Funding - Department of Infectious Disease - Imperial College London

Further information about this and specific projects studying under the supervision of Departmental supervisors who have obtained funding are advertised below. For up-to-date information on tuition fees, please refer to the College's Fees and Funding pages. It should be noted that supervisors may charge an additional ‘bench fee’ from sponsors to cover the costs of laboratory expenses (consumables and equipment) for postgraduate research projects.‌‌ PhD Studentship: Mapping Immune Dynamics and Correlates of Protection in a Staphylococcus aureus Human Challenge Model We are looking for a doctoral student to investigate the immune mechanisms that determine protection against Staphylococcus aureus infection using a pioneering Controlled Human Infection Model (CHIM). The successful candidate will work across the Department of Infectious Disease and the Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction at Imperial College London, under the supervision of Dr Dinesh Aggarwal, Professor Shiranee Sriskandan, Dr Malick Gibani and Dr Yan Liu. Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. A major challenge in developing effective vaccines and antibody-based therapies is the lack of clearly defined human correlates of protection. This project will utilise samples from a unique Controlled Human Infection Model, enabling researchers to study immune responses from the exact moment of bacterial exposure. By combining clinical phenotyping with advanced cellular and humoral immunology approaches, the project aims to map local and systemic immune responses during infection and identify immune signatures associated with protection. Findings from this work will directly inform future vaccine and therapeutic development strategies. Read more in the full document here. Award: The studentship is anticipated to commence from 1 September 2026 onwards. The studentship is fully funded for 3 years and is available to Home students only. The studentship provides a stipend of £23,805 per annum (reviewed annually) and covers home tuition fees. Eligibility: Applicants must hold, or expect to obtain by August 2026, a First or Upper Second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in Immunology, Biomedical Sciences, Life Sciences, or a related discipline. A Master's degree in Immunology, Translational Medicine, Infection Biology, or a related subject is desirable. Prior laboratory experience with flow cytometry, immunoassays (ELISA/Luminex), cell culture, or human blood/tissue sample processing is desirable but not essential. Applicants must meet Imperial College London’s English language requirements – further details can be found at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/requirements/english/ . All Imperial College London PhD entry requirements must be met. How to apply: Please send your CV and a cover letter (maximum two pages) outlining your suitability for the studentship, your research interests, and th