MSc by Research in Biomedical Science
This one-year research programme provides an opportunity for graduates with an interest in biomedical science to complete a masters level course during which they carry out a research project in their specific area of interest working under the supervision of an academic member of staff. Biomedical Science covers the area of basic science which focuses on the study of fundamental biological processes involved in health and disease. Spanning a wide variety of disciplines in the life and physical sciences, biomedical research employs cross-disciplinary approaches with the overall aim to understand and treat disease.
This is not a taught course and does not require completion of specific taught modules. The MSc by Research is often a popular choice for those wanting a full-time research experience and can provide a valuable stepping stone to those wishing to embark on a PhD programme.
Therefore, depending on the specific nature of your project, you will have the opportunity to obtain the following academic designations upon completion:
MSc by Research in Biomedical Science
MSc by Research in Biomedical Science (Biomedical Technologies)
MSc by Research in Biomedical Science (Chemical and Structural Biology)
Studying across a range of disciplines you will have access to tailored York Biomedical Research Institute (YBRI) training activities focussed on the biomedical sciences and the core YBRI themes:
- Immunology, haematology and infection
- Molecular and cellular medicine
- Neuroscience
Overview
Degree awarded: MSc by Research in Biomedical Science
Length of study: 12 months
Entry requirements: We require applicants to hold or expect to gain an Lower Second class Honours degree 2:2 (or equivalent) in a related subject area for entry into this Masters programme.
Fees: Find information about fees for research degrees here.
Funding: We welcome applications at any time from those who are able to fund their own studies. Find more information on funding for postgraduate courses here.
Projects: A description of potential project areas and supervisors can be found by scrolling down to the bottom of this page.
Start dates: Start date options are 1 Oct and 1 Jan
Policy on Research degrees: The Policy on Research Degrees sets out University policy on research degree programmes.
English language: If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. For more information see our Postgraduate English language requirements.
International students: The University’s page for International Students has all of the information you need regarding applying to study at York. Pages of particular interest may include:
- Country specific information
- Visas and immigration
- New international students
- International offer holders
If you have any questions, please contact biomed-sciences-phd@york.ac.uk - this is the central contact for the MSc by Research and PhD in Biomedical Sciences.
Programme description
York’s MSc by Research in Biomedical Science aims to bring students from all over the world to our first class research facilities. Over a one-year period you will develop and execute research in your chosen field.
Areas of research fall within, but are not limited to, the diverse biomedical portfolio of our academic staff, including neuroscience, molecular and cellular medicine, immunology, haematology, infection, chemical and structural biology, biophysics, and bioengineering.
Working under the supervision of world-leading, research-active supervisors, you will be encouraged to contribute to the development of new techniques, ideas or approaches as you pursue research in biomedical science at an advanced level.
The MSc by Research in Biomedical Science has the following contributing departments; Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Health Sciences, The School of Physics, Engineering, and Technology (PET) and Hull York Medical School (HYMS), as partners in the York Biomedical Research Institute (YBRI).
How to Apply
We welcome applications at any time.
Please review the list of supervisors and their research interests at the bottom of this page, and choose up to three supervisors to consider your application. You can either make contact with these supervisors before applying, to discuss potential research projects, or you can describe your interest in the supervisor’s research area on your application form.
Submit your application using this form. Please include the names of the supervisors you would like to consider your application in the ‘Research Proposal’ section of the form.
You will need the following documents ready to upload - make sure you follow our guidance on preparing these documents:
- Your academic transcript/s
- A short (one page) personal statement to explain your background, relevant experience, research interests and why the project/s you have selected appeal to you. You should also explain your motivation for applying to the biomedical sciences programme. Find more guidance for writing a personal statement here.
- Your CV (curriculum vitae). The CV should be approximately two pages long and should include this information.
Training and cohort-building programme
A dedicated Biomedical Science training and cohort-building programme will draw on the training offered by the collaborating departments, whilst offering the students on the programme additional training and opportunities to promote collaboration and networking across the programme.
Cohort activities will include: a monthly journal club, an annual research symposium, and other cross-departmental YBRI seminars and events.
Mentoring
All new research students are offered mentorship from within the existing research student community. For those new to York, mentors work in the same research area. Those who have previously studied at York will be offered a mentor working in a different research area. The mentor partnership is a means to explore options and understand more about working as a research student at the University of York.
The York Graduate Research School (YGRS) connects more than 2,000 postgraduate researchers (PGRs) across all disciplines and brings together the support you need to make the most of your research project.
Meet our Students
I’m Ben and I recently graduated from the University of York with a postgraduate research degree in Biomedical Sciences, awarded by the York Biomedical Research Institute (YBRI). I first came to York in 2017, completing my undergraduate qualification in Biology where I found my interest in bladder research. York’s outstanding reputation for biomedical science (BMS) and the ability to have a degree of research independence was what led me to applying for the Biomedical Science MSc by Research programme.
Over the year, I worked alongside colleagues in the Jack Birch Unit of Molecular Carcinogenesis on a project collating information on fat signalling in the urinary bladder. A Master’s in BMS with YBRI is a fast-paced degree and my colleagues instantly helped me to feel part of the research team and I am so grateful for the opportunity to work in the lab led by Prof Jenny Southgate. On top of the technical research skills I learnt, a YBRI BMS programme teaches you project management, communication and analysis skills that are vital for any career path. The MSc by Research motivated me to continue with a career in research and I was fortunate enough to be accepted onto a PhD programme at the University of Manchester. I believe that my master’s year propelled me to where I am now, continuing in the same field. The course gives you the chance to be more independent and continue developing your research skills, almost acting as a stepping-stone before the commitment of a PhD. That was my paramount reason for choosing the degree programme and I was not disappointed!
Supervisors and project areas
Please see potential project areas and supervisors listed below. Follow the guidance in the How To Apply section above to submit an application.
Immunology, haematology and infection
| Supervisor | Department | Research Interests |
|---|---|---|
| Prof Luke Alphey | Biology | Synthetic biology; genetics; vectors; arboviruses; translation |
| Prof Fred Antson | Chemistry | Protein-nucleic acid interactions |
| Prof Daniela Barillà | Biology | Genome segregation, antibiotic resistance, chromosome & plasmid biology, DNA-protein interactions |
| Dr Gavin Barlow | HYMS | Infection; Antibiotics; Antimicrobials; Biomarkers; Prognosis |
| Dr Christoph Baumann | Biology | A variety of cellular processes, including transcription, replication and recombination, involve simultaneous melting and unwinding of the two DNA strands, and translocation of the strands within a DNA-bound protein complex. |
| Dr Jamie Blaza | Chemistry | CryoEM; Electron-tomography; Bacteria; Bioenergetics; Pathogens |
| Dr Dave Boucher | Biology | Inflammasome and protease signalling |
| Dr Katherine Bridge | Biology | Understanding and targeting the hypoxic response in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) |
| Dr Mathieu Cayla | Biology | Parasitology; Trypanosome; Signalling; Autophagy; Differentiation |
| Prof James Chong | Biology | Anaerobic applied systems biology |
| Dr Cecile Crosnier | Biology | Schistosoma; Recombinant proteins; Immunomodulation; Protein interactions; Parasitology |
| Dr Simon Crouch | Health Sciences | Biostatistics; Stochastic Modelling; Predictive Modelling; Big Data; Haematological Malignancies |
| Prof Anne-Kathrin Duhme-Klair | Chemistry | Metal ions in biology and medicine |
| Dr Joana R. Correia Faria | Biology | Gene expression; Nuclear-architecture; Microscopy; Proteomics; Next-generation-sequencing |
| Prof Adele Fielding | HYMS | Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), microenvironment, cancer-associated fibroblasts, clinical trials, biobanking |
| Dr Paul Fogg | Biology | Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT), which is a fundamental and powerful process for the exchange of genes between bacteria. |
| Prof Allison Green | HYMS | Autoimmunity; Type 1 diabetes; Thymic B cells; Immune system ageing; Preclinical and clinical models of disease |
| Dr William Grey | Biology | Stem Cells; Proteostasis; Haematopoiesis; Leukaemia; Cancer |
| Dr Michelle Hawkins | Biology | Bacteria; DNA replication; Helicases; Replication termination; Biochemistry |
| Dr James Hewitson | Biology | Mammalian immune responses to parasitic worm infections. |
| Dr Chris Hill | Biology | Structural biology; RNA biology; Viruses; Gene expression; Translational control |
| Prof Ian Hitchcock | Biology | My group have identified a key interaction between a cell surface receptor and a mutated protein that is essential for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) development. |
| Dr Daniel Jeffares | Biology | Population and comparative genomics. Incuding quantative genetics, landscape genetics and the evolution of drug resistance. |
| Prof Steven Johnson | School of Physics, Engineering & Technology | Biosensors, Infection, Electrochemistry, Microfluidics, Co-design. |
| Prof Paul Kaye | HYMS | The immunopathology of leishmaniasis, with emphasis both on exploring opportunities for developing novel host-directed therapies and also for gaining new insight into myeloid cell function. |
| Prof David Kent | Biology | The biology of adult blood stem cells and the process by which single blood stem cells are subverted to drive blood cancers such as leukaemia. |
| Dr Ioannis Kourtzelis | HYMS | The study of mechanisms that orchestrate the onset and resolution of sterile and pathogen-induced inflammation. |
| Prof Thomas Krauss | School of Physics, Engineering & Technology | Photonic nanostructures; Optical biosensors; Antimicrobial susceptibility test; Nanofabrication technology |
| Prof Dimitris Lagos | HYMS | The overarching working hypothesis of our work is that modulation of immune responses is a key function of non-coding RNAs in mammals and that coordination of the machineries that control non-coding and coding RNA metabolism is required for optimal mammalian immunity. |
| Prof Alison Layton | HYMS | Acne; Scarring; Clinical Trials; Antimicrobial resistance; Psycho-dermatology |
| Prof Mark Leake | Biology & School of Physics, Engineering & Technology | Biophysics; Single-molecule; Bioimaging; Super-resolution; Single-cell |
| Dr Amanda Mason-Jones | Health Sciences | Sexually transmitted infections; Epidemiology; Violence; Public health prevention; Children and young people. |
| Dr Sean Meaden | Biology | Phage-bacteria interactions; phage defence systems; metagenomics; soil microbiome; microbial ecology. |
| Prof Jeremy Mottram | Biology | Molecular genetics, cell biology and biochemistry of Leishmania, the parasitic protozoan that causes the neglected tropical disease leishmaniasis |
| Dr Elmarie Myburgh | HYMS | My research focusses on the complex interplay between pathogens and their hosts, with a particular interest in the kinetoplastids Leishmania and African trypanosomes. |
| Prof Rob Newton | Health Sciences | Cancer; Infections; Africa; HIV; Immunity |
| Dr Samadhan Patil | School of Physics, Engineering & Technology | Point-of-care diagnostics; Bio-sensors; Metabolomics; Antimicrobial resistance; Bio-mechanics |
| Dr Damian Perez Mazliah | HYMS | B cells; Antibodies; Parasites; Chagas disease; Trypanosoma |
| Dr Michael Plevin | Biology | Biomolecular recognition and the structural and chemical features that define interaction surfaces of proteins and nucleic acids. |
| Dr Natalie Prow | HYMS | Vaccinology; Skin delivery; Immunogenicity; Efficacy |
| Dr Kim Robinson | HYMS | Innate immunity; Skin biology; inflammatory skin disease; Inflammasome; 3D skin organotypics |
| Prof Eve Roman | Health Sciences | Haematological malignancies; Childhood cancers; Epidemiological methods; Adverse reproductive events |
| Dr Nathalie Signoret | HYMS | Chemokines and their receptors have emerged as essential controls for the trafficking and activation of immune cells, in both homeostatic and inflammatory conditions. Our research aims to define how these molecules influence immune responses and establish the mechanisms by which they exert their activity. |
| Prof Alex Smith | Health Sciences | Epidemiology; Leukaemia; Lymphoma; Myeloma |
| Prof Gavin Thomas | Biology | The Thomas group has two main interests that are linked by the bacterium Escherichia coli. We are interested in the mechanisms used by different bacteria, mainly huma |
| Prof Reidun Twarock | Biology & Maths | The structure and assembly of viruses. Viruses have a protein shell that encapsulates and hence provides protection for the viral genome. |
| Dr Katrien van Boxclaer | HYMS | Skin drug delivery; topical formulation development; skin models; cutaneous leishmaniasis |
| Prof Marjan Van der Woude | HYMS | Current projects are centred around molecular biology of bacterial pathogens. One centres around AT3 proteins, and work to elucidate specific molecular pathways involved in biofilm formation in Staph aureus (Pearson C et al, Newman K et al). A project to link to our Bottery et al publication can be discussed. |
| Dr Pegine Walrad | Biology | Kinetoplastid parasites which cause human disease worldwide; afflicting the poorest of society. |
| Prof James Walsh | School of Physics, Engineering & Technology | Biofilms; reactive oxygen species; cold plasma; antimicrobial resistance; decontamination |
| Prof Tony Wilkinson | Chemistry | Structure function analysis of proteins relevant to (i) disease processes and drug discovery in parasites and (ii) cell fate and virulence in spore-forming bacteria |
| Dr Laurence Wilson | School of Physics, Engineering & Technology | Imaging; Bioinformatics; Parasitology; Biological physics; Motility |
| Prof Gavin Wright | Biology & HYMS | The Wright Laboratory is interested in identifying new therapeutic targets for both genetic and infectious diseases by using systematic large-scale protein-based approaches to discover extracellular receptor-ligand interactions that are essential for cellular recognition processes. |
| Dr Miko Yamada | HYMS | Molecular pathology in skin; clinical trial; transdermal delivery; imaging; Biomarker discovery in skin diseases |
Molecular and cellular medicine
| Supervisor | Department | Research Interests |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Jon Agirre | Chemistry | Structural biology; protein glycosylation; post-translational modifications; method development; alphafold. |
| Dr Kofi Appiah | Computer Science | Computer Vision; Embedded Systems; Machine Learning; Deep Learning; Medical Imaging |
| Dr Simon Baker | Biology | Epithelial; Carcinogenesis; Transcriptomics; Genomics; Mutational signatures |
| Dr Gonzalo Blanco | Biology | Understanding the mechanisms underlying muscle plasticity |
| Dr Will Brackenbury | Biology | Ion channels, membrane excitability and cancer |
| Prof Nia Bryant | Biology | Control of Intracellular Membrane Traffic |
| Prof Marek Brzozowski | Chemistry | Structural endocrinology; Membrane proteins; Development of methods for protein crystallisation |
| Dr Manish Chauhan | School of Physics, Engineering & Technology | Soft robotics (for biomedical applications); Microbiology; Robot-assisted medical devices; Optical fibre technology (spectroscopy); Medical diagnostics and therapeutic interventions |
| Dr Victor Chechik | Chemistry | Magnetic nanoparticles; Nanoparticle drug delivery; Reactive oxygen species; Free radicals; EPR spectroscopy |
| Prof Dawn Coverley | Biology | Cell cycle; Nuclear architecture; Early detection of cancer |
| Prof Gideon Davies | Chemistry | Structural enzymology and carbohydrate chemistry |
| Dr Helen Davies | Environment and Geography | Asthma triggers; In-vitro lung cell/gas exposure experiments; Asthma alarmin expression; Lung Chemistry Modelling; Indoor Air Chemistry Modelling |
| Dr Martin Fascione | Chemistry | Chemical glycobiology and glycomedicine |
| Prof Paul Genever | Biology | Stem cells and regenerative medicine. Repair and regeneration of skeletal tissues |
| Dr Yvette Hancock | School of Physics, Engineering & Technology | Label-free methods; Biomolecular stratification; Biomarkers; Clinical translation; Raman spectroscopy |
| Dr Andrew Holding | Biology | How cells respond to steroid hormones, both in cancer and in healthy tissues, with a focus on breast cancer |
| Prof Neil Hunt | Chemistry | Physical chemistry |
| Prof Roland Kroger | School of Physics, Engineering & Technology | Ex situ and In situ Transmission Electron Microscopy; Bone and Teeth Structure; Composition and Properties; Raman Spectroscopy |
| Dr Chris MacDonald | Biology | Membrane trafficking; Cell surface membrane proteins; Yeast genetics; Fluorescence microscopy; Biochemistry |
| Dr Andrew Mason | Biology | Cancer; Bioinformatics; Functional Genomics; Endogenous Retroviruses |
| Dr Agnes Noy | School of Physics, Engineering & Technology | Molecular modelling; DNA supercoiling; DNA:protein recognition; 3D genomics; gene therapy |
| Prof Peter O'Brien | Chemistry | Fragment-based drug discovery; SARS-CoV-2; chemical biology; medicinal chemistry; organic synthesis |
| Prof Betsy Pownall | Biology | Embryonic development orchestrates the proliferation and differentiation of many hundreds of cell types that will interact to form tissues, underpinning organ and organismal function |
| Prof Tarl Prow | HYMS | Transdermal drug delivery; Skin cancer detection; Cutaneous oncology; Nanoparticle drug delivery; Drug delivery devices |
| Dr Paul Pryor | HYMS | Lysosome biogenesis; Autophagy; Ageing; Cell biology; Membrane traffic |
| Prof Jenny Southgate | Biology | Human epithelial tissue homeostasis and regulation of differentiation versus regeneration in health and disease, including cancer |
| Dr Chris Spicer | Chemistry | Bioconjugation and biomaterials for tissue engineering. We are particularly interested in developing new methods to functionalise materials with proteins in a controlled and specific way |
| Dr Lianne Willems | Chemistry | Chemical Biology of Carbohydrates and Carbohydrate-Processing Enzymes |
Neuroscience
| Supervisor | Department | Research Interests |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Daniel Baker | Psychology | Visual neuroscience; Binocular vision; Computational modelling; Amblyopia; Autism |
| Dr Heidi Baseler | HYMS | To understand the neural mechanisms specialised for processing central and peripheral vision, and how these mechanisms respond to sensory loss (visual or auditory) |
| Dr Scott Cairney | Psychology | Sleep; Memory; Emotion; Mental Health; Polysomnography |
| Dr Sangeeta Chawla | Biology | Transcriptional regulation of neuronal plasticity-associated and antioxidant genes |
| Dr Han-Jou Chen | Biology | Why do proteins aggregate and how that contributes to neurodegenerative diseases? |
| Prof Simon Duckett | Chemistry | Organometallic chemistry and reaction mechanisms |
| Dr Peter Ellison | Electronics | Bionics, medical devices, medical informatics, decision support tools |
| Dr Gareth Evans | Biology | Protein kinase signalling in neuronal development and neurological disorders |
| Dr Karla Evans | Psychology | Visual Awareness, Visual Neuroscience, Perceptual expertise in Radiology, Visual Long term memory |
| Prof Richard Gale | HYMS | Ophthalmology; Medical Retina; Neuroimaging; Macular Degeneration; Eye Disease |
| Prof Gareth Gaskell | Psychology | Sleep; Memory consolidation; Polysomnography; Development, Language |
| Dr Elena Geangu | Psychology | Infancy; Emotion; EEG; EMG; Eye-tracking |
| Dr Silke Göbel | Psychology | Developmental cognitive neuroscience; Numeracy development; Functions of the parietal lobe; Dyscalculia, Dyslexia |
| Dr Ines Hahn | Biology | Neurodegeneration; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Cytoskeleton; Microtubule Dynamics; Drosophila primary neurons |
| Dr David Halliday | Electronics | Computational Neuroscience, Neural signal processing |
| Dr Noemie Hamilton | Biology | Translational Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Immunology, Zebrafish in vivo models, Live imaging |
| Dr Tom Hartley | Psychology | Hippocampus, Dementia, fMRI, Computational modelling, Neural networks |
| Prof Lisa Henderson | Psychology | Development, Language, Disorders, Autism, Sleep |
| Dr Hannah Hobson | Psychology | Autism; developmental language disorder; mental health; language and communication; psychology |
| Dr Aidan Horner | Psychology | Memory; Dementia; Hippocampus; fMRI; MEG |
| Dr Clara Humpston | Psychology | Schizophrenia; Mental health; Neuropsychiatry; Pharmacology; Neurochemistry |
| Dr Rebecca Jackson | Psychology | Computational modelling; Semantic cognition; Executive control; fMRI; MEG |
| Prof Beth Jefferies | Psychology | Semantic; fMRI; MEG; TMS; Memory |
| Dr Kenji Kobayashi | Psychology | Decision-making; Information Seeking; Computational Modelling; Functional MRI; Multivoxel Pattern Analysis (MVPA) |
| Dr Fiona McNab | Psychology | Working Memory; Distraction; fMRI; Ageing |
| Prof Tony Morland | Psychology | fMRI; Visual Neuroscience; psychophysics; evoked potentials and field; transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) |
| Dr Adar Pelah | School of Physics, Engineering & Technology | Visual-perception; Sensory-motor; Locomotion; Virtual-reality-biofeedback; Rehabilitation |
| Dr Alex Pike | Psychology | Mental health; Eating disorders; Anxiety disorders; Computational psychiatry; Neuroimaging |
| Dr Steven Quinn | School of Physics, Engineering & Technology | Single-molecule spectroscopy; Alzheimer’s disease; Fluorescence, FRET, Model-membranes |
| Prof Stephen Smith | School of Physics, Engineering & Technology | AI and Machine Learning; Intelligent medical devices; Neurodegenerative conditions; Cell tracking, Characterisation and classification; Analysis and characterisation of Raman spectra |
| Prof Sean Sweeney | Biology | Min neurons, the endosome regulates signals controlling synapse growth. Appropriate regulation of synaptic growth is a key mechanism in refining the fidelity of synaptic communication |
| Prof Christina Van Der Feltz-Cornelis | HYMS & Health Sciences | Psychiatry; Epidemiology; Translational research; Inflammation; Microbiome |
| Prof Alex Wade | Psychology | Vision, Attention, fMRI, EEG, Neuroimaging |