be an implant suitable for subconjunctival placement, enabling sustained release into ocular tissues for treatment of corneal neovascularisation. You will develop and optimise the project's end-to-end workflow: lyophilisation of RpR/FpF, tablet/implant formulation and evaluation of release performance. Your work will include physicochemical characterisation, stability assessment and in-vitro testing to establish release kinetics and bioactivity, with the longer-term aim of establishing a practical implant-based delivery strategy for ocular neovascular and inflammatory disease.

Antibody mimetics as an implantable tablet for sustained ocular release

• Supervisor: Professor Hanieh Khalili
• Contact: [email protected]
• Developing artificial intelligence techniques to quantify vertebral damage and predict progressive vertebral deformity using plain radiographs Supervisors: Dr Jin Luo , Professor Massoud Zolgharni Contact: [email protected] This project will develop new technologies to identify people most at risk of developing serious spinal fractures. Over 65,000 elderly people in the UK experience spinal fractures annually. Up to 40% of them may face complications despite receiving conservative treatment such as bed rest and painkillers. These patients develop progressive spinal fractures leading to forward bending of the spine, which results in a hump, known as a “dowager’s hump.” This serious condition can lead to long-term back pain and even neurological complications. Currently, we do not have diagnostic tools that allow early identification of people most at risk of developing such serious complications. Identifying people at risk will ensure timely treatment that stops their condition from getting worse. This project will investigate whether modern artificial intelligence techniques can automatically and reliably assess the risk of progressive spinal fractures on patients’ X-rays. The project will develop robust AI algorithms using a large X-ray image dataset and then investigate whether the developed algorithms can assess the risk of progressive spinal fractures reliably. This project will ultimately benefit people with osteoporosis by delivering important findings as the basis for comprehensive follow-up clinical studies.

Developing artificial intelligence techniques to quantify vertebral damage and predict progressive vertebral deformity using plain radiographs

• Supervisors: Dr Jin Luo , Professor Massoud Zolgharni
• Contact: [email protected]
• Developing bispecific antibody-based mimetics for chronic inflammatory diseases Supervisor: Professor Hanieh Khalili Contact: [email protected] Our team are investigating new classes of protein-based medicines, focusing on increasing their functionality and stability. We have so far developed mono-specific antibody-based mimetic which act as IgG mimetics, with similar solution size and binding affinity. There is much interest in exploring the benefits of using bispecific IgG mimetics in inflammation and fibrosis disease. The mimetic we have been working on does not have an Fc fragment, whose presence may cause immune-related effector functions to drive (rather than inhibit) inflammation. This PhD proposal is a collaborative work with the UCL School of Pharmacy and Institute of Ophthalmology to develop stable and Fc-free bispecific antibody-based mimetics, aiming to be more effective than monospecific antibodies (and even better than simply mixing monospecific antibodies because of the synergistic effect). You will work alongside a team of chemists and pharmacists to develop novel bispecific antibody mimetics, and you will be trained to work with complex biopharmaceutical formulation techniques and biological assays (protein conjugation, characterisation, purification, protein-protein binding interaction techniques, cell-based in-vitro assays). As part of the project, you will be given the opportunity to spend a period at UCL School of Pharmacy, to undertake collaborative research using high-tech pharmaceutical facilities such as Biacore and ITC.

Developing bispecific antibody-based mimetics for chronic inflammatory diseases

• Supervisor: Professor Hanieh Khalili
• Contact: [email protected]
• Engineering bispecific single chain fragments using a chemical-recombinant approach Supervisors: Professor Hanieh Khalili , Dr David Guiliano (University of Westminster) Contact: [email protected] Single-chain variable fragments (scFvs), in particular bi-specifics (BiTEs) targeting multiple tumour antigens or acting as immune engagers are a key new class of cancer therapeutics. High-yield expression of BiTEs remains a key bottleneck, limiting patient access due to high production costs. This PhD project will tackle this challenge by leveraging our previously developed conjugation-ligation platform to deliver cost-effective and tailorable BiTE production. This is a collaborative project between UWL's School of Medicine and Biosciences and the School of Life Sciences at the University of Westminster to investigate the feasibility of engineering single-chain fragments using our established insect cell production system targeting clinically relevant antigens in blood and solid tumours (CD3, CD19, EpCAM).

Engineering bispecific single chain fragments using a chemical-recombinant approach

• Supervisors: Professor Hanieh Khalili , Dr David Guiliano (University of Westminster)
• Contact: [email protected]
• Wearable technology for promoting lifestyle physical activity in middle-aged adults Supervisors: Dr Jin Luo , Dr John Hughes Contact: [email protected] This project aims to examine the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of a wearable technology that promotes lifestyle physical activity for healthy ageing in middle-aged adults. Middle adulthood (40 to 65 years) is the stage that musculoskeletal health starts to show significant deterioration. It is important that physical activity is maintained or even increased during this period to minimise the likelihood of deterioration in later life. However, the current research has been focused on late adulthood (i.e. >65 years of age), which may not be appropriate for middle-aged adults who have distinct characteristics, e.g. lack of time and motivation for planned and structured exercises. To address this problem, we have developed a wearable technology (Right Step) that targets specifically at middle-aged adults to promote physical activity performed as part of daily living. This PhD project will include a feasibility study to evaluate whether the use of the technology could be an acceptable, feasible and effective intervention for the middle-aged population. The study will also explore the outcome measures that are appropriate for the evaluation of the intervention. Based on these findings the project will make further improvements to the design and delivery of the wearable technology.

Wearable technology for promoting lifestyle physical activity in middle-aged adults

To enable you to enhance your professional profile, we support you throughout your research degree by:

We provide structured research training, expert supervision and an environment where you can discuss your research with other PhD students and researchers.

We run seminars in research methods from the Graduate Centre, as well as an ongoing series of events and activities organised by Schools and Colleges. Specialist help with academic English for students for whom English is not their first language is available.

We contribute to national and international initiatives and promote collaboration and networking opportunities. We also encourage and support you to publish and disseminate your research in academic journals and via presenting papers at conferences.

We run an annual conference for doctoral students, where you are encouraged to present a paper about your research. As well as being an opportunity to discuss your work with other students, the conference is a chance to gain valuable experience in presenting your research and participating in open discussions with academic peers.

You will also find other opportunities such as postgraduate student seminars and forums within your specific subject area.

Once you start a PhD course at UWL, you become part of our research community. You will have access to a postgraduate common room, located at our Ealing campus on St Mary’s Road, where you will meet fellow researchers from other subject disciplines offering scope for collaborations or simply to discuss ideas, allowing you to be part of a vibrant research environment.

• Supervisors: Dr Jin Luo , Dr John Hughes
• Contact: [email protected]
• providing research seminars
• organising doctoral events and activities
• facilitating networking and collaboration opportunities
• encouraging and supporting publication and dissemination of your research
• offering opportunities to gain teaching expertise and experience.

What our students say

The staff members that I encountered were warm, welcoming and supportive of my studies. The relatively small size of the University’s postgraduate school created a close family/communal environment for both staff and students. This provided a good support system as I could quickly grow acquainted with the postgraduate team and other doctoral research candidates.

Abdulazeez Rotimi - PhD

The staff members that I encountered were warm, welcoming and supportive of my studies. The relatively small size of the University’s postgraduate school created a close family/communal environment for both staff and students. This provided a good support system as I could quickly grow acquainted with the postgraduate team and other doctoral research candidates.

Abdulazeez Rotimi - PhD

Centre for Innovation in Genomics and Microbiome Sciences

CIGMiS is a leading transdisciplinary research hub recognised nationally and internationally for advancing microbiome science.

Biotherapeutic drug development

Our research group focuses on the development and formulation of novel antibody-based medicine (biotherapeutics) with application in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.

Research at the School of Medicine and Biosciences

The School of Medicine and Biosciences is active in research with an interdisciplinary community made up of researchers in diverse areas including genomics, bioinformatics, pharmacology, ageing and memory and translational medicine.

Entry requirements

The minimum entry requirements for a research degree are:

We look for individuals with:

Applicants should also submit a well-considered and persuasive research proposal, clearly outlining their aims, context and potential contribution to the field.

The minimum entry requirements for a research degree are:

We look for individuals with:

Applicants should also submit a well-considered and persuasive research proposal, clearly outlining their aims, context and potential contribution to the field.

• Requirements: UK
• Requirements: International
• a good first degree (First Class or Upper Second Class), or equivalent qualification in a relevant field
• a Masters degree (MA, MSc, MBA or MRes) with Merit, or equivalent postgraduate or research experience.
• dedication to undertaking rigorous and meaningful research
• enthusiasm for contributing to academic and creative practice
• a genuine passion for their chosen subject area.
• a good first degree (First Class or Upper Second Class), or equivalent qualification in a relevant field
• a Masters Degree (MA, MSc, MBA or MRes) with Merit, or equivalent postgraduate or research experience.
• Competence in written and spoken English is a pre-requisite for entrance to this programme.
• An IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of 6.5 (with no element under 6.0).
• dedication to undertaking rigorous and meaningful research
• enthusiasm for contributing to academic and creative practice
• a genuine passion for their chosen subject area.

Fees & funding

Please note that the following writing-up fees apply for the final year of full-time PhD study , a reduced amount from the standard fee per year:

Writing-up fees do not apply for the final year of part-time PhD study. The standard fee applies.

• Funding: UK
• Funding: International
• On campus PhD (Year 4): UK £1,900. International: £6,000
• Online PhD (Year 4): UK £1,000. International: £3,000.
• Fees for the 2027/28 academic year and onwards may be subject to change.
• Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course and you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year, except if otherwise stated.
• If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

Funding your studies

Funding for postgraduate students usually comes from one or more of a range of key sources:

Find out more about funding opportunities .

Examples of most of these types of funding are included on the postgraduate studentships website (except for funding you may be able to obtain from your employer and self-funding).

The PhD Bursary is available to home and international students enrolling on a full-time PhD course in 2026/27. The Bursary consists of a £500 fee reduction in your first year of study and for each subsequent year of study, subject to successful progression, up to a maximum of 4 years.

We offer other generous bursaries and scholarships to make sure your aspirations are your only limit. See our PhD scholarships and bursaries .

Please note that the following writing-up fees apply for the final year of full-time PhD study , a reduced amount from the standard fee per year:

Writing-up fees do not apply for the final year of part-time PhD study. The standard fee applies.

• research councils
• charities and trust funds, including those funded by the UK government
• higher education institutions
• overseas governments (international students only)
• employers
• professional and career development loans
• self-funding (including family funds).
• On campus PhD (Year 4): UK £1,900. International: £6,000
• Online PhD (Year 4): UK £1,000. International: £3,000.
• Fees for the 2027/28 academic year and onwards may be subject to change.
• Tuition fees are charged for each year of your course and you will need to pay the fee for each academic year at the start of that year, except if otherwise stated.
• If no fee is shown above then the fees for this course are not available yet. Please check again later for updates.

Funding your studies

For any overseas students, your first port of call should be grant-awarding bodies in your own country (e.g. The Ministry/Department of Education) and your local (or nearest) office of the British Council.

The British Council manage a small number of international studentship grants in some countries and should be able to tell you what other awards may be available to you - they also produce the sources of funding for international students guide.

The PhD Bursary is available to home and international students enrolling on a full-time PhD course in 2026/27. The Bursary consists of a £500 fee reduction in your first year of study and for each subsequent year of study, subject to successful progression, up to a maximum of 4 years.

Your future career

A PhD in Translational Medicine will prepare you for a wide range of careers in healthcare, biotech industry, teaching and research.

Studying for a PhD enables you to develop an area of specialism that will give you an edge whether you are planning to work within the field of translational medicine or to develop expertise to teach in academia.

During your PhD, you will also be learning transferable core skills that apply to jobs both in and out of academia, including:

By the end of your research degree you will be able to articulately apply these skills to enhance your career path.

• written and oral communication
• research and information management
• public speaking
• project management
• leadership
• critical thinking
• collaboration
• analysis and problem-solving
• conflict resolution
• negotiation.

Job roles

• private therapist
• medical researcher
• pharmaceutical researcher.

Graduate employers

• the NHS
• medical research laboratories
• pharmaceutical research
• the food industry
• health education and public health
• international aid and development.

Medicine and biosciences facilities

Discover the facilities available to students within the School of Medicine and Biosciences.

Biosciences laboratories

Our labs are equipped with high-quality technology including cell culture equipment, microscopes and genetic analysis tools, enabling students to conduct advanced experiments and analyse complex data.

The Paul Hamlyn Library

The Paul Hamlyn Library provides an extensive range of books, journals and digital resources, PC and Mac workstations and a variety of study spaces.

The Graduate School

If you are interested in studying for a PhD or Professional Doctorate, the Graduate School is here to support your research.

Rami Ranger House (Postgraduate Student Centre)

Rami Ranger House is a focal point for the University’s postgraduate and international students, providing dedicated space for social and learning interaction.

This building, which is three storeys high, offers spaces for collaborative working, socialising, supervision and mentoring on the ground floor. The first floor has work spaces for the postgraduate support teams to use, while the second floor provides guest accommodation for visiting scholars.

Biomedical sciences

At the University of West London, we offer a comprehensive range of courses that are designed to equip our students with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to succeed in the biomedical sciences industry.

Find out more

Discover seven reasons to study with us and how studying at UWL will support your future career.

Find out about student accommodation and the support for students.

Explore our campus and sites and book onto a campus tour or open day .

Important notes for applicants

Disclaimer

Rankings

• † Fees - the published fee is an annual fee, payable each year, for the duration of the course. Fees are subject to change. Home tuition fees may be subject to annual increases but will not increase by more than the fee caps as prescribed by the Office for Students or such other replacing body. Full-time taught international fees are subject to an annual increase.
• Teaching - your course will primarily be delivered in-person, however it may include delivery of some activities online, either in real-time or recorded.
• Testimonials - quotes are provided by current or former UWL students. These are mostly from the course but quotes from a UWL student on another course may be used if, for example, the course is new.
• Optional modules - where optional modules are offered they will run subject to staff availability and viable student numbers opting to take the module.
• Videos - all videos on our course pages were accurate at the time of filming, however staff and course content may have since changed.
• Availability of placements - if you choose a course with placement/internship route and a placement/internship opportunity does not arise when you are expected to undertake the placement then the University will automatically transfer you to the non-internship route, to ensure you are still successful in being awarded a degree.
• The National Student Survey 2026 result is based on the average of all answers by the taught student populations.
• Modern universities - defined as higher education institutions that were granted university status in, and after, 1992.
• PRES - rank out of 53 institutions.

Research areas