university of edinburgh phd medicine

• Schools & departments

What is the Doctoral College?

The University of Edinburgh Doctoral College is a coordinating structure for all postgraduate researchers, supervisors and relevant staff at the university, designed to enhance and support the postgraduate student experience. 

For information and resources for research staff, please see the Research Staff Pages:   https://www.ed.ac.uk/researchers

A Doctoral College Welcome Event for all Postgraduate Researchers was held on 12th September 2023. A recording of this event is available to watch here -  https://edin.ac/3PIYbYv 

A Town Hall Event for all Postgraduate Researchers ran on the 23rd January 2024 - A recording of this event is available to watch here - Recording

PhD stories

Our extraordinary PhD students come from all walks of life and all backgrounds. In this collection of short videos, some of them share their experiences -   PhD Stories

Vision and strategy

The purpose of the Doctoral College, our vision and strategic objectives.

People and structure

About the Doctoral College leadership and management structure, and the wider Doctoral College team.

Personal and professional development and training

Information about professional, careers and personal development training and opportunities for  UoE   PGR  students.

Wellbeing, community and representation

Information on student representation, wellbeing services and opportunities for engagement.

Support for PGR supervision

Information and guidance for staff who supervise research students.

Doctoral training centres

Information on funded PhD training programmes and support for directors and administrators of these programmes.

Essential information for postgraduate researchers

Code of Practice for Supervisors and Research Students (PDF)

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences - PGR pages

College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine - PGR pages

College of Science and Engineering  (EASE log in required)

Information for prospective postgraduate research students

New student pages

Postgraduate study degree finder

This article was published on 2023-12-07

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Orthopaedic and Trauma Medicine PhD

The university of edinburgh, different course options.

• Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, similar courses at different universities, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.

PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

Subject areas

Orthopedics Medicine (General)

Course type

Research profile

We offer a comprehensive research programme suitable for PhDs and MSc students, covering a diverse range of musculoskeletal disorders.

There are ongoing projects in the following areas: musculoskeletal tissue engineering; stem cells; regenerative medicine; orthopaedic engineering; modelling of the musculoskeletal system; osteoporosis; fracture repair; clinical outcome studies

Training and support

On entering the programme, you are assigned to the relevant research group. Your progress is monitored by a thesis committee convened from members within these groups.

You will participate in a monthly graduate seminar programme, presenting your analysis of original research.

You are encouraged to present your findings at national and international conferences. You are also encouraged to publish your findings in international journals, in advance of the submission of your PhD theses for examination.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

To be confirmed

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

For this course (per year)

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent.

Prosthetics & Orthotics Rehabilitation Studies MSc/PgDip/PgCert

University of strathclyde, rehabilitation studies: physiotherapy in women's health msc / pgdip / pgcert, university of bradford, rehabilitation studies: continence for physiotherapists msc /pgdip / pgcert, orthopaedic trauma science online msc, queen mary university of london, msc surgical care practitioner (trauma and orthopaedic surgery), university of plymouth.

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Precision Medicine…

…by Greg / from the United Kingdom / PhD Precision Medicine / 4th Year

Current status. Location: Ayrshire , UK. Weather: rain. Beverage: water. Currently reading: Fooled by Randomness by NNT & A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

I’m Greg, and I have been a scientist for the last nine years. I’m studying for my PhD in physiology. I’m currently on annual leave for Christmas, but this blog is all about precision medicine.

I am a member of the Precision Medicine DTP at the Edinburgh University. Precision medicine is all about separating diseases into smaller groups. This is usually for a treatment but can also be for diagnostic purposes. Precision medicine is classically applied in cancer. A patient’s cancer is usually described from its point of origin. For example, renal cancer begins in the kidneys, liver cancer in the liver, etc. When the cancer is removed, the tissue is sent for pathology to provide a molecular description of the tumour and that molecular description is used to get a better idea of the disease progression and predict which treatments are most likely to be effective. The classic example of this is the presence of HER2 in breast cancer indicates that Herceptin can be effective. This approach has been one of the many reasons more people are surviving cancer. For that reason, precision medicine has attracted other interest from other fields. I study hypertension which is a combination of vascular biology, cardiology and nephrology. I use a precision medicine approach to identify differences in the immune system and how the different affects it has on blood pressure in men and women.

The precision medicine programme is split between the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow and is funded by the Medical Research Council. For me, the training was 3.5 years long with 6 months extra for writing however, due to Covid-19, it is now 4 years for me. The programme is a little different to others because it has a heavy focus on teaching. Unlike others, in the first year I had to do 30 credits of postgraduate modules (I choose a project on practical systems biology and another on medical statistics). I also had the opportunity to complete a business innovation course later in my studies and travel for a 1-week course at the Karolinska Institut in Stockholm, Sweden. All of this was fully funded! The course isn’t only about teaching and it does have a strong research focus especially towards big data and interdisciplinary skills development.

Last month, we had the annual precision medicine conference. This year, as with everything, it was online. It was my first online 3-day conference. I can’t say this enough but sitting listening to people talk computer screen for days is tough! However, it was nice to see many of my friends presenting their research and see how well we have all developed over the last 3.5 years. As well as lots of exciting research (I am biased here), I gave a talk updating my colleagues on my recent findings in hypertension (more here ). We had some talks on thesis writing, careers and a thesis writing masterclass. I’m definitely going to make a few changes to my thesis drafts (perhaps more on that another time)! The conference nicely bookended an unusual year and for the remaining two weeks I worked on completing my remaining tasks for the year and preparing for the next round of experiments in January and February 2021.

I think that concludes my blog for the year. All that is left to say is Merry Christmas.

You can find out more about my life in Edinburgh and science on my Twitter @endothelin1 and about my career on LinkedIn.

Posted by stories

15th January 2021

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School of Engineering

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SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Machine Learning for Medical Imaging

Medical imaging plays a crucial role in improving public health for all populations. With the imaging techniques becoming more common and more advanced, ways of analysing medical images are increasingly needed to fully exploit the contained information. Machine leaning for medical imaging is now an important growth area. Machine learning algorithms have shown their capability in learning complex tasks, even beyond human perception. This has led to substantial interest in the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning for medical image computing, which can enable fast and early diagnosis and clinical decision making, and will ultimately support a major redesign of clinical pathways to improve outcomes and efficiency.   The PhD research will explore the important topics of investigating machine learning solutions to improve the entire medical imaging workflow. Particularly, the research project will focus on equipping deep neural networks with the ability of knowing what they do not know and quantifying their risk of failures, i.e. quantification of uncertainty/confidence and explanation of its source. Though deep learning methods have shown great success for their remarkable predictive performance, there is often a lack of consideration of their risk management. However, this is an urgent need for translating deep learning methods to such safety-critical medical imaging applications. The aim of the research is to allow better understanding of deep learning models and their predictions via uncertainty quantification, and also to enable a more robust and reliable medical imaging workflow for safer diagnosis and treatment.  

The research is at the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare and has the potential to make significant positive impact on society by improving patient care through better diagnosis and treatment.

Further Information: 

The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity

Closing Date: 

Click here to Apply Now

Principal Supervisor: 

Dr Chen Qin

Eligibility: 

Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants .

Prospective students will have good first degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or other engineering-related disciplines. Experience in one or more of the following areas is also desired: machine learning, deep learning, mathematical modelling, and software engineering.

Funding: 

Tuition fees + stipend are available for Home/EU students (International students can apply, but the funding only covers the Home/EU fee rate)

Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for     scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere.

Further information and other funding options .

Informal Enquiries: 

[email protected]

THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

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School of Social and Political Science

Msc medical anthropology, introduction.

The deadline to apply for September 2024 entry is Monday 1 July 2024.

Investigate health, illness and medicine in a globalised world, from the perspective of both medical and social sciences

This programme studies health, illness and healing from a cross-cultural perspective.

With a focus on the understanding of health, illness and medicine in a globalised world, this programme allows you to engage with contemporary debates about old ills and emerging diseases, and explore both traditional forms of healing and modern medical technologies.

Intended for a diverse range of students, this distinctive and interdisciplinary programme will complement your background in anthropology or health sciences.

Medical anthropologists explore a wide range of medical practices, including both performative forms of healing (e.g., shamanism) and the newest biomedical technologies. Medical anthropologists are working in diverse fields: academic research, global health organisations, and health-focused NGOs. Concepts and methodologies from medical anthropology have become essential in all areas of global health research.

Our graduates

Graduates of the programme went on to work for international organizations and for health think tanks; won admission to some of the world's most prestigious Medical Schools (including Harvard and Yale); or continued to study for a PhD in Social Anthropology.

You will examine key questions in current medical anthropology from the perspective of both medical and social sciences, and address relevant issues, such as the way encounters between patients and professional healers are negotiated in varied cultural settings; the importance of political, economic and historical analysis to an understanding of the body; and the health-related effects of globalisation.

Our MSc in Medical Anthropology engages students with the field's distinctive approach to health and medicine. It takes students away from the idea that there is only one standardized "best practice" by showing an astounding diversity of therapeutic methods, ideas of disease causation, healer personalities, and spaces for healing.

Teaching combines lectures, seminars and tutorials, and you will produce essays and assessed coursework.

The programme works in close collaboration with the Global Public Health Unit and other subjects in the School of Social & Political Science.

You will complete two compulsory courses and four option courses. You are also encouraged to take the Development Research Methods course.

After the taught courses you will work towards your independently researched dissertation. 

Dissertation

The dissertation offers you the chance to do an in-depth study of a topic of your choice. Once the taught courses are successfully completed, you will spend the months from April until August researching and writing your dissertation under the supervision of a full-time member of staff. 

Previous dissertation topics include:

• Health as Society: Functions and Efficacy of Balinese Healing
• Emergence of Post-Traumatic Subjectivity. An Anthropological Critique of Medicalisation of Political Violence in Sri Lanka
• “Creating National Health and Corporate Wealth”. Genzyme, Gaucher Disease and the Challenges of Enzyme Replacement Therapy within the British National Health Service

Placement Based Dissertations

MSc in Medical Anthropology students are able to apply to the School of Social & Political Science's Placement Based Dissertation Scheme, which gives students the opportunity of basing their dissertation on eight-week work placement.

• Placement Based Dissertation Scheme

You will gain the conceptual and methodological skills to understand contemporary health practices in a wider context of social, political, and economic problems, and be able to work in academic and applied health research.

The programme also acts as a conversion MSc for those without training in anthropology who wish to progress to a research career.

In addition, you will develop a range of highly transferable skills, such as communication and project management, which can be applied to roles in any field.

Dynamic environment

Our MSc in Medical Anthropology is the largest of its kind in the UK, and is embedded in the work of the Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology.

As a student, you will be welcomed into our vibrant community as part of the Students of Medical Anthropology, and be able to take part in regular workshops, reading groups, and writing retreats. 

• Edinburgh Centre for Medical Anthropology
• Students of Medical Anthropology

This programme is affiliated with the University's:

• Global Health Academy
• Global Development Academy  

It works closely with other SPS departments:

• Global Public Health Unit
• Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

Students are encouraged to attend the huge number of health-related events across the University and to take full advantage of the opportunities for funding of student-led activities.

Altogether eight members of academic staff from Social Anthropology carry out research on the body, health, and medicine, giving students a fantastic range of courses to choose from. 

Listen to some of our staff talk about their work:

• Dr Stefan Ecks, on what's special about Edinburgh
• Dr. Alice Street, about her latest research
• Dr Ayaz Qureshi's presentation on 'HIV Prevention and Public Morality in Pakistan'

We are frequently asked what students should read before arriving for the degree, and to give a sense of materials encountered during the course.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started and which may be of interest to applicants:

Introductory texts

• Fadiman, A. 1998. The spirit catches you and you fall down: a Hmong child, her American doctors and the collision of two cultures: Farrar Straus & Giroux Inc.
• Lock, M. & V.-K. Nguyen. 2010. An anthropology of biomedicine. Oxford: Blackwell.
• Robert Poole & Wenzel Geissler (2005): Medical Anthropology. Open University Press. 

Further Reading 

• Anderson, W. 2008. Collectors of Lost Souls. Turning Kuru Scientists into Whitemen. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Caduff, C. 2015. The Pandemic, Perhaps: Dramatic Events in a Public Culture of Danger. University of California Press. 
• Paul Farmer (2004): Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights and the New War on the Poor. University of California Press.
• Fassin, D. 2007. When bodies remember: experiences and politics of AIDS in South Africa. Berkeley: University of California Press.
• Martin, E. 2009. Bipolar expeditions: mania and depression in American culture. Princeton and Oxford Princeton University Press.
• Mark Nichter (2008): Global Health: Why Cultural Perceptions, Social Representations, and Biopolitics Matter. University of Arizona Press. 
• Petryna, A., A. Lakoff & A. Kleinman. 2006. Global pharmaceuticals: ethics, markets, practices. Durham [N.C.], London: Duke University Press. 
• Rudrappa, S. 2015. Discounted Life: The Price of Global Surrogacy in India. New York University Press. 

Medical Anthropology at the University also has a book club, where we discuss key texts.

Recent books include: 

• J Biehl (2005): Vita: Life in a Zone of Social Abandonment. University of California Press.
• Sophie Day (2007) On the Game: Women and Sex Work. Pluto Press. 
• Angela Garcia (2010) The Pastoral Clinic: Addiction and Dispossession along the Rio Grande. University of California Press. 

Student Testimonials

Hear about studying Medical Anthropology with us from those who know it best: our students and graduates.

Hear from our students

Fully Funded Biomedical Sciences Education PhD at University of Edinburgh (deadline extended)

The University of Edinburgh is seeking a student who would like to do a PhD on Biomedical Sciences education, specifically on the topic of international and transnational education. The PhD is funded through a partnership with the Zhejiang-Edinburgh Institute in China. The student can have a broad STEM (biology, medicine, sciences) or educational background (or psychology, sociology, etc.), but will be keen to contribute to biomedical education.

The PhD is fully funded, situated primarily in Edinburgh, and open to international students. The original deadline was 3/29/24 but has been extended. Please send any questions about the program to Dr. Jacqueline Dohaney at [email protected]

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Opening a New Front Against Pancreatic Cancer

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A new type of investigational therapeutic in development for pancreatic cancer has shown unprecedented tumor-fighting abilities in preclinical models of the disease, suggesting it has the potential to offer novel treatment options for nearly all pancreatic tumors, a comprehensive study has found. 

Kenneth Olive (photo by Diane Bondareff for Columbia University Irving Medical Center)

The inhibitors in this new class of oral medications, being developed by Revolution Medicines Inc., target the oncogenic or active cancer-causing form of RAS proteins (such as KRAS, NRAS, and HRAS). These RAS “oncoproteins” drive up to a third of all human cancers. The research findings—conducted by a consortium of academic researchers led by Columbia scientists and the scientific team at Revolution Medicines—were published in a paper appearing today in Nature . 

Currently the third leading cause of death from cancer, pancreatic cancer kills about 50,000 people annually in the United States alone. Despite decades of research, the disease continues to stymie drug developers and oncologists. What’s especially frustrating is that scientists know exactly what causes most cases at the cellular level. “For over four decades, we have known that there’s one particular RAS protein, called KRAS, that’s mutated and drives about 95% of all pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cases, and we’ve had no direct tools to attack it for most of that time,” says Kenneth Olive, PhD , associate professor of medicine at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of the study’s senior authors. 

When the study’s co-senior author, Mallika Singh, PhD, vice president for translational research at Revolution Medicines, told Olive the company had invented a class of inhibitors that had the potential to target all RAS mutations , he was incredulous. “My immediate reaction was skepticism,” says Olive. “But I was curious, and we quickly established a collaboration.” 

Study results

Preclinical studies soon launched in the Olive lab at Columbia, led by Urszula Wasko, a PhD student in the molecular pharmacology graduate program. Early pilot experiments with RMC-7977 were remarkably effective. “We immediately knew we were working with something entirely different,” says Olive. At the same time, Olive and Revolution Medicines worked to bring together pancreatic cancer experts from other academic institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Memorial Sloan Kettering. “Rather than compete against one another, we established a consortium and agreed to share data in real time. That was transformative,” says Olive.  

Pancreatic cancer researchers have developed many different preclinical models of the disease over the years, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Rather than pick one, the expanded team tested RMC-7977 in all of them. “By unleashing a consortium of scientists on this problem, we were able to examine active RAS inhibition in every major class of model for pancreatic cancer, and this inhibitor performed really well in all,” says Olive. 

The preclinical tumor model Olive’s lab has long favored is widely recognized for its broad resistance to treatment. “RMC-7977 as a single agent outperformed the best combination regimen that has ever been reported in the literature in that model system,” he says, adding that it’s the first time he’s ever seen tumors routinely get smaller in those systems. Other models the consortium tested yielded similar results. 

Because RMC-7977 also inhibits wild-type RAS proteins essential to the health of many normal cells, the scientists also carefully examined normal tissues in the treated animals. This work showed that tumor cells are uniquely sensitive to the inhibitor, while the impact in normal cells was minimal. 

Though the initial responses in preclinical tumor models to the inhibitor were impressive, Olive hastens to point out that the tumors were not eliminated. 

“In almost every case, the tumor came back,” he says. In tissue culture, the investigators identified another oncogene, called MYC, that was altered in most of the resistant tumors, then developed a combination treatment that was effective against tumor cells that had developed resistance to the active RAS inhibitor. Those results suggest a combinatorial approach that is worth exploring in patients in the future. 

In a field with a long history of failed drug development efforts, the new results are cause for optimism, Olive says. “I’ve been working on pancreatic cancer for almost 20 years, and I’ve never seen preclinical results like these. I think there is a real chance this approach will help change the standard of care for pancreatic cancer patients, but only clinical trials can determine that. I’m excited that Columbia is one of many institutions participating in the clinical development of these new agents."

More information

The study, titled " Tumor-selective effects of RAS-GTP inhibition in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma ," was published on April 8, 2024, in Nature. 

The full list of authors is included in the article.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (T32GM119999, F31CA275260, T32CA009156, F32CA232529, T32CA009156, T32 CA071341, 1R01CA266558, 1U01CA274312, 5P01CA129243 and 5P30CA008748, R01CA276268, R01CA229803, P50CA257911, and R35CA232113), the American Cancer Society, the Lustgarten Foundation, Break Through Cancer, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and the Department of Defense (W81XWH2110692).

Disclosures are included in the article.

• Schools & departments

Genomics and Experimental Medicine PhD, MScR

Awards: PhD, MScR

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Genomics and Experimental Medicine

Discovery Day

Join us online on 18th April to learn more about postgraduate study at Edinburgh

View sessions and register

Research profile

The University of Edinburgh Centre for Genomics and Experimental Medicine (CGEM) is part of the MRC / University of Edinburgh Institute of Genetics and Cancer (IGC). CGEM’s mission is to use genetics and genomics to understand the mechanisms of disease and design novel intervention strategies. Our research has consistently obtained the highest possible ranking in national assessments of research excellence.

We undertake detailed studies of populations, families and individuals to study a wide range of health related conditions. We use state-of-the-art genetic, epigenetic, genomic, statistical, bioinformatic, biological and molecular approaches in model systems and clinical studies for systematic investigation of disease aetiology. With this knowledge, we aim to improve disease prediction, prevention and prognosis. Our translational agenda encompasses the development of new medicines and genetically-informed use of existing medicines in clinical trials.

We accept all self-funding/external funding applicants. We strongly recommend you apply as early as possible, at least one month prior to entry. To apply for any of our PhD programmes please select a date in the Applying section (for 4 year programmes, please select '3 Years').

Training and support

CGEM offers an exceptional, well-managed and well-equipped laboratory environment for cutting edge research and research training. Within CGEM there are ~25, and within the IGC over a hundred, PhD students, overseen by a well-established Graduate School structure.

Training sessions for PhD students are available in a wide variety of topics. These include: good research practice; experimental design; data analysis and statistics; student-supervisor working relationships; research ethics and assessment mechanisms, as well as lectures/workshops on specific wet and dry laboratory techniques.

There is a Postgraduate Studies Committee (PGSC) which is responsible for student training and assessment. Its role is to develop and implement guidelines for optimal student training, and to ensure best practice in monitoring and assessment.

Assessments are carried out by carefully selected thesis committees, who remain with the student throughout their PhD. The committees consist of the Supervisors, an External Member (with expertise relevant to the student’s project) and an experienced Chair. The students also have a thriving postgrad society which runs career talks, social events and an annual scientific retreat.

The IGC staff numbers approximately 500 and there are ~25 students within CGEM and ~100 within the IGC.

A principal aim of both CGEM and the IGC is to develop fully integrated, multi-disciplinary research programmes across the whole spectrum of basic, clinical and translational research. We have state of the art imaging, DNA sequencing and drug discovery units, a bioinformatics service and excellent lab facilities.

Funded PhD opportunities

Funded PhD studentships in CGEM are advertised on findaphd.com. These are generally restricted to EU nationals, but we welcome applications from overseas students who have secured funding from other sources.

• Findaphd.com - University of Edinburgh

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 62 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

• Academic Technology Approval Scheme

If you are not an EU , EEA or Swiss national, you may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme clearance certificate in order to study this programme.

Fees and costs

Tuition fees, scholarships and funding, featured funding.

• College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine funding opportunities

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Pauline McDonald
• Phone: +44 (0)131 651 5771
• Contact: [email protected]
• Dr Kathy Evans
• Contact: [email protected]
• Institute of Genetics and Cancer
• Western General Hospital, Crewe Road
• Programme: Genomics and Experimental Medicine
• School: Edinburgh Medical School: Molecular, Genetic & Population Health Sciences
• College: Medicine & Veterinary Medicine

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Genomics and Experimental Medicine - 3 Years (Full-time)

Phd genomics and experimental medicine - 6 years (part-time) (part-time), msc by research genomics and experimental medicine - 1 year (full-time), msc by research genomics and experimental medicine - 2 years (part-time), application deadlines.

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

• How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

Before making your application, you must make contact with a potential supervisor to discuss your research proposal. Further information on making a research degree application can be found on the College website:

• How to apply for a research degree

You will be formally interviewed (in person, by video-conferencing or Skype).

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Integrative Medicine Thought Leaders to Discuss the Future of Health Care

Andrew Weil, MD, Deepak Chopra, MD, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, three of the world's leading integrative medicine experts, will discuss the potential for integrative medicine to reshape health care in the United States.

• What: Panel Discussion: “Transforming Healthcare in the U.S.: Drawing on the Power of Integrative Medicine”
• Who: Andrew Weil, MD, Deepak Chopra, MD, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD
• When: Tuesday, April 23, Noon-1 p.m.
• Where: Health Sciences Innovation Building, 1670 E. Drachman St., Tucson
• Registration required: event.awcim.arizona.edu/transforming_health  (public seating is limited)

In a world where the health care landscape is constantly evolving, integrative medicine is emerging as a powerful force for driving transformation. On April 23, three of the world’s leading integrative medicine experts will convene for a stimulating panel discussion to explore the intersection of health care, innovation and holistic approaches and discuss the potential for integrative medicine to reshape health care in the United States.

Media are invited to attend this free event, which is part of a weeklong celebration of integrative medicine and the opening of the new Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine complex at 1502 E. Mabel St. in Tucson.

About the Panelists

Andrew Weil, MD

Andrew Weil, MD, founder of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson.

Weil is a physician, New York Times best-selling author and one of the world’s leading integrative medicine experts. He is known for promoting a balanced, healthy lifestyle that combines conventional medicine with evidence-based therapies and approaches that enhance health and well-being. He founded the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine (now the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine) at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson in 2008. The center is dedicated to training health care professionals in integrative medicine.

Deepak Chopra, MD Chopra is an author, speaker and advocate for mind-body wellness. He is a prolific author who has published more than 90 books, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. Chopra popularized holistic health and spiritual teachings, emphasizing the interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit, and promoting the benefits of meditation, yoga and Ayurvedic practices. He is the founder of the Chopra Foundation and co-founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, which promotes personal transformation and holistic healing.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD Kabat-Zinn is a mindfulness expert, author and professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. He is best known for developing the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, which has helped millions alleviate stress and improve well-being. Kabat-Zinn’s work integrates Eastern mindfulness practices with Western science, emphasizing the power of present-moment awareness for healing and resilience. He is the founder of the Stress Reduction clinic at UMass Memorial Medical Center and the UMass Memorial Health Center for Mindfulness. Kabat-Zinn’s teachings have influenced health care, psychology and mindfulness practices worldwide.

For more information and to register online, visit event.awcim.arizona.edu/transforming_health . A public open house at the new center, which is part of the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson, will be held Saturday, May 4, from noon to 4 p.m.

David Bruzzese, College of Medicine – Tucson 520-626-9722, [email protected]

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UB medical students aim to increase health care knowledge of female genital cutting

campus news

By ELLEN GOLDBAUM

Published April 11, 2024

For more than a decade, a medical student group at UB has played a critical role documenting medical evidence of torture in immigrants seeking asylum. Knowledge of the work done by UB’s Human Rights Initiative (HRI) contributes to Buffalo’s reputation as a city where individuals persecuted in their home countries can access the medical documentation they need to pursue asylum in the U.S.

Now these students at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB are working to educate providers — and their fellow classmates — about the medical and psychological consequences of female genital cutting (FGC) among those seeking asylum in Buffalo.

The effort comes at a time when an increase in immigration means that more physicians in the U.S. will encounter FGC, but none of the health care professions cover it in their training.

“Everyone lacks knowledge in this topic,” says Alyssa D. Reese of HRI, who will graduate with her MD from the Jacobs School later this month. “But as we see more refugees, we are going to see a lot more of it, especially people in primary care or those delivering babies.”

And if a provider hasn’t been educated about FGC, encountering their first patient with it could be overwhelming. “It could lead to a really poor therapeutic relationship,” she says.

Since her first year in medical school, Reese has been a member of HRI, working to improve knowledge of FGC. HRI has held conferences and grand rounds on FGC.

Reese will present her FGC projects, including a systematic review of health care provider knowledge of FGC and HRI’s experience with gynecological exams for these clients, at the Physicians for Human Rights National Student Program conference April 12 in Phoenix. She is also developing a handbook about FGC for providers and medical students.

Taboo topic

“We talk about domestic violence and physical abuse, but this is a taboo topic,” says Reese, who conducted the research for her honors thesis.

“As medical students, we are responsible for learning about taboo topics so that we can talk about them in a trauma-informed way and provide trauma-informed care to our patients.”

FGC has been illegal in the U.S. since 1996 and is internationally condemned as a human rights violation by the World Health Organization and the United Nations. Reese knew about it from global advocacy classes she took as an undergraduate at UB.

“But it wasn’t until I heard these stories from the women who experienced it, where it becomes an emotional, raw connection with them,” she says. “From a medical point of view, it’s obviously traumatic and can interfere with intercourse and childbirth, but then you hear about the psychological impacts. Every part of their life can be impacted.” 

More than 200 million women

FGC involves the forced partial or total removal of the external genitals of girls and women for religious, cultural or other nonmedical reasons.

The procedure is done throughout the world, but primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It has been performed on more than 200 million women living today; it is a leading cause of death among girls and women in those regions.

Performed on females as young as infants and up through the teen years or later by non-medical individuals — often close female relatives — without anesthesia, FGC is seen in the cultures that practice it as a kind of “women’s rite.” It is based on false beliefs that the procedure will increase the male partner’s pleasure, make the girl more desirable for marriage, increase hygiene, preserve virginity or promote fertility.

There is anecdotal evidence that some American girls whose parents are from cultures that practice FGC may be forced to undergo the procedure when they travel to those regions on family vacations.

Acute medical consequences include severe pain, bleeding and loss of consciousness; chronic consequences include urinary tract infections, pain with sex, inability to have intercourse, infertility, pain during menses, clitoral neuroma and abnormal growth of neural and other tissue, in addition to obstetric complications. And because FGC is typically done in non-sterile conditions, there is the risk of serious, even life-threatening infection.

In some instances, the physical condition can be surgically repaired but the procedure can also cause lifelong psychological consequences, from depression to anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Affidavits for asylum seekers

HRI collaborates with local groups like Journey’s End Refugee Services, Jericho Road Community Health Center, VIVE and the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project.

Since 2014, HRI has completed over 250 affidavits based on forensic evaluations for asylum seekers. It began performing gynecological forensic evaluations for survivors of FGC in 2017 and since then has evaluated 15 women who have undergone FGC.

Before meeting with clients, students must attend a scribe training session. They learn about practicing cultural humility when talking to these individuals and how to use trauma-informed language, care and education with them. They learn how to work effectively with an interpreter and that the client may be shackled or come with a guard if they are being held in a detention center.

During client evaluations, under the supervision of UB and Western New York physician volunteers, students act as medical scribes and help write the affidavits that are presented in court.

“These affidavits really do make a difference to our clients,” says Adela Smehlik, a Buffalo-based immigration attorney who addressed the students during a recent HRI conference. “I want you to know how amazing HRI is and how invaluable the group is to the work that we do.”

Once the lawyer requests a forensic evaluation, the client is scheduled for a psychological, gynecologic and/or physical exam performed by one or two clinicians and documented by the medical students. The students write the affidavit for the court, including the chronology of the client’s story, clinical presentation and diagnoses. Clinicians may then be called as an expert witness to testify.

The affidavits that HRI prepares for women who have undergone FGC greatly increase their prospects for asylum. 

Witnessing resilience

The HRI students and physicians say it can be hard to communicate how rewarding it is to engage in this work, which can improve the life of someone who has gone through unimaginable pain and despair. 

“The clients make an imprint on you, not because of the violence they endured but because of their resilience,” says Kim Griswold, HRI founder, faculty adviser and professor emerita of family medicine and psychiatry in the Jacobs School.

Because they must remain impartial, neither the physicians nor the students can stay in touch with clients once their case has gone to court. But the students say the power of bearing witness to people who have lived through such extraordinary difficulties and can now begin to heal is, in many ways, a life-changing experience. Some say it was among the most meaningful experiences they’ve had in medical school.

“I have grown so much as a future physician talking to these people,” Reese says. “They’re survivors of torture. I am so grateful to hear their stories of resilience. Witnessing their resilience gives me resilience.”

Do you have questions or comments for the Office of the Provost? Let us know your thoughts and we’ll be happy to get back to you.

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These are the best graduate school programs in Wisconsin, according to U.S. News & World

Top graduate schools in Wisconsin landed on the latest U.S. News & World Report list ranking more than 2,000 programs across the country. U.S. News & World Report published its 2024-'25 report in April, ranking graduate programs in business, education, law and nursing, among other fields.

University of Wisconsin-Madison's the School of Education tied for first overall with Teacher's College, Columbia University, according the report. That's up from third overall and second among public universities last year.

Several of Marquette University's graduate programs moved up on the list, including the master's program in the College of Nursing, which moved up from 66 to 58.

Schools were evaluated based on expert opinion and statistical data measuring the quality of the school's faculty, research and post-graduate outcomes. You can find the full list on the U.S. News website for graduate rankings on their website www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools .

Top business graduate programs in Wisconsin:

• University of Wisconsin-Madison: #43

Top law graduate programs in Wisconsin:

• University of Wisconsin-Madison: #36 (tie)
• Marquette University: #68 (tie)

Top nursing graduate programs in Wisconsin:

• Marquette University: #58 (tie)
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: #82 (tie)
• University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire: #107 (tie)
• University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh: #118
• Alverno College: #119 (tie)
• Milwaukee School of Engineering: #153-169

Top medical graduate programs in Wisconsin:

• University of Wisconsin-Madison: #35 (tie)

Top education graduate programs in Wisconsin:

• University of Wisconsin-Madison: #1 (tie)
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: #169 (tie)
• Marquette University: #192

Top Engineering graduate programs in Wisconsin:

• University of Wisconsin-Madison: #27 (tie)
• Marquette University: #142 (tie)
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: #177 (tie)

RELATED: Here's how Wisconsin universities ranked in the 2024 Best Colleges list