Researching at York

The Centre and the University - integrated research, international impact

• The University of York has an international reputation for research excellence. The University is one of only a handful of post-war institutions to be consistently ranked in the world top 100 Universities and has been named as the Time Higher Education Award University of the Year 2010

• Since opening in 2005, the CII has become recognised as a leading facility in the fields of immunology, pathogen biology and experimental medicine, attracting the best researchers in their fields from across the globe and publishing its research in the highest impact international journals

• The Centre has recently expanded into state-of-the-art new premises and benefits from the adjoining Technology Facility which offers access to over £7 million worth of state-of-the-art equipment for the biosciences overseen by nineteen expert staff members

• CII has an impressive track record in winning external grants, with major programmes including:
  
  • the development of the first new vaccine for Leishmaniasis, due to enter clinical trial in 2012
  • clinical trials for new drugs and vaccines to combat HIV
  • development of new lead compounds against sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis.

• Staff at the Centre work closely with colleagues in the Biology Department, the Hull York Medical School, Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry and Psychology, and the CII is a core hub for the Wellcome Trust funded CIDCATS (Combatting Infectious Disease: Computational Approaches in Translational Science) PhD programme

• The Centre hosts the Infection & Immunity seminar series which attracts internationally-renowned speakers
  

Further reasons for studying at York

• York has a very active, diverse and friendly postgraduate student population
• York is one of Europe's most historic and beautiful cities. It was recently voted Britain's best small city by the Rough Guides readers' survey
  
• The University is celebrated for its richly landscaped campus environment which, with its central lake, supports a variety of wildlife
• The University offer its students many and varied opportunities to develop a whole range of transferrable skills plus life-long support in realising their career aspirations
• For more information about the York student experience please see the University's web pages on student life
• If you are an overseas student, please see the dedicated information for international students on the University's web pages

Areas

Renowned Researchers - Life-saving Results

• Dr Mark Coles
  Immune regulation, 4D Imaging, T cell memory; leukaemia, haematopoiesis, stromal cells, organ development, 3D organization, cellular migration
• Dr Allison Green
  Foxp3; CD8; type 1 diabetes; TGF, autoimmunity; therapy; development and inflammation
  
• Professor Paul Kaye
  Immunology, inflammation, haematopoiesis, infection, leishmaniasis, antigen presentation, immune regulation, immunopathology
• Dr Marika Kullberg
  Mucosal immunology, inflammatory bowel disease, host-pathogen interactions, inflammation, infection, Helicobacter
• Professor Charles Lacey
  HIV, HPV, chlamydia, phase 1 trials, genital tract immunology
  
• Dr Dimitris Lagos
  microRNAs, RNA-binding proteins, innate immunity, viral infection, cellular differentiation and cancer, endothelial cell biology, long non-coding RNAs
• Dr Fabiola Martin
  HIV, HTLV, sexual health, brain disease, clinical trials, microbicides
• Dr Adrian Mountford
  Helminth infection, skin immunology, innate immunity, vaccine development, schistosomiasis, innate and acquired immunity to helminth infection, immunoregulation; skin immune responses to acne
• Dr Paul Pryor
  Membrane traffic, lysosomes, phagocytosis, intracellular pathogen survival mechanisms
• Dr Nathalie Signoret
  Chemokine receptor function and regulation, molecular mechanisms, mononuclear phagocytes; chemokine receptor cell biology, intracellular trafficking, cell signalling, chemotaxis.
• Professor Deborah Smith
  Parasitology, leishmaniasis, functional genomics; protozoa, differential gene expression, protein trafficking and secretion; leishmania proteomics, post-translational modification by acylation, parasite N-myristoyl transferases
• Dr Marjan van der Woude
  Bacterial pathogens, E.coli and Salmonella virulence, immune evasion, molecular microbiology, bacterial gene regulation and epigenetics, biofilms, population heterogeneity
  

Degree Structure

Types of research degrees

• The Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree is a research programme open only to qualified medical practitioners (those with an MBBS degree or equivalent) who have been Practising medicine for at least two years after graduation.
• A PhD is a higher degree awarded for a thesis presenting original research that is a significant contribution to scientific knowledge. In UK universities, the thesis is judged by two examiners who interview the student in a viva, which is a private oral examination. A PhD normally takes 3 to 4 years to complete.
• An MSc by Research student will follow an approved programme of research supervised by a member of academic staff. The thesis is assessed solely on the basis of that research by two individually appointed examiners. An MSc by Research normally takes 1 year to complete.

Typical format of the degree

• All students will be allocated to a supervisor (or where appropriate two supervisors) at the beginning of the first academic year; normally the student and supervisor(s) will already have met or corresponded before admission.
• Thesis Advisory Panel (TAP) meetings will be held usually a couple of times a year where your supervisor(s) plus at least one other member of staff will offer constructive feedback on your work and progress.
• Throughout the degree there will be the opportunity to pursue a programme of training in research and transferable skills tailored to your needs, as well as chances to present your own work through posters and talks.

Applying & Funding

Application procedures

Applications are accepted at any stage of the year

We strongly recommend that you make informal contact with the member of academic staff in whose work you are interested before making any formal application

You will be asked on your application form to provide a brief outline of your proposed research area. This, together with the other information you provide on the form, will be reviewed by the proposed supervisor, in consultation with another specialist in the relevant research area.

If you have not already visited us informally to meet and talk to the person with whom you are interested in working, and if it seems that your proposed field of research is one in which we are able to offer appropriate supervision, then you will normally be given the opportunity to come and talk to us about your plans, and see the University.

Applicants from overseas are particularly encouraged, wherever possible, to arrange with us a visit so that you can get a clear, first-hand impression of the Centre and its associated Departments, as well as the wider University and the City of York.

Our decision on your application will be based on our assessment of the potential for your successfully completing original doctoral research, which depends in part on whether we are able to offer you the necessary expert supervision.

Please note that the University pursues a policy of equal opportunities in offering places to read for postgraduate degrees, as in all appointments.

• Follow this link to apply for the PhD in Biology
• Follow this link to apply for the MSc by Research in Biology
• Follow this link to apply for one of the HYMS research programmes
  

Entry requirements

Details of entry requirements will depend on the course applied for and the nature of your qualifications, further information can be obtained from the links and contacts listed below.

A qualification in English as a foreign language will be required for countries or qualifications where the language of instruction is not English. Students who have successfully completed a recent undergraduate or taught masters degree at a UK University are normally exempt from the English Language requirement.

Further details can be obtained from the Biology and the HYMS postgraduate study websites or by contacting the Biology Graduate School Office: +44 (0)1904 328546, biol-pg-admissions@york.ac.uk or the HYMS Postgraduate Centre: +44 (0)1904 321360, postgraduate@hyms.ac.uk

Funding

Although the Centre itself does not have any fund to directly support postgraduate research, there are a substantial number of scholarships/studentships available to support research leading to a PhD. Your nationality and residency will determine which of the studentships you are eligible for. Please see the Biology Department web pages on funding, the HYMS web pages on fees, bursaries and funding and the University's web pages on fees and funding for further details.