The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is pleased to invite applications for a 3-year full-time PhD studentship, starting in September 2025, held between the Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The projects cover research in infectious disease modelling on topics that are relevant to public health in England.
Only those applicants who meet all the eligibility criteria outlined below can be considered for this studentship.
The research training environment
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The studentship will be based in the Epidemiology and Population Health (EPH).
General information about the MPhil/PhD programme structure at LSHTM can be found on the Research Degrees and Doctoral College pages. Students will be mentored by supervisors at LSHTM, and can be guided by an Advisory Committee consisting of at least two other experienced researchers who may be external to LSHTM. Students are expected to take part in the academic life of their department and can also be members of Academic Centres. All research seminars and journal clubs are open to PhD students from across LSHTM. Students are able to take up to four Master’s level Study Modules per academic year, subject to approval from their supervisor. The PhD programme also facilitates national and international conference attendance by students.
Support for research students’ future career development is covered through the supervision process, through the Transferable Skills Programme (in the School and the Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network) and the LSHTM’s Careers Service.
The successful applicant will have unprecedented opportunities to network and establish professional contacts through formal and informal interactions with members of staff at LSHTM and other students.
Doctoral research project
Mathematical modelling is increasingly used to understand the epidemiology of infections and predict the impact of control programmes against infections, including influenza, tuberculosis, HIV and malaria. It has also been greatly used in the UK to predict the impact of vaccination on vaccine-preventable infections, including human papilloma virus (HPV), control of healthcare associated infections (HCAI), sexually transmitted infections, HIV and tuberculosis, and was used to guide policy during the Covid pandemic. The need for competent mathematical modellers is likely to grow in the future.
This PhD training programme is intended to develop research skills in infectious disease modelling and provide experience in working with infectious disease surveillance data and epidemiologists on topics that are of UK national importance. It will address UK priority areas such as pneumococcal disease, HCAI, influenza, RSV and tuberculosis. PhD supervisors include modellers and epidemiologists at both LSHTM and UK Health Security Agency and provide a unique opportunity to participate in work at a national infectious disease surveillance centre.
Students will be mentored by their supervisors and an Advisory Committee consisting of at least two other academics who can be from outside the School and UK Health Security Agency. The Advisory Committee is particularly useful for interdisciplinary work or where the student undertakes a significant part of their research away from LSHTM.
The 2025-26 UKHSA-LSHTM PhD Scholarship is available to an applicant interested in pursuing one of the available projects:
- Mathematical modelling of pertussis transmission dynamics and pertussis vaccination programmes in England
- Modelling the patient pathways that lead to increased risk of healthcare-associated infection
- Machine learning for infectious disease forecasting during epidemics and pandemics
- Housing and Infections in Homeless People: a modelling and health economics study
- Modelling the cost-effectiveness of Epstein Barr virus vaccination in England
- Populations at risk of antimicrobial resistance
- Investigating the effect of influenza on the risk of progression to tuberculosis
- Quantifying the impact and mitigation of climate change on tuberculosis in migrant and displaced populations
- Modelling and economic evaluation of future norovirus vaccines in the UK
- The effect of weather and humidity on the impact of school closures
Please read more information on the available projects (pdf).
Students will be a member of Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases at LSHTM, as well as the Faculty of Epidemiology of Public Health. There are also cross-faculty centres, including the TB Centre, the Centre for Statistical Methodology and the Vaccine Centre. All research seminars and journal clubs are open to PhD students from across the School.
In addition, students will be members of the Statistics, Modelling and Economics Department at UK Health Security Agency which comprises approximately 40 statisticians, modellers and health economists at Colindale, North London, working on diverse projects of national importance.
Students will also benefit from:
- Computing infrastructure and statistical support which includes a High Performance Computer Cluster. The School is also part of a research hub in statistical methods which provides students with access to specialised courses across the UK.
- An extensive Masters-level programme which enables PhD students to take modules in specialist areas as required.
- Extensive specialist bibliographic resources available on-line and in the library and archive.
Career development opportunities
Support for research students’ future career development is covered through the supervision process, through the Transferable Skills Programme (in the School and the Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network) and LSHTM’s Careers Service. Also important for career development are the opportunities for students to network and establish professional contacts through formal and informal interactions with members of staff at LSHTM and UKHSA and other students. Activities include an extensive range of seminars and workshops. LSHTM also facilitates national and international conference attendance by students which provides networking opportunities.
Financial support
The studentship award covers:
- tuition fees (at the LSHTM Home fee rate);
- a tax-free stipend at the UKRI Studentship rate;
- RTSG of GBP 2,000.00
Eligibility criteria
Candidates should possess a postgraduate degree, ideally in a quantitative subject (e.g. Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science or Physics) or a related discipline (e.g. Epidemiology or Biology) with a strong quantitative element either awarded or imminent or equivalent training. Also some coding experience, such as R, C/C++ or Python on R is desirable. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree and professional experience equivalent to a master’s degree will also be considered. Candidates should also check the description of their chosen project for any further requirements.
Applications for part-time study may be accepted depending on the chosen project.
All applicants must meet minimum LSHTM entry requirements.
This PhD Studentship award is only available to candidates who meet the eligibility requirements for the Home fee rate. Please see the LSHTM fee assessment policy in particular the ’criteria‘ section, for further details. Further information about fee status assessment can be found on the UKCISA website.
Please note that due to the high volume of enquiries we receive, we will not be able to respond to emails from applicants who do not meet these eligibility criteria.
How to apply
To apply, submit a completed research degree application online using the LSHTM application portal by the scholarship deadline of 23.59 (BST) on 11 March 2025.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their proposed primary supervisor for an informal discussion before applying. Applicants must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria (provided above) before contacting their proposed primary supervisor. When contacting their proposed supervisor, applicants are encouraged to write a short paragraph about their experience and research interests, including ideas for the PhD and explaining how these match the proposed supervisor’s expertise, and to provide a short CV.
Proposed primary supervisors may comment on one draft proposal, or offer other suggestions to strengthen the application: applicants are therefore encouraged to get in touch at an early stage.
In their application, applicants should indicate their first choice project and indicate their second choice project, if applicable. Applicants must ensure all information and standard required documents outlined on the LSHTM ‘before you apply’ page is included/uploaded with the application, including:
- academic transcripts (official transcripts for all completed study; interim transcripts for any ongoing programmes of study);
- a two-page Curriculum Vitae;
- a research proposal for their first choice project. The research proposal should be no longer than 2 A4 pages and expand on one of the topics listed on the website, summarise the relevant background information (with no more than five key references) and should outline an appropriate research methodology by which the question can be addressed); and
- References.
In addition, applicants for this scholarship must upload the following documents:
- A personal statement outlining why you are interested in, and suited to, undertaking a PhD in this area at LSHTM; and
- A writing sample (this may consist of your dissertation, an essay, a blog post or other piece of long-form writing and should be around 5,000-10,000 words long).
Applicants must indicate that they wish to apply for this funding by selecting ‘UKHSA-LSHTMScholarship’ from the drop-down menu in the ‘Funding’ section of the admissions portal.
Incomplete applications will not be considered for this studentship. This includes any applications missing supporting/supplementary documents (eg transcripts or references) at the deadline. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete and therefore applications should be submitted as early as possible to give referees time to submit their references prior to the deadline.
The deadline for completed applications is 23.59 (BST) on 11 March 2025.
By submitting an application for this funding applicants agree to its Terms & Conditions.
Applicants short-listed for funding will be invited for interview. Interviews will likely be held remotely (via Teams or Zoom).
The successful applicant will be notified of the outcome by the week beginning 30 April 2025.