🔍 Summary: The Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, is offering a fully-funded PhD position under the Precision Medicine Doctoral Training Programme. The project, “Epidemiological and Molecular Prediction of Severe Infection Response,” focuses on understanding why individuals respond differently to infections such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2 — from asymptomatic to severe illness.
Precision Medicine Doctoral Training Programme – Epidemiological and Molecular Prediction of Severe Infection Response
Supervised by Dr. Rob Young, Dr. Ting Shi, and Prof. Kenneth Baillie, this project combines epidemiology, genomics, and bioinformatics to identify risk factors, molecular signatures, and potential therapeutic targets related to severe infection responses.
📘 Summary Table
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Precision Medicine Doctoral Training Programme – Epidemiological and Molecular Prediction of Severe Infection Response |
| Designation | PhD Student (Doctoral Researcher) |
| Research Area | Precision Medicine, Epidemiology, Genomics, Bioinformatics |
| Supervisors | Dr. Rob Young, Dr. Ting Shi, Prof. Kenneth Baillie |
| Institute/Centre | Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh |
| Location | Edinburgh, United Kingdom |
| Eligibility/Qualification | Strong background in computational biology, biostatistics, genomics, or related field; experience with R or Linux preferred |
| Application Deadline | Monday, 12 January 2026 |
| Programme Start | Academic Year 2026–27 |
| Application Portal | EUCLID Application System – University of Edinburgh |
| Additional Requirement | Must upload the Precision Medicine Recruitment Form and CV with the EUCLID application |
🎯 Project Overview
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how individual responses to infection vary — from asymptomatic carriers to critically ill patients. This PhD project aims to uncover the molecular and epidemiological factors that determine these differences. By analyzing large-scale population data and gene expression profiles, the research will identify risk factors, biomarkers, and molecular pathways involved in severe infection responses.
🧬 Project Aims
- Identification of Risk Factors
- Use population-wide datasets (e.g., DataLoch, covering ~900,000 individuals) to determine socio-economic, clinical, and laboratory predictors of severe infection responses.
- Transcriptomic Characterisation
- Utilize GenOMICC cohort data and perform Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE) to identify active regulatory elements and molecular targets linked to high-risk infections.
- Bioinformatics Analysis
- Apply computational and statistical techniques to find the minimal biomarker sets distinguishing high- and low-risk infection outcomes, revealing potential drug targets and regulatory pathways.
📚 Training and Skill Development
Students will gain hands-on experience in:
- Epidemiological modeling and statistical analysis
- Integration of large-scale health records and ‘omics’ data
- Bioinformatics workflows for gene regulatory network analysis
- Using computational tools such as R, Python, and Linux
- Translating genomic insights into biomedical and clinical applications
By completion, students will have the interdisciplinary expertise to transition across clinical, epidemiological, and computational domains in biomedical research.
✅ Eligibility / Qualifications
- Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a first-class or upper-second-class undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in biomedical sciences, computational biology, bioinformatics, or related disciplines.
- Prior experience in R programming, data analysis, or Linux environments is advantageous.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with an interest in precision medicine and infection biology.
- International and domestic candidates are welcome to apply.
💼 Job Description
The successful PhD candidate will:
- Conduct research on infection outcome prediction using population-scale data and functional genomics.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams at the Usher Institute and Human Technopole, Milan.
- Perform computational analyses and contribute to peer-reviewed publications.
- Present research findings at conferences and contribute to the wider goals of the Precision Medicine Doctoral Training Programme.
📝 How to Apply
- Apply through the EUCLID application system.
- Indicate the specific project title: “Epidemiological and Molecular Prediction of Severe Infection Response” in the research proposal section.
- Upload the following documents:
- Completed Precision Medicine Recruitment Form (DOCX, 878.56 KB)
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Academic transcripts and supporting documents
- Optional: Attend the 30-minute Q&A session hosted by the project supervisors in early December 2025 (link TBC).
⏰ Last Date to Apply
Monday, 12 January 2026
