PhD Studentship: Machine Learning for plasmid risk assessment from genomic surveillance

Overview

The University of Birmingham, through the School of Biosciences, offers a PhD studentship focused on applying advanced computational methods to large-scale metagenomic sequencing data. The research examines patient data across the respiratory disease severity spectrum, from adults with respiratory symptoms in A&E to severe pneumonia patients in intensive care, with the goal of understanding how the respiratory microbiome changes with disease severity.

Requirements

Applicants need a computational or bioinformatics background. The research involves microbial profiling, genome reconstruction of bacterial, viral, and fungal communities, and the investigation of phage-bacteria dynamics. Machine learning models will be built to integrate microbiome features for pathogen detection and severity classification, requiring candidates to develop predictive models and assess the virome as a diagnostic and prognostic source of information.

What you get

The position provides exposure to clinical and public health research while building technical and translational skills. Participants collaborate with clinicians and microbiologists to gain fundamental insights into respiratory microbial ecology and create practical computational tools with potential clinical applications.

Key dates

The closing date for applications is 23 November 2026.