PhD Studentship Full-time

PhD Studentship

We are a dynamic research group within the Department of Ageing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, part of the UCL Division of Medicine. Aligned with UCL Medicine's vision to advance transformative healthcare through research excellence, we are seeking a highly motivated PhD student to join our multidisciplinary team investigating antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and its pregnancy-associated complications.

Our translational research programme spans fundamental immunology through to clinical applications, with particular expertise in biomarker discovery, advanced flow cytometry, transcriptomics, functional immunological assays, metagenomics, and AI-driven data analysis.

Co-led by Dr Muhammad Shipa, Dr Thomas McDonnell, and Professor Ian Giles, our team includes postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, research assistants, and a dedicated research nurse who supports clinical sample collection and study coordination. We collaborate closely with leading national and international institutions, including the Wellcome Sanger Institute, and have delivered major academic clinical trials that have advanced the understanding and treatment of lupus and APS.

We offer an outstanding research training environment, access to state-of-the-art technologies, and strong academic and industry partnerships that support scientific innovation and career development.

If you are passionate about understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying autoimmune disease and are keen to contribute to advances in precision medicine, we would be delighted to hear from you.

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Muhammad Shipa at m.shipa@ucl.ac.uk.

About the role

The successful PhD student will join a multidisciplinary translational research team investigating the mechanisms underlying obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS), a major cause of pregnancy complications in women with autoimmune disease. The project will explore how specific antiphospholipid antibodies drive inflammation at the maternal-fetal interface and contribute to placental dysfunction and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The student will receive training in a broad range of cutting-edge laboratory and computational techniques, including:

• Advanced flow cytometry and immune cell phenotyping
• Cell culture and functional immunology assays
• ELISA and biomarker discovery
• Isolation and characterisation of immune complexes
• Multiplex tissue imaging and spatial biology (Cell-DIVE)

Working closely with clinicians, scientists, and patient partners, the student will analyse samples from well-characterised APS patient cohorts and investigate novel pathways linking autoantibodies, innate immune activation, and placental injury. The findings are expected to contribute to the development of new biomarkers and precision-medicine approaches for women at risk of pregnancy complications due to APS.

The student will be based within the UCL Division of Medicine and will benefit from a highly collaborative environment, access to state-of-the-art research facilities, and opportunities to interact with national and international collaborators, including researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

This role is ideally suited to candidates with a strong interest in immunology, rheumatology, reproductive health, translational research, and the application of emerging technologies to precision medicine

About you

You should hold (or expect to obtain) a first-class BSc or Master's degree in biomedical sciences, immunology, microbiology, or a related field. Experience with cell or molecular biology, immunological techniques, or microbiome analysis is highly desirable. You are enthusiastic about translational immunology and committed to careful data analysis, collaboration, and safe handling of human samples. Strong organisational, problem-solving, and communication skills are essential, as well as a readiness to work flexibly across both UCL and the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

What we offer

This is an opportunity to join a multidisciplinary team working across the Division of Medicine. As well as the opportunities this role presents, we also offer further benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Immigration loan
• On-site nursery
• On-site gym
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people.

Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment and demonstrable impact in advancing gender equality

Available documents

• download: Studentship project_description_.docx