The Pandemic Institute Dstl HPRU PhD cohort
This PhD studentship is part of an Integrated Health Security Cohort. Building on The Pandemic Institute’s strategic partnerships with UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections (HPRU EZI), and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), this PhD programme aims to develop a new generation of interdisciplinary researchers equipped to address emerging infectious disease threats and strengthen national health protection and biosecurity capabilities.
Through joint supervision and access to specialist expertise and infrastructure, the programme is designed to create impactful PhD projects that contribute directly to the UK’s health protection and defence agenda.
The programme seeks to:
- Foster collaborative research across academia, public health, and defence sectors;
- Advance research aligned with UK health security priorities, including emerging and zoonotic infections, surveillance, diagnostics, modelling, AI, and medical countermeasures;
- Generate research with both academic excellence and real-world operational or policy impact;
- Build long-term national capability in pandemic preparedness, resilience, and rapid response.
For more information on The Pandemic Institute please visit www.thepandemicinstitute.org.
Current opportunities
| Project Title | Research themes | Primary Supervisor | Application deadline | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automated human lung organoids for translational infectious disease research | Emerging and zoonotic infections; respiratory pathogens; human microphysiological systems; medical countermeasures; translational infection biology; health protection and pandemic preparedness. | Dr Shaun Pennington | Monday 31st July 2026 | More information |