PhD Studentship: Role of non-canonical autophagy in liver lipid metabolism in response to unhealthy diets
Overview
A fully funded four-year PhD studentship is available through the Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Programme for October 2027 entry. The research project investigates the role of non-canonical autophagy in liver lipid metabolism in response to unhealthy diets, specifically focusing on mechanisms mediating lipid uptake and metabolism in the liver following high-fat diets. The work is supervised by Professor Naiara Beraza and Professor Rushworth, with a primary supervisor of Professor Naiara Beraza. The project takes place at the Quadram Institute, located at the core of the Norwich Research Park, and involves working in different laboratories at both the Quadram Institute and the University of East Anglia.
Who can apply
Applicants must hold at least a UK equivalence Bachelors Honours 2:1 degree. Candidates must also meet the Faculty of Science English language requirement, which is an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with 6 in each category. Selection for admission is conducted without regard to gender, marital or civil partnership status, disability, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age, or social background. Bespoke templates for applicant personal and research statements must be used for these sections of the application form.
What you get
The studentship covers tuition fees paid directly to the university and provides a stipend to cover living expenses, set at £21,805 per annum based on the 2026/27 rate. Additionally, a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000 per annum is provided for each year of the studentship. The programme includes comprehensive training in preclinical in vivo models, in vitro work, cellular and molecular biology, and immunology methodologies such as confocal microscopy and spectral flow cytometry. All students undertake a three-month professional internship placement during their study, supported by a professional internship team.
Requirements
Applicants are required to submit their applications using the specific templates provided on the programme website for the Personal and Research statements. Candidates must meet the specified degree classification and English language proficiencies.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted by the closing date. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interviews taking place on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of February 2027.
Key dates
The closing date for applications is 2026-11-30. Interviews for shortlisted applicants will be held on 2027-02-02, 2027-02-03, and 2027-02-04. The studentship and research project start on 1 October 2027.