PhD in Medicine

The School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences trains ~250 postgraduate research students undertaking PhD, MD and MPhil degrees in Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Experimental Medicine, Public Health and Medical Education. Its diverse postgraduate student population comprises both basic and clinical scientists from across the globe engaged in wide-ranging research projects spanning the breadth of the School’s research portfolio from bioinformatics through molecular and cell biology to clinical trials.

Medicine Highlights

Industry Links

• The School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences promotes close collaborative interaction with local and global biotechnology companies, such as Almac and Randox. Such relationships are underpinned by innovative discovery science and its clinical application and have resulted in the development of novel diagnostic/prognostic applications and therapies.

Career Development

• The School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences postgraduate programme trains students in both research-specific and generic skills towards the promotion of professional development. Students may also avail of career development advice at the School's annual Postgraduate Research Forum, through its peer mentoring programme, and as part of their individual Postgraduate Development Programme. The QUB Graduate School also provides wide-ranging opportunities for career development that complement School-specific postgraduate research training.

World-Class Facilities

• As a member of the Russell Group of leading UK Universities, Queen’s University Belfast is committed to maintaining the very best research. In the last Research Excellence Framework exercise, over 75% of its research activity was judged to be internationally excellent or world-leading, whilst Queen’s was ranked 8th in the UK for research intensity. As such, Queen’s provides an ideal environment to support high-quality postgraduate research.
• Postgraduate students in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences will undertake their research projects within the Institute of Health Sciences which has benefitted from significant recent investment (>£100M) and boasts state-of-art facilities and technology.

Internationally Renowned Experts

• Postgraduate students in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences are closely supervised by experienced academic staff and are viewed as a central and critical component of their world-leading research programmes.

Student Experience

• The School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences provides a vibrant environment for postgraduate research training. There are currently ~250 students undertaking wide-ranging basic science and clinical research projects who work closely together with postdoctoral and academic staff across the Institute of Health Sciences. Students are encouraged to interact both within and across disciplines through formal and informal School events, many of which are student-led.

Key Facts

Research students are encouraged to play a full and active role in relation to the wide range of research activities undertaken within the School and there are many resources available including:

• Opportunity to benefit from world-class infrastructure and academic faculty.
• Tailored postgraduate training programme including specific and generic aspects and careers-focussed peer mentoring.
• Access to the QUB Postgraduate Researcher Development Programme.
• Provision of shared laboratory and office space as required by the research project.

As a postgraduate student in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences you will receive high-quality training and support for a career in scientific research with real potential to contribute to the development of improved strategies for the management and treatment of life-threatening diseases.

The School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences is dedicated to providing its postgraduate research students with a supportive environment to effectively promote their education, training and professional development. First year students enrol on a tailored training programme comprising a series of lectures, workshops and practical sessions focused on key research skills, including bioimaging, informatics, genomics, mass spectrometry, animal models and clinical trials. In addition, all students receive wide-ranging and ongoing training in generic and transferable skills, such as scientific writing, data analysis, presentation and critical appraisal, through dedicated communication courses and seminars. They also benefit from the presentation of their research findings at major national and international conferences, which is an expectation of all postgraduate research students, and through regular interaction with the QUB Graduate School, whose specific function is to support postgraduate training, development and careers.

Students undertake their specific research project under the close guidance of an experienced principal supervisor with support from 1 or 2 co-supervisors as appropriate. All postgraduate research students are initially registered as ‘undifferentiated’ which means that they are required to complete a probationary period after which they are assessed for their suitability to undertake a postgraduate research degree during the differentiation process. Differentiation normally takes place at 9-12 months for full-time students and 18-24 months for part-time students. Each student is required to complete a literature review, give an oral presentation of their research within their Centre, and provide evidence of appropriate training and completion of their Postgraduate Development Plan. They are then interviewed by a differentiation panel, comprising 2 or 3 academic staff, who assess the students' understanding of their project and progress, based on both their submitted paperwork and response to questions. Differentiated students are required to complete a similar Annual Progress Review process in each subsequent year of their research degree. The duration of a full-time PhD programme is normally 3-4 years. For completion of their doctoral qualification students are required to submit a thesis of their research of appropriate length and content (as advised by their supervisors) which will be assessed by an oral examination conducted by an external and internal examiner.

Funded postgraduate research studentships are advertised on the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences website. We will also consider applications from externally or self-funded students who should identify potential academic supervisors aligned with their research interests. Please note that we can only support projects which fit within the overall research strategy of the School and the individual research focus of our academic staff.

Students who meet the eligibility criteria for postgraduate research should select ONE potential supervisor from our list of academic staff, and send an email containing: (1) a brief CV (1-2 pages maximum), (2) a concise statement of motivation including research interests, (3) source of funding, and (4) intended start date.

Our academic staff welcome approaches from prospective students and are happy to develop research proposals of mutual interest. Often this process will involve an informal face-to-face meeting (in person or via Skype) prior to an invitation to submit a formal application. If you have difficulty identifying or contacting an appropriate supervisor, please contact us.

Associated Research

The School has current collaborative partnerships with the NIH National Cancer Institute (Washington) and the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (Toronto), together with developing relationships with international institutions in the Middle East, such as Hashemite University (Zarqa, Jordan). In addition, some of our current students conduct the majority of their research abroad (currently US and China) with supervisors from both QUB and the external institution. The School also supports short-term research training opportunities for its postgraduate students in groups of international collaborators; these enriching experiences not only benefit the project but provide valuable insight into research in a global context.

PhD Opportunities

Funded postgraduate research studentships are advertised on the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences website.

We will also consider applications from externally or self-funded students who should identify potential academic supervisors aligned with their research interests.

Please note that we can only support projects which fit within our main research themes of Experimental Medicine, Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Medical Education, and Public Health.

Research Impact

The School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences drives research excellence and impact, delivering innovative solutions to the specific challenges we have identified in healthcare. The School has three central aims:

• To address key global challenges in health care by making scientific breakthroughs in mechanisms of disease, translating these to innovative therapeutics and preventive interventions to improve patient outcomes.
• To establish lasting relationships with major funders for programmatic research and capacity building. This includes doctoral training, clinical academic programmes and postdoctoral fellowships.
• To leverage scientific strengths with small and medium-sized enterprises and large pharmaceutical companies to develop externally funded competitive, collaborative programmes for discovery and translation.

Research Projects

Current postgraduate research projects and potential opportunities.

Research Success

In the last Research Excellence Framework exercise, over 75% of research activity in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences was judged to be internationally excellent or world-leading, whilst Queen’s University Belfast was ranked 8th in the UK for research intensity.

Assessment

Postgraduate students in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences will receive ongoing training in scientific writing, presentation and critical analysis as the basis for a research career. The School supports and challenges its postgraduate research students through robust annual progress review, requiring satisfactory assessment of written work, symposia presentations, supervisor reports and panel interview, the success of which is evidenced by its excellent completion rates. At the end of their postgraduate research training period, students are required to submit a thesis of their research of appropriate length and content which is assessed by an oral examination conducted by an external and internal examiner.

Feedback

Postgraduate research students in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences receive feedback on their written and oral work throughout the period of registration for their degree. This may be both formal and informal and is provided regularly by their supervisors, peers, academic/postdoctoral colleagues, and annual progress review panel.

The majority of postgraduate research students within the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences continue to successfully secure appropriate employment upon completion of their studies. Chosen careers are generally relevant to their qualification within industry, academia and the National Health Service and have included postdoctoral research across the world, clinical/non-clinical academia, return to full-time clinical work, medical writing, industry research, management/financial consultancy, and R&D software development. The School runs a dedicated careers session at its annual Postgraduate Research Forum and careers-focussed peer mentoring from postdoctoral researchers whilst students are expected to discuss potential careers with their supervisors as part of their individual Postgraduate Development Programme.

Employment after the Course

All postgraduate research students can avail of careers advice from the Graduate School whilst postdoctoral employment opportunities are highlighted at the annual School Postgraduate Research Forum within a dedicated session. Students should also discuss potential careers with their supervisors as a central focus of their individual Postgraduate Development Programme.