Immunology and Immunotherapy - PhD

Our Immunology and Immunotherapy PhD/MSc by Research in the Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy will provide you with the necessary skills to contribute to research of immunology, the science of how the body protects itself, and immunotherapy, the treatment of disease through the immune system.

Such approaches promise the opportunity of controlling and curing diseases such as cancer, common autoimmune disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.

You will work amongst the very best researchers to produce original and distinctive globally leading research, with the ultimate goal to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients fighting diseases.

Our PhD/MSc by Research program will provide you with high quality research training to enable you to conduct independent investigative research.

You can choose from a wide range of research areas within Immunology and Immunotherapy covering:

• Cellular, Immune and Gene Therapy for Cancer
• Structural Biology and Biomarkers
• Tumour immunology
• Immunology
• Translational Immunology

You will work closely with your supervisory team who will help you clarify your project and support your development. Your thesis will represent an original contribution to knowledge and demonstrate independent judgement.

Why study this course?

When you join your programme you will become part of the Graduate School within the College of Medical and Dental Sciences giving you access to:

• Supervision from leading academics to support you through your research programme including research techniques and training.
• Training and development courses to enable you to gain research and generic (transferable) training skills
• Opportunities to attend and take part in Research Poster festivals and other postgraduate activities to boost your academic and networking skills
• An allocated academic mentor so you can access pastoral support
• State-of-the art facilities to support a range of teaching, learning and research activity with access to dedicated write up rooms, libraries, and computer facilities.

Employability

The University of Birmingham is the Times and The Sunday Times University of the Year for Graduate Employment 2016. This coveted accolade places Birmingham as the UK’s number one university for securing a graduate-level job. We have a global reputation for producing sought after graduates and are:

• 4th for employability in the Guardian University Guide 2017.
• the 11th most targeted university by leading employers in the 2016 High Fliers Graduate Market report.
• ranked as 65th in the world for employer reputation by QS World University rankings.
• listed as 12th in the UK in The Global Employability University Ranking 2016. The rankings illustrate the top 150 universities most frequently selected by global employers.

In the College of Medical and Dental Sciences our average Graduate Employability rate is 97% since 2012. A high proportion of our postgraduate research students go onto roles such as Postdoctoral Researcher, Teaching Fellow, Research Fellow within the University and local NHS hospitals as well as moving into pharmaceutical and research and development sectors.

Students need to have 2:1 honours degree in a subject relevant to the research area.