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University gains Wellcome Trust funding for PhD training programme in infectious disease research

Posted on 4 February 2011

A new inter-disciplinary PhD programme that will offer novel approaches to research into infectious diseases will be launched by the University of York later this year.

The Wellcome Trust has awarded funding for 25 studentships over five years to support the establishment of the four-year doctoral training programme known as CIDCATS (Combating Infectious Disease: Computational Approaches in Translational Science).

It will provide students, particularly those with a background in non-biological sciences, maths and engineering, with in-depth knowledge of infectious diseases and training in the interdisciplinary skills necessary to conduct research in this critical area of biomedicine. The first students will arrive at York in October 2011.

The programme will focus on three key areas:

  • Drug Target Development
  • Predictive Modelling of Pathogenesis and Treatment Response
  • Development of Novel Tools for Complex Data Analysis.

Joint programme director, Professor Deborah Smith, said: “The aim is to deliver the next generation of scientists who will drive quantitative biology to support interdisciplinary research in the biomedical sciences.”

The new programme is a joint initiative of two research centres at York-- the Centre for Immunology and Infection (CII) and the York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis (YCCSA). It will be led and administered by the University’s Department of Biology. 

Staff across a broad range of departments at York, including Biology, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electronics and the Hull York Medical School (HYMS), will be responsible for training and research supervision. 

The programme will be directed by Professor Deborah Smith (Biology/CII) and Professor Reidun Twarock (Maths/Biology/YCCSA), working with a management group including Dr Leo Caves (Biology/YCCSA), Professor Paul Kaye (HYMS/CII), Dr Marjan van der Woude (HYMS/CII) and Dr Roddy Vann (Physics). 

Notes to editors:

Contact details

David Garner
Senior Press Officer

Tel: +44 (0)1904 322153

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