AstraZeneca Non-Clinical PhD Studentship in Development of an Integrated Pre-Clinical Pipeline for Safety Assessment of Small Molecule and Peptide-Based Radioconjugates

Overview

The Department of Radiology at the University of Cambridge, in partnership with AstraZeneca, is offering a funded non-clinical PhD studentship on developing an integrated pre-clinical pipeline for the safety assessment of small molecule and peptide-based radioconjugates, using in vivo PET imaging and multimodal ex vivo tissue analysis. The team is looking for a motivated and inquisitive student interested in molecular imaging, radiopharmaceutical sciences, oncology, translational medicine and drug development.

Targeted radionuclide therapy is a promising emerging approach to cancer treatment. Radioconjugates combine tumour-targeting molecules with therapeutic radioisotopes, delivering radiation selectively to cancer cells while limiting damage to healthy tissue. Despite recent clinical successes, better methods are needed to evaluate how these compounds spread through the body and to understand possible toxicity in normal organs. The project aims to build an integrated preclinical framework for assessing such radioconjugates with advanced molecular imaging and tissue analysis. The student joins a multidisciplinary team supervised by Professor Luigi Aloj, Dr Flaviu Bulat, Dr Nisha Kuzhuppilly Ramakrishnan and Dr Andreas Dannhorn of AstraZeneca, gaining experience in both academic and industrial research.

Who can apply

Applicants should have, or shortly expect to obtain, a first or high 2:1 bachelor's degree from a UK university, or an equivalent overseas standard, in a relevant subject such as imaging, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, data analysis or medicine. They should be able to think and work independently in a multidisciplinary setting. The studentship is also open to overseas students who meet the UK residency requirements for home fees or who can cover the extra cost of international fees through scholarships or funding schemes. Fees may not be topped up through self-funding.

What you get

Funding is available for four years and covers the student's stipend and tuition fees at the Home rate.

How to apply

Applications go through the university application portal, selecting the PhD in Radiology and entering the studentship title as the proposed project title. Instead of a research proposal, applicants upload one side of A4 covering their motivation, relevant skills, what they hope to achieve and long-term career aspirations. A supervisor does not need to be secured beforehand, and informal enquiries to Professor Aloj are welcome.

Key dates

The deadline is Friday 30 October 2026.