Current PhD projects
There is a variety of research activity taking place at the Institute.
Below is a list of research areas, each with details of project titles within that area suitable for study at MPhil/PhD level.
To discuss any potential MPhil/PhD further
Please do not contact potential supervisors directly. All enquiries should be sent to: edi-phd@ucl.ac.uk.
Browse by topic
New therapeutics for tuberculosis: identification and characterisation of cofactor biosynthesis pathways and their role during infection
Supervisor: Dr Dimitrios Evangelopoulos
Rational design of future drug combinations as a strategy to combat antibiotic resistance and superbugs
Supervisor: Dr Dimitrios Evangelopoulos
Exploring gene transfer in the whole oral microbiota metagenomics, oral microbiota, mobile genetic elements
Supervisor: Professor Peter Mullany
Novel approaches to understanding how the important nosocomial pathogen Clostridium difficile causes disease (Clostridium difficile, virulence, antimicrobial associated disease)
Supervisor: Professor Peter Mullany
Identification of novel therapeutic targets in bacteria associated with healthcare infections such as staphylococcus aureus and 'superbugs' such as VRE and MRSAStaphylococcus aureus, MRSA, enterococci, VRE, virulence
Supervisor: Dr Sean Nair
Novel approaches to understanding how the important nosocomial pathogen Clostridium difficile causes diseaseClostridium difficile, virulence, antimicrobial associated disease
Supervisor: Professor Peter Mullany
Constant depth film fermentor models of gingivitis and periodontitis
gingivitis, periodontitis, biofilms
Supervisor: Professor Dave Spratt
Development of new strategies for treating implant infections
biofilms, enterococci, periodontal pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis
Supervisor: Dr Sean Nair
Molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation
Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, VRSA
Supervisor: Dr Sean Nair
Synthetic biology to develop agents for disrupting medically important biofilms
molecular breeding, domain shuffling, enzymes
Supervisor: Dr Sean Nair
Understanding biofilm regulation in Campylobacter jejuni
biofilms, signalling, virulence
Supervisor: Dr Elaine Allan
Bacterial vitamin biosynthesis pathways and their role in the homeostasis of the oral microbiome
Supervisor: Dr Dimitrios Evangelopoulos
- Catalyst free synthesis of polyesters for tissue engineering
- Neurogenic and Osteogenic peptide delivery via polymer matrices
- Development of Degradable Fibres for Hard and Soft Tissue Engineering
- Silk fibroin and degradable polyurethane composites with improved mechanical properties
Supervisor: Professor Jonathan Knowles
- Large-scale synthesis of a novel microbial-derived polymer
- Development of a biomimetic membrane for wound dressing
- Long-term cell storage and delivery
Supervisor: Dr David Chau
Novel signal transduction mechanisms in Streptococcus mutans
Supervisor: Dr Elaine Allan
Synthetic biology to develop dental plaque disrupting agents
molecular breeding, domain shuffling, enzymes
Supervisor: Dr Sean Nair
A synthetic biology approach to the development of phage therapy to bacterial diseases
phage, oral acquisition microflora, caries
Supervisor: Professor Peter Mullany / Dr Paul Ashley
Identification of novel therapeutic targets in bacteria associated with healthcare infections such as staphylococcus aureus and 'superbugs' such as VRE and MRSA
Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, enterococcus, VRE, virulence
Supervisor: Dr Sean Nair
Development of novel antimicrobial agents and identification of antimicrobial agents produced by microorganisms novel antimicrobials, metagenomics, antimicrobial peptides, bacteriocins
Supervisor: Dr Sean Nair
Metagenomics for natural product discovery
Supervisor: Dr Elaine Allan
Biofilm disruption activities in natural environments
Supervisor: Dr Elaine Allan
Targeted photodynamic therapy for bacterial infections
photosensitizers, singlet oxygen, targeting molecules, MRSA, staphylococcus
Supervisor: Dr Sean Nair
Constant depth film fermentor models of endodontal infections
Supervisor: Professor Dave Spratt
Molecular mechanisms of enterococcal resistance to root canal treatments and host defences
Supervisor: Dr Sean Nair
Self adhesive, re-mineralising, antibacterial dental restorative materials
dental restoration, methacrylate, calcium phosphate, antibacterial release / action
Supervisor: Professor Anne Young / Dr Paul Ashley
Replacement of PMMA bone cement with a modified dental composite
polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), bone cement, dental composite, strength, antibacterial
Supervisor: Professor Anne Young / Dr Lambis Petridis
Degradable composite bone cement development
calcium phosphate, degradable polymers, bone cement, drug release
Supervisor: Professor Anne Young
Mucosal immune response in health and disease
Innate, adaptive, immunity, inflammation, macrophage, Toll-like receptors
Transcriptomic analysis of oral inflammatory disease
Transcriptomics, inflammation, human disease, next generation sequencing, bioinformatics
Understanding epithelial immunity to bacterial and viral infection
Inflammation, toll-like receptors, inflammasome, autophagy, next generation sequencing
Understanding the mechanisms driving oral inflammation
Innate immunity, inflammation, toll-like receptors, human disease, probiotics, dysbiosis
Studying the role of probiotics in the regulation of mucosal inflammation and immunity
Investigating how autophagy influences mucosal immune responses
Innate immunity, toll-like receptors, Nod-like receptors, epithelial cells, macrophages
Supervisor: Professor Andrew Smith
Development of patient-related outcomes (PRO) measures in oral mucosal diseases
Supervisor: Dr Stefano Fedele
Innate Immunity defects in oral mucosal disease
Supervisor: Dr Stefano Fedele
Efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in reducing the risk of jaw osteonecrosis in individuals exposed to bisphosphonates who undergo dental extractions
Supervisor: Dr Stefano Fedele
Mucosal immune response in health and diseaseInnate and adaptive immunity, inflammation, macrophage, Toll-like receptors
Supervisor: Professor Andrew Smith
Transcriptomic analysis of oral inflammatory diseaseTranscriptomics, inflammation, human disease, next generation sequencing, bioinformatics
Supervisor: Professor Andrew Smith
Understanding the mechanisms driving oral inflammation Innate immunity, inflammation, toll-like receptors, human disease, probiotics, dysbiosis
Supervisor: Professor Andrew Smith
Studying the role of probiotics in the regulation of mucosal inflammation and immunity
Supervisor: Professor Andrew Smith
Migraine and oral health: are the two diseases linked?
Supervisor: Dr Yago Leira
The oral microbiome and cancer
Supervisor: Dr Sean Nair
Defining the core outcome set in trigeminal neuralgia - the TRINCOS study
Supervisor: Professor Joanna Zakrzewska
- The natural history of the dental pellicle and its relationship to dental erosion in elite sport
- Oral health and performance in elite sport
- Nasal, oral and gut microbiomes for elite sport performance and population health
- Oral biomarkers for monitoring elite athlete performance and health
- Physical activity, inflammation and periodontal health
Supervisor: Professor Ian Needleman
Investigations of the effectiveness of remineralising composites as a restorative material in children
pain management,paediatric dentistry, sedation, anxiety management
Supervisor: Professor Anne Young
Constant depth film fermentor models of ginigivitis and periodontitis
gingivitis, periodontitis, biofilms
Supervisor: Professor David Spratt
Identification of natural antimicrobial agents for the treatment of periodontal disease
periodontal pathogens, natural antimicrobials
Supervisor: Dr Sean Nair
The role of biofilms in infections of titanium surfaces
periodontal pathogens, implants, titanium
Supervisor: Dr Sean Nair
Periodontitis and inflammatory bowel diseases: Exploring the nature of the association
Supervisor: Professor Jacopo Buti
Treatment of Periodontitis and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Diabetes
Supervisor: Professor Francesco D'Aiuto
Comparison of different modalities of periodontal therapy
Supervisor: Professor Ian Needleman
Physical activity, inflammation and periodontal health
Supervisor: Professor Ian Needleman
Mastication and periodontitis
Supervisor: Dr Jeanie Suvan
Weight loss and periodontitis
Supervisor: Dr Jeanie Suvan
Refined carbohydrate consumption and periodontal inflammation
Supervisor: Dr Jeanie Suvan
Mechanisms of endothelial inflammation/damage in periodontitis
Supervisor: Dr Marco Orlandi
Characterisation of periosteum-derived grafts for periodontal repair/regeneration
Supervisor: Dr Maja Sabalic
Regulation of cementum development and repair
Supervisor: Dr Maja Sabalic
Development of a smart investigational product dispenser for clinical trials
Supervisor: Dr Maja Sabalic
The influence of implant-abutment corrosion products on cell metabolic pathways implant abutment, dental implants, corrosion, peri-implantitis, bone loss
Supervisor: Dr Lambis Petridis / Professor Jonathan Knowles
- Modelling the effect of functional foods and their active components on oral microbiome
- Studying the impact of the microbiome on oral mucosal inflammatory disease
- Investigating ways to manipulate the oral microbiome
- Investigating the anti-inflammatory properties of probiotics in oral health and disease
Supervisors: Professor Andrew Smith and Professor Dave Spratt
Nasal, oral and gut microbiomes for elite sport performance and population health.
Supervisor: Professor Ian Needleman
Bacterial vitamin biosynthesis pathways and their role in the homeostasis of the oral microbiome
Supervisor: Dr Dimitrios Evangelopoulos
The oral microbiome and cancer
Supervisor: Dr Sean Nair
Browse by supervisor
- Understanding biofilm regulation in Campylobacter jejuni biofilms, signalling, virulence
- Signal transduction in bacterial virulence
- Novel signal transduction mechanisms in Streptococcus mutans
- Metagenomics for natural product discovery
- Finding new antibiotics: mining natural environments for biofilm disrupting activity
- Periodontitis and inflammatory bowel diseases: Exploring the nature of the association.
- Modification of biomolecules for the development of new/novel biomaterials
- Development of advanced, in-vivo-in-vitro-like, tissue engineered models and constructs
- Advanced drug delivery systems, (bio)pharmaceutics and dosage design forms
- Smart, cell-/drug-incorporated, wound dressings and therapeutic bandages
- Development of desiccation-tolerant human (stem) cells for long-term storage
- Translational 'green' and 'white' biotechnology for regenerative medicine and bioprocessing applications
- Develop a patient information programme for pre-surgical orthognathic patients and determine its efficacy on the reduction in anxiety and enhancement of satisfaction over the peri-operative period.
- Orthodontic treatment information provision in the digital age.
- A randomised controlled clinical trial to compare two techniques for the management of class II malocclusion.
- Treatment of Periodontitis and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Diabetes
- Evaluation of Optical Coherence Tomography as a diagnostics tool for dentistry and its applications to enamel and soft tissues defects or loss
- New therapeutics for tuberculosis: identification and characterisation of cofactor biosynthesis pathways and their role during infection
- Rational design of future drug combinations as a strategy to combat antibiotic resistance and superbugs
- Bacterial vitamin biosynthesis pathways and their role in the homeostasis of the oral microbiome
- Development of patient-related outcomes (PRO) measures in oral mucosal diseases
- Innate Immunity defects in oral mucosal disease
- Efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in reducing the risk of jaw osteonecrosis in individuals exposed to bisphosphonates who undergo dental extractions
- 3D Bioprinting for custom fit maxillofacial implants using new degradable polymers
- Bioprinting of functional tissue constructs in 3D: Use of hydrogels for assembly of complex tissues
- Degradable microcarriers for stem cell expansion and formation of new hard tissue organoids
- Degradable glass fibres for the regeneration of muscle and ligament
- Repair of nerve tissue injuries using degradable glass fibres as guidance cues.
- Oral Cancer Prevention, Control and Strategies in Ecuador. Implementation of the first National Guidelines and prevention plans.
- Migraine and oral health: are the two diseases linked?
- Clinical effectiveness of vertical ridge augmentation modalities.
- Exploring gene transfer in the whole oral microbiota
- Metagenomics, oral microbiota, mobile genetic elements
- Novel approaches to understanding how the important nosocomial pathogen Clostridium difficile causes disease
Identification of novel therapeutic targets in bacteria associated with healthcare infections such as staphylococcus aureus and 'superbugs' such as VRE and MRSA
Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, enterococci, VRE, virulence
Development of new strategies for treating implant infections
biofilms, enterococci, periodontal pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis
Synthetic biology to develop agents for disrupting medically important biofilms
molecular breeding, domain shuffling, enzymes
Development of novel antimicrobial agents and identification of antimicrobial agents produced by microorganisms
novel antimicrobials, metagenomics, antimicrobial peptides, bacteriocins
Targeted photodynamic therapy for bacterial infections
photosensitizers, singlet oxygen, targeting molecules, MRSA, staphylococcus
Molecular mechanisms of enterococcal resistance to root canal treatments and host defences
Identification of natural antimicrobial agents for the treatment of periodontal disease
periodontal pathogens, natural antimicrobials
The role of biofilms in infections of titanium surfaces
periodontal pathogens, implants, titanium
- The natural history of the dental pellicle and its relationship to dental erosion in elite sport
- Oral health and performance in elite sport
- Comparison of different modalities of periodontal therapy
- Biomaterials systems for enhancing bone regeneration and anti-inflammatory activities.
- The combination of electrospun membranes and porous hydrogel as new tool for guiding tissue regeneration of oral mucosa.
- Injectable hydrogel for enhancing the delivery and targeting of drug/biological agents.
- Development of enzymatic in situ formed hydrogel as bioink.
- Thermo-responsive carriers for cell expansion and harvesting.
- Cell expansion and harvesting on new micro-/macro-carriers.
- Mechanisms of endothelial inflammation / damage in periodontitis
- Assessment of Acceptability of Wand for paediatric dental patients
Replacement of PMMA bone cement with a modified dental composite polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)
bone cement, dental composite, strength, antibacterial
The influence of implant-abutment corrosion products on cell metabolic pathways implant abutment
dental implants, corrosion, peri-implantitis, bone loss
- Development of patient-related outcomes (PRO) measures in oral mucosal diseases
- Innate Immunity defects in oral mucosal disease
- Efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in reducing the risk of jaw osteonecrosis in individuals exposed to bisphosphonates who undergo dental extractions
- Characterisation of periosteum-derived grafts for periodontal repair/regeneration
- Regulation of cementum development and repair
- Development of a smart investigational product dispenser for clinical trials
- Mucosal immune response in health and disease
- Innate, adaptive, immunity, inflammation, macrophage, Toll-like receptors
- Transcriptomic analysis of oral inflammatory disease
- Transcriptomics, inflammation, human disease, next generation sequencing, bioinformatics
- Understanding epithelial immunity to bacterial and viral infection
- Inflammation, toll-like receptors, inflammasome, autophagy, next generation sequencing
- Understanding the mechanisms driving oral inflammation
- Innate immunity, inflammation, toll-like receptors, human disease, probiotics, dysbiosis
- Studying the role of probiotics in the regulation of mucosal inflammation and immunity
- Investigating how autophagy influences mucosal immune responses
- Innate immunity, toll-like receptors, Nod-like receptors, epithelial cells, macrophages
- Mucosal immune response in health and disease
- Innate and adaptive immunity, inflammation, macrophage, Toll-like receptors
- Transcriptomic analysis of oral inflammatory disease
- Transcriptomics, inflammation, human disease, next generation sequencing, bioinformatics
- Understanding the mechanisms driving oral inflammation
- Innate immunity, inflammation, toll-like receptors, human disease, probiotics, dysbiosis
- Studying the role of probiotics in the regulation of mucosal inflammation and immunity
- Mastication and periodontitis
- Weight loss and periodontitis
- Refined carbohydrate consumption and periodontal inflammation
Investigations of the effectiveness of remineralising composites as a restorative material in children
pain management, paediatric dentistry, sedation, anxiety management
Self adhesive, re-mineralising, antibacterial dental restorative materials
dental restoration, methacrylate, calcium phosphate, antibacterial release / action
Replacement of PMMA bone cement with a modified dental composite
polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), bone cement, dental composite, strength, antibacterial
Degradable composite bone cement development
calcium phosphate, degradable polymers, bone cement, drug release
