Subject areas:
Applied Mathematics / Mathematics, Biology, Bioinformatics Biomedical Engineering or another engineering-related discipline, Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Genetics, Medicine, Physics.
Funding type:
Bench Fees / Research Training & Support Grant.
Stipend.
Tuition fee.
Awarding body:
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Fully funded PhD studentship in the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences to start 1 October 2025
Award details
The overall aim of this PhD project is to understand and predict how genetic mutations disrupt brain development to give rise to range of debilitating neurodevelopmental disorders.
Aims:
- Work with our harmonised multi-omic datasets to build AI tools which predict neurodevelopmental disorder phenotype-genotype associations.
- Adapt natural language processing tools to extract and summarise the MRI imaging findings associated with individuals across the range of genetic neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Build generative AI models to predict phenotypic profiles that can be used to aid clinical decision making and variant interpretation
They will work with the multidisciplinary IMAGINE lab, collaborating with computer scientists and engineers in the Departments of Biomedical Computing and Early Life Imaging within the School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, KCL, and clinicians at specialist children’s hospitals Great Ormond Street Hospital and Evelina.
The student will have the opportunity to develop skills and expertise in neurodevelopment, machine learning, genetics and clinical translation.
Award value
Each studentship is fully funded for 3.5 years. This includes tuition fees, stipend and generous project consumables.
- Stipend: Students will receive a tax-free stipend at the UKRI rate of £22,780 (AY 2025/26) per year as a living allowance.
- Research Training Support Grant (RTSG): A generous project allowance will be provided for research consumables and for attending UK and international conferences.
- Tuition fees: Home
Eligibility criteria
Candidates who meet the eligibility requirements for Home Fee status will be eligible to apply for this project. To be classed as a Home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or
- have settled status, or
- have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
- have indefinite leave to remain or enter.
For exceptionally strong and competitive applications there is a possibility of support for international tuition fees.
School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences
Postgraduate research
Bachelor's degree with 2:1 honours in Applied Mathematics / Mathematics, Biology, Bioinformatics Biomedical Engineering or another engineering-related discipline, Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Genetics, Medicine, Physics
A 2:2 degree may be considered only where applicants also offer a Master's degree with Merit or above.
Preference will be given to candidates with a background conducive to multidisciplinary research and preferably programming skills.
We welcome eligible applicants from any personal background, who are pleased to join diverse and friendly research groups.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Award conditions
Students must submit within the funding period (3.5 years) and must participate in training and cohort activities relevant to their PhD.
Application process
Please submit an application for the Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Science Research MPhil/PhD (Full-time) programme using the King’s Apply system. Please include the following with your application:
- A PDF copy of your CV should be uploaded to the Employment History section.
- A 500-word personal statement outlining your motivation for undertaking postgraduate research should be uploaded to the Supporting statement section.
- Funding information: Please choose Option 5 “I am applying for a funding award or scholarship administered by King’s College London” and under “Award Scheme Code or Name” enter BMEIS-DLA-KW. Failing to include this code might result in you not being considered for this funding.
Contact:
Please email: konrad.wagstyl@kcl.ac.uk.
Selection process
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a formal interview.