Self-funded PhD Projects

On this page you will find useful information about current PhD projects available for self-funded students at the UCL School of Pharmacy.

Project title: Empowering choices, transforming lives: Enabling shared decision making to optimise deprescribing of antidepressants and supporting medication safety

Project description
The World Health Organization’s current Global Patient Safety Challenge is ‘Medication without harm’, with polypharmacy and high-risk medications two of three key action areas. Safe and effective deprescribing is needed to address this challenge and reduce medicine-related harm. Deprescribing is the process of withdrawal of an inappropriate medication, supervised by a healthcare professional, with the goal of managing polypharmacy and improving outcomes. But, deprescribing conversations do not routinely occur in practice resulting in a known effective medication safety intervention being delayed or never enacted.
Shared decision making has been described as an integral part of providing quality healthcare and has been emphasised as an essential part of deprescribing. While shared decision making has been successfully applied in screening decisions and initial prescribing, it has rarely been studied in the context of deprescribing, and multiple challenges and barriers exist to its use in practice. Research is needed to both increase knowledge and understanding of how to implement shared decision making for deprescribing, and to explore how its implementation differs in the contexts of different types of medications

This PhD project will be part of an international collaboration with the Universities of Monash and North Carolina. The successful applicant from UCL will work on the area of deprescribing of antidepressants, while the students from other counties will explore deprescribing of cancer medication and gabapentinoids. .
The overall aim of this UCL PhD is to optimise implementation of shared decision making for deprescribing of antidepressants in adults. There will be opportunities for working synergistically with the international students.

The supervisor for this project is Dr Sara Garfield.

Main methods and techniques
This will be a mixed methods study, giving the student the opportunity to develop quantitative research skills in working with big data sets and qualitative research skills. It is anticipated that the project will consist of 3 work packages:

Work package 1: A quantitative study using real world data to develop and internally validate a prognostic model to identify those that are at risk of delayed antidepressant deprescribing interventions (and therefore determine those who may most benefit from deprescribing support.
Work package 2: A qualitative study exploring explore the experiences and needs of stakeholders to develop a shared decision making framework of prescribing of antidepressants.
Work package 3: Co-design workshops to create resources/models of care to support implementation of the prognostic model and shared decision making framework to optimise safe and effective deprescribing

Person specification
Applicants are expected to hold a first degree in Pharmacy or Psychology (minimum 2.1). Applicants will also need to meet UCL MPhil/PhD entry and English Language requirements.

How to apply
Applications must include CV, personal statement, and the contact details of two referees. Applications should be emailed to Ms Michelle Ward at sop.pgr@ucl.ac.uk Please note, we are only able to accept applications from candidates with confirmed funding.

Project title: Development of an AI-powered database on the environmental sustainability of pharmaceutical excipients.

Project description
Excipients can have direct impact on human health and indirect impact on environmental safety. For example, some excipients are not biodegradable, leading to environmental pollution, or their production may involve chemicals or processes that harm ecosystems. In discussions on the environmental impact of medicines, the potential activity of excipients are often overlooked. However, as the demand for sustainability increases, there is a growing focus on the development of sustainable (green) excipients as well as increasing knowledge about the impact of existing ones to reduce the ecological footprint of medicines. Creating a database about the ecological footprint of established excipients will provide researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and regulators with key data on their environmental impact. It will allow researchers, policymakers, and industries to make informed decisions, ensuring that excipients used in pharmaceutical products and environments are safe for public use. By integrating sustainability-focused data, the database would ultimately provide healthier, environmentally responsible solutions for global health challenges.

This PhD project will leverage machine learning (ML) technologies to automate data integration and analysis framework to create the AI-powered database. The project has the potential to enhance the pharmaceuticals sustainability landscape by transforming the way existing excipients are used and novel ones produced. The successful PhD candidate will join a world-leading group in AI, pharmaceutical data science and pharmaceutical formulation science. The group has multiple decades of experience in database development. An example is https://step-db.ucl.ac.uk/eupfi/appDirectLink.do?appFlag=login. The student will collaborate with experts from both science and machine learning areas to study potential AI/ML solutions. The project will be conducted at University College London (UCL), a top 10 University in the 2024 QS World Rankings, within the vibrant and welcoming School of Pharmacy.

The project will be supervised by Dr Smita Salunke and Prof Sudaxshina Murdan.

Main methods and techniques
Machine learning technologies, automation, data integration, analysis framework. Pharmaceutical sciences and Sustainability.

Person specification
The successful candidate should have (or expect to achieve) a bachelor’s degree or relevant master’s qualification in Pharmacy, Engineering, Computer Science or a related Science field. Prior data science experience, and knowledge of computer science, or coding will be valued.
A good level of spoken and written English is essential. Successful candidates will need to meet UCL MPhil/PhD entry and English language requirements. Applications are welcome from both UK and overseas candidates.

How to apply
Applications must include CV, personal statement, and the contact details of two referees. Applications should be emailed to Ms Michelle Ward at sop.pgr@ucl.ac.uk.

Project title: Development of drug-loaded electrospun implant coatings to prevent capsular contracture following breast reconstruction in cancer patients.

Project description
Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent malignancies among women worldwide, with mastectomy often being required as a primary therapeutic intervention. After mastectomy, breast reconstruction plays a critical role in restoring the physical appearance and improving the psychological wellbeing of patients. Among various reconstructive options, silicone breast implants are the most commonly used. Despite their widespread use, silicone implants are associated with serious complications including capsular contracture (CC) and bacterial infections. Initially part of the body’s natural wound-healing process, CC involves excessive fibrotic tissue formation around the implant, which leads to pain, deformity, and loss of function. (Le-Petross et al., 2023; Pelc et al., 2021) Within a decade, up to 80% of silicone breast implants may require removal or replacement due to CC as it is notoriously difficult to treat with oral pharmacological therapies. (Boyd et al., 2024)

Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of electrospinning as a promising technique for developing advanced biomaterials for breast implants (Ebrahimbaygi et al., 2024; Ghaedamini et al., 2024). Electrospinning produces fibrous scaffolds that closely resemble the extracellular matrix (Kellaway et al., 2024), promoting tissue integration while potentially reducing fibrotic encapsulation around the implant. (Valencia–Lazcano et al., 2018) These electrospun materials can be tailored to incorporate bioactive agents (Zare et al., 2021), such as anticancer, antifibrotic or antimicrobial compounds, to enhance implant biocompatibility. Their surface can be functionalised with proteins (Dziemidowicz et al., 2021) to further improve tissue integration.

This PhD project proposes to develop electrospun nanofibrous coatings incorporating drugs to reduce the formation of CC by modulating inflammatory responses and fibrotic remodelling, and improve the biocompatibility of silicone breast implants. The key objectives of this research are to evaluate the antifibrotic effects of drugs in vitro, develop electrospun coatings with optimal surface, mechanical properties and drug release profiles, and assess the in vitro performance of these coatings. Future work would include pre-clinical assessment in a mouse model of breast implant surgery.

The supervisor for this studentship is Dr Karolina Dziemidowicz.

Main methods and techniques
Electrospinning, scanning electron microscopy, advanced cell culture (including co-culture of immune cells), confocal microscopy, protein quantification assays, flow cytometry, mechanical and physicochemical testing (FTIR, XRD, DSC, TGA).

Person specification
Applicants are expected to hold a first degree in pharmacy, pharmacology, chemistry, biology, or biochemistry (minimum 2.1). Applicants will also need to meet UCL MPhil/PhD entry and English Language requirements. See here for further details.

How to apply
Applications must include CV, personal statement, and the contact details of two referees. Applications should be emailed to Ms Michelle Ward at sop.pgr@ucl.ac.uk.

Project title: Investigating brain tumour biology in 3D organoid models

Project description
Brain tumours affect 12000 people/year and include the most aggressive and often lethal malignancies. Glioblastoma affects individuals in their adult age, and it is often lethal at recurrence, with a median survival of 14-17 months. It is thus vital to find novel therapeutic approaches to tackle this uncurable tumour. The overarching goal of this project is to develop and characterize 3D organoid models of glioblastoma in order to identify novel cancer vulnerabilities.

In this PhD project, we will generate 3D glioblastoma organoids, by co-culturing cancer cells with human brain organoids derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. We will test the ability of the cancer cells to differentiate to post-mitotic and non-tumorigenic cell types by forced expression of the proneural transcription factor ASCL1 and we will compare the response in 2D and 3D. To this end, we will perform bulk transcriptomic (RNAseq) and chromatin accessibility (ATACseq) analysis, which will reveal the molecular underpinning of cancer cell behaviour in 2D and 3D. By generating and characterising novel glioblastoma models, the results of this project will help translate our research into human patient benefit.

The supervisor for this project is Dr Roberta Azzarelli.

Main methods and techniques
Cell culture: stem cell cultures of patient-derived cancer cells in 2D monolayer and 3D organoids. Human induced pluripotent stem cells and human brain organoids.

Molecular and cellular biology: Immunochemistry, including imaging with confocal microscope, qPCR, Western blotting, preparation for RNA sequencing and ATAC sequencing

Bioinformatic analysis: differential gene expression with DESeq (RNAseq) and differential accessibility of the chromatin, based on DiffBind (ATACseq). This part will be done in collaboration with Dr David Shorthouse at UCL SoP.

Person specification
Applicants are expected to hold a first degree in Pharmacology, Biology or Biochemistry (minimum 2.1). Postgraduate work in Cell Culture is essential and a Master’s degree is preferable. Other relevant skills will be taught during the project..

Applicants will also need to meet UCL MPhil/PhD entry and English Language requirements. See link for further details https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/research-degrees/pharmacy-mphil-phd

How to apply
Applications must include CV, personal statement, and the contact details of two referees. Applications should be emailed to Ms Michelle Ward at sop.pgr@ucl.ac.uk

Project title: Developing novel 3D printed personalized skin formulations and microneedle devices

Project description
We are looking for new students to start a PhD in the development of novel skin medicines and microneedle devices prepared by three-dimensional printing. Microneedle technology has revolutionised the field of skin delivery for both pharmaceuticals and personal care products.
The project will be conducted at University College London (UCL), a top 10 University in the 2023 QS World Rankings, within the vibrant and welcoming School of Pharmacy. The successful PhD Candidate will join a world-leading group in skin delivery, supervised by Associate Professor Majella Lane. The research group has wide experience in topical and transdermal formulation development and evaluation of medicines in clinical studies and cosmetic formulations in humans. The projects will also be in collaboration with broad multidisciplinary teams including dermatologists, engineers, the MHRA and the FDA. During their project, the PhD researcher will have access to gold-standard facilities and resources, with strong mentorship, support, and frequent career development opportunities. The PhD researcher will be trained in all techniques relevant to formulation development, characterisation and testing.

Person specification
The successful candidate should have (or expect to achieve) a bachelor’s degree or relevant master’s qualification in Pharmacy, Engineering, Chemistry or a related Science field. Prior lab experience, knowledge of skin physiology, microneedles or 3D printing would be advantageous. A good level of spoken and written English is essential. Successful candidates will need to meet UCL MPhil/PhD entry and English language requirements.

How to apply
To apply, please send a CV and cover letter to Associate Prof Majella Lane at m.lane@ucl.ac.uk. For more information on this project, please contact Prof Majella Lane.

Applications are welcome from both UK and overseas candidates.

Project title: Developing novel formulations for the treatment of skin cancer

Project description
We are looking for new students to start a PhD in the development of novel skin medicines for the treatment of skin cancer. We will use 3D printing and microneedle technology to develop new formulations for the management of this disease. This PhD project aims to target skin cancer by designing novel materials for delivery of actives directly to the skin. Machine learning will be employed to assist the design of the vehicles for delivery of anti-cancer agents. Where possible we will also use spectroscopy to confirm delivery of the drug to site of action.
The project will be conducted at University College London (UCL), a top 10 University in the 2023 QS World Rankings, within the vibrant and welcoming School of Pharmacy. The successful PhD Candidate will join a world-leading group in skin delivery, supervised by Associate Professor Majella Lane. The research group has wide experience in topical and transdermal formulation development and evaluation of medicines in clinical studies in humans. The projects will also be in collaboration with broad multidisciplinary teams including dermatologists, engineers, the MHRA and the FDA. During their project, the PhD researcher will have access to gold-standard facilities and resources, with strong mentorship, support, and frequent career development opportunities. The PhD researcher will be trained in all techniques relevant to formulation development, characterisation and testing.

How to apply
To apply, please send a CV and cover letter to Associate Prof Majella Lane at m.lane@ucl.ac.uk. For more information on this project, please contact Prof Majella Lane.

Applications are welcome from both UK and overseas candidates.

Project title: Rational design of anti-aging cosmetic formulations

Project description
We are looking for new students to start a PhD in the development of novel anti-aging cosmetic formulations. We will use 3D printing and microneedle technology to develop new formulations to design new creams, gels and serums that target actives to the skin. Specifically, this PhD project aims to target the skin by designing novel formulations for delivery of actives directly to the skin. Machine learning will be employed to assist the design of the vehicles for delivery of anti-aging actives and ingredients. Where possible, we will also use spectroscopy to confirm delivery of the drug to site of action.
The project will be conducted at University College London (UCL), a top 10 University in the 2023 QS World Rankings, within the vibrant and welcoming School of Pharmacy. The successful PhD Candidate will join a world-leading group in skin delivery, supervised by Associate Professor Majella Lane. The research group has wide experience in topical and transdermal formulation development and evaluation of medicines in clinical studies in humans. The projects will also be in collaboration with broad multidisciplinary teams including L’Oreal, Cosmetics Europe, the CTPA and the FDA. During their project, the PhD researcher will have access to gold-standard facilities and resources, with strong mentorship, support, and frequent career development opportunities.

The PhD researcher will be trained in all techniques relevant to formulation development, characterisation and testing.

Person specification
The successful candidate should have (or expect to achieve) a first degree or relevant master’s qualification in Pharmacy, Engineering, Chemistry or a related Science field. Prior lab experience, knowledge of skin physiology, cosmetics, formulations or 3D printing would be advantageous. A good level of spoken and written English is essential. Successful candidates will need to meet UCL MPhil/PhD entry and English language requirements.

How to apply
To apply, please send a CV and cover letter to Associate Prof Majella Lane at m.lane@ucl.ac.uk. For more information on this project, please contact Prof Majella Lane.

Applications are welcome from both UK and overseas candidates.

Project title: Development of novel non-viral RNA formulations for pulmonary delivery

Project description
RNAs such as small interfering RNA (siRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) have huge potential in treating a wide range of respiratory diseases including lung cancer, cystic fibrosis (CF) and lung infections. The major hurdle of translating the RNA therapeutics for treating lung conditions is the lack of a safe and effective pulmonary delivery system to deliver RNA molecules to the airways. RNA therapeutics is currently limited to administration by injection or infusion, which is invasive with poor lung distribution, making it undesirable for treating lung diseases.

This PhD project aims to overcome the delivery barrier by designing novel peptide and/or lipid materials as non-viral RNA delivery vector that are suitable for pulmonary delivery. Machine learning will be employed to assist the design of the RNA delivery vector. Dry powder aerosol will be prepared to improve the stability of the formulation.

Relevant publications of the research group:
•   Qiu Y et al. Effective mRNA pulmonary delivery by dry powder formulation of PEGylated synthetic KL4 peptide. Journal of Controlled Release 2019; 314: 102-115
•   Qiu Y et al. Optimization of PEGylated KL4 peptide for siRNA delivery with improved pulmonary tolerance. Molecular Pharmaceutics 2021; 18(6): 2218-2232
•   Man RCH et al. Co-delivery of PD-L1- and EGFR-targeting siRNAs by synthetic PEG12-KL4 peptide to the lungs as potential strategy against non-small cell lung cancer. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics 2024; 195: 114177

The supervisor for this project is Dr Jenny Lam.

Main methods and techniques
Peptide/lipid synthesis and characterisation; machine learning; particle engineering techniques (spray drying and spray freeze drying); aerosol formulation characterisation (cascade impactors, HPLC); cell culture and molecular biology (Western blotting, qPCR).

Person specification
Applicants are expected to hold a first degree in pharmacy, pharmacology, chemistry, biology, biochemistry, or chemical engineering (minimum 2.1). Applicants will also need to meet UCL MPhil/PhD entry and English Language requirements. See link for further details https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/research-degrees/pharmacy-mphil-phd

Applications are welcomed from both UK and overseas candidates.

How to apply
Applications must include CV, personal statement, and the contact details of two referees. Applications should be emailed to Ms Michelle Ward at sop.pgr@ucl.ac.uk

Project title: Sequence-defined polyphosphoesters for applications in medicine

Project description
Precise polymer sequence determines the folding and self-assembly of both proteins and nucleic acids, and this in turn results in the vast capabilities of biochemistry which go well beyond anything we can currently recreate using synthetic chemistry. If, using non-biological chemistry, we could follow the same roadmap of polymer sequence leading to function, we could create new ways to interact with biological processes and structures, leading to new types of therapeutics. However, much of the effort to date on sequence-defined polymers has focused on synthesis rather than behaviour and function.

This project will involve adapting the automated phosphoramidite chemistry (routinely used to produce oligonucleotides, Fig. 1) to synthesise non-natural sequence-defined polyphosphoesters (Chem. Commun., 2022, 58, 12200-12203, Chem. Commun., 2020, 56, 5307-5310). You will use a range of techniques to investigate and understand the folding and self-assembly of these polymers with relation to sequence, and explore their applications in biology such as cell penetration and inhibition of protein-protein interactions of therapeutic interest.

The supervisor for this project is Dr Christopher Serpell

Main methods and techniques
Organic synthesis, automated solid-phase synthesis, nanoscale characterisation, protein interactions, cell culture.

Person specification
Applicants are expected to hold a first degree in pharmacy or chemistry (minimum 2.1). Applicants will also need to meet UCL MPhil/PhD entry and English Language requirements. See link for further details https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/research-degrees/pharmacy-mphil-phd

Applications are welcomed from both UK and overseas candidates.

How to apply
Applications must include CV, personal statement, and the contact details of two referees. Applications should be emailed to Ms Michelle Ward at sop.pgr@ucl.ac.uk

Project title: Tackling health inequity in pharmaceuticals

Research has been increasingly highlighting the disparities in the investigation of gender-specific responses to medicines. It has been observed that substances thought to be inactive in medications have biological effects that differ between genders. These findings are the focus of this project, which is aimed at exploring and harnessing such variations. The overarching aim is the addressing and mitigation of these disparities, advancing the field towards more equitable healthcare provision.

This PhD project will focus on identifying gender differences in medication responses. The successful applicant will receive training in all relevant areas of the project, including in vitro and in vivo studies and the use of machine learning to optimize laboratory results. Upon starting, the PhD candidate will join a renowned research group, supervised by Professor Abdul W. Basit, with multiple decades of academic and commercial experience in the developing medicines. The project will be based at University College London (UCL), a top 10 University in the 2023 QS World Rankings, within the vibrant and welcoming School of Pharmacy. During their project, the PhD researcher will have access to gold-standard facilities and resources, with strong mentorship, support, and frequent career development opportunities.

Person specification
The ideal candidate should have (or expect to achieve) a bachelor’s degree or relevant master’s qualification in Pharmacy, Biomedical sciences, Pharmacology, Biology or a related discipline. Prior lab experience and Data Science knowledge will be valued. In vivo and in vitro lab experience are desirable but not essential.

A good level of spoken and written English is essential. Successful candidates will need to meet UCL MPhil/PhD entry and English language requirements.

Applications are welcomed from both UK and overseas candidates.

Applications
To apply, please send a CV and cover letter to a.basit@ucl.ac.uk.

Project title: Development and clinical translation of 3D printed personalized medicines and medical devices

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a revolutionary technology that is disrupting healthcare by enabling the production of personalised medications on demand. By creating small batches of dose flexible medicines, this versatile technology offers significant advantages for clinical practice, namely the ability to personalise medicines to individual patient needs, as well as expediting drug development timelines within pre-clinical studies through to clinical trials in humans.

This PhD project will focus on using advanced additive manufacturing technologies to fabricate medications suitable for clinical translation into hospitals and pharmacies. The project has the potential to transform the medical landscape by transforming the way medications are designed and administered to patients. The successful PhD candidate will join a world-leading group in pharmaceutical 3D printing, supervised by Professor Abdul W. Basit. The group has multiple decades of academic and commercial experience and a track record of successful spin-outs. The project will also involve collaborations with broad multidisciplinary teams including medical doctors, clinical hospital pharmacists and computer engineers from the UK, France and Spain. The project will be conducted at University College London (UCL), a top 10 University in the 2024 QS World Rankings, within the vibrant and welcoming School of Pharmacy.

Applications
The successful candidate should have (or expect to achieve) a bachelor’s degree or relevant master’s qualification in Pharmacy, Engineering, Computer Science or a related Science field. Prior lab experience, and knowledge of computer science, 3D printing or coding will be valued.

A good level of spoken and written English is essential. Successful candidates will need to meet UCL MPhil/PhD entry and English language requirements. Applications are welcome from both UK and overseas candidates.

To apply, please send a CV and cover letter to Prof. Abdul Basit at a.basit@ucl.ac.uk.

Project title: Developing novel medicines targeted at the human gut microbiome

Cutting-edge research is highlighting how important the human microbiome is for health. As fundamental science characterizing the complex functions and processes of microbes emerges, many opportunities for microbiome-targeted therapeutics are being presented. Numerous diseases could be prevented and treated through targeted delivery of small molecules, biologics, or probiotics to the human microbiome. Diseases that have been linked with the gut microbiome include cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, colon cancer, Parkinson’s disease, autism spectrum disorder, and depression.

This PhD project will focus on developing new medicines targeted at the gut microbiome. The successful applicant will receive training in all relevant areas of the project, including the use of machine learning to streamline and enhance the impact of laboratory results. Upon starting, the PhD candidate will join a renowned research group, supervised by Professor Abdul W. Basit with multiple decades of academic and commercial experience in microbiome medicine. The project will be based at University College London (UCL), a top 10 University in the 2024 QS World Rankings, within the vibrant and welcoming School of Pharmacy. During their project, the PhD researcher will have access to gold-standard facilities and resources, with strong mentorship, support, and frequent career development opportunities.

Applications
Applicants should be enthusiastic about research and be keen to work on the development of novel microbiome-targeted medicines. The ideal candidate should have (or expect to achieve) a bachelor’s degree or relevant master’s qualification in Pharmacy, Biochemistry, Engineering or a related discipline. Prior lab experience and Data Science knowledge will be valued.

To apply, please send a CV and cover letter to Prof. Abdul Basit at a.basit@ucl.ac.uk

Project title: Using Machine Learning to Develop Novel Drug Delivery Systems

Machine learning has revolutionised numerous fields from self-driving technologies to aeronautics and drug discovery, yet its impact remains under-explored in the domain of drug formulation development - an area marked by extensive resource and labour investment. This project aims to harness machine learning to create sophisticated models that can fast-track and fine-tune the development of ground-breaking drug delivery systems.

The project will explore the potential benefits of machine learning in refining the formulation development process and elevating advanced development techniques like additive manufacturing. The selected applicant will receive extensive training across the entire project spectrum, focusing on how machine learning can effectively utilise laboratory results to influence future breakthroughs.

The project will be based at University College London (UCL), a top 10 University in the 2024 QS World Rankings, within the vibrant and welcoming School of Pharmacy. Upon starting, the PhD candidate will join a world-renowned, highly-cited research group, supervised by Professor Abdul W. Basit. The group has multiple decades of academic and commercial experience and a track record of successful spin-outs. During their project, the PhD researcher will have access to gold-standard facilities and resources, with strong mentorship, support, and frequent career development opportunities. The projects will also be in collaboration with broad multidisciplinary teams including medical doctors, clinical hospital pharmacists, engineers and data scientists.

Applications
The ideal candidate should have (or expect to achieve) a bachelor’s degree or relevant master’s qualification in Pharmacy, Engineering, Computer Science or a related discipline. Prior lab experience and Data Science knowledge will be valued. It is also desirable to be proficient in Python, with experience in data acquisition.

To apply, please send a CV and cover letter to Prof. Abdul Basit at a.basit@ucl.ac.uk

Project title: Exploring Enabling Technologies for Organic Synthesis and Drug Discovery

Project description
This PhD project will explore the application of an enabling reactor technology such as ball-milling (mechanochemistry), continuous processing or photo-flow chemistry to facilitate and identify new opportunities in chemical synthesis and drug discovery. Focus will be on designing synthetic methods that permit new reactions or lead to improvements in reproducibility, scalability and/or sustainability.

The project will build on some of the group’s recent work in these areas, for examples see:

Mechanochemistry
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2021, 60, 23128-23133
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2021, 60, 21868-21874
J. Org. Chem., 2021, 86,14095-14101
Org. Lett., 2021, 23, 6337-6341

Flow Chemistry
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed, 2021, 60, 19685-16960
Tetrahedron 2021, 93, 132305
React. Chem. Eng., 2019, 4, 1559-1564

You will join our fully equipped synthetic chemistry laboratory (Lab G25) at UCL School of Pharmacy. You will join a close-knit team of postdocs, PhD students, Visitors and Master’s students, and will receive training in organic synthesis, elements of medicinal chemistry/drug discovery and the implementation and use of enabling technologies. Additionally, over the duration your skills in organic reaction mechanisms, presenting results, time management, project planning will be developed through group meetings and faculty and university PhD training programmes.

Main methods and techniques
The project would be suitable for anyone with a background in synthetic chemistry and method development and an interest in mechanochemistry or continuous flow (photo) chemistry.

Person specification
This project is open to UK and international applicants who are self-funded.

Applicants are expected to hold a first degree in Pharmacy, Chemistry or Chemical Engineering (minimum 2.1). Other relevant skills will be taught during the project.

This project is for self-funded students and will be supervised by Dr Duncan L. Browne (synthesis/medicinal chemistry).

How to apply
Applications must include CV, personal statement, and the contact details of two referees. Applications should be emailed to Ms Michelle Ward at sop.pgr@ucl.ac.uk.

Project title: Investigating canonical Wnt signalling as a therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease

Project description
The WNT3 gene encoding Wnt3a was identified as a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Genome-Wide Association Studies. Wnt3a is a ligand for the canonical Wnt signaling pathway that was found to be dysregulated in PD mouse models including LRRK2 PD models. Importantly, LRRK2 mutations are the most common cause of familial PD, with affected patients presenting with symptoms indistinguishable to idiopathic PD. We found differences in Wnt signalling pathways in different brain regions and cell types including innate immune cells and astrocytes in the LRRK2 G2019S PD mouse model. Interestingly, Wnt3a activated canonical Wnt signalling shows differences depending on LRRK2 genotype that are further modified by immune system activation.

Diverse Wnt signalling inhibitors are already in clinical use and under development in cancer therapy, whereas Wnt signalling activators are used in osteoporosis and are under investigation for Alzheimer’s disease treatment. Our goal is to investigate Wnt3a mediated canonical Wnt signalling as a target for PD treatment. We will test the effect of Wnt3a knockdown, Wnt3a protein treatment, as well as different Wnt signalling inhibitors and activators on LRRK2 expression levels, LRRK2 dependent rab GTPase phosphorylation, cellular phenotypes and cell biological pathways with a focus on endolysosomal function in the absence and presence of immune stimulators. The experiments will first be conducted in relevant mutant LRRK2 immortalised cell lines. After the student is familiar with the relevant techniques, we will then translate the experiments into patient derived human induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (hiPSC) LRRK2 PD models plus their isogenic controls. This work will help to validate and translate current work in mouse models into a human preclinical model system.

Main methods and techniques
Cell Biology: Including immortalised cell culture and hiPSC.

Molecular Neuroscience: Including cell signalling assays, qPCR and Western blotting.

Confocal Imaging: Including high resolution confocal imaging of signalling pathway components.

Person specification
Applicants are expected to hold a first degree in Pharmacology, Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics, Neuroscience or Immunology (minimum 2.1). Postgraduate work in Cell Culture is also preferred. Other relevant skills will be taught during the project.

This project is for self-funded students and will be supervised by Professor Kirsten Harvey.

How to apply
Applications must include CV, personal statement, and the contact details of two referees. Applications should be emailed to Ms Michelle Ward at sop.pgr@ucl.ac.uk

Project title: Synthesis and medicinal chemistry of bacterial antimicrobial peptides

Project description
Antibiotic resistance is a huge global public health challenge. New antibiotics are urgently required to ensure future access to effective treatments for bacterial infection. Historically, bacterial natural products have been a valuable source of new antibiotics. Our group is interested in exploring the potential of bacterial antimicrobial peptides, predominantly cyclic and multicyclic peptides such as those in the ‘ribosomally-synthesised and post-translationally modified peptide’ (RiPP) family. These peptides are structurally diverse and are often less prone to resistance development than small molecule antibiotics, making them promising candidates for drug development.

This PhD project will focus on peptides in the RiPP family. Routes of investigation will include developing reliable synthetic routes to the peptides, establishing structure-activity relationships by synthesis of analogues, determining mechanism of action and optimising properties such as stability, solubility and activity. Ultimately, the results of this work will allow an evaluation of the clinical potential of this family of peptides.

Main methods and techniques
The project will employ synthetic chemistry, solid-phase and solution peptide synthesis, HPLC, peptide characterisation (e.g. NMR, MS, CD spectroscopy) and antimicrobial activity testing. Experience in synthetic chemistry is preferred but training in organic synthesis and peptide synthesis will be provided.

Person specification
Applicants are expected to hold a first degree in pharmacy, chemistry and biochemistry (minimum 2.1). Other relevant skills will be taught during the project.

This project is for self-funded students and will be supervised by Dr Rachael Dickman

How to apply
Applications must include CV, personal statement, and the contact details of two referees. Applications should be emailed to Ms Michelle Ward at sop.pgr@ucl.ac.uk.