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New EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training funded

13 March 2024

We are delighted to announce that EPSRC has agreed to provide funding for a new Centre for Doctoral Training in Accelerated Medicines Design & Development.

Pink pills in a blister pack on a production line.

Our Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Accelerated Medicines Design & Development (AMD&D) will educate over 50 PhD students to develop the advanced laboratory and computational skills needed to accelerate medicines design and overcome the major obstacles in medicines development.

The CDT is a partnership between UCL, the University of Nottingham (UoN), and a network of industrial and clinical partners from across the UK pharmaceutical, healthcare and medical technologies sector. 

New types of drug molecule are being devised rapidly and have the potential to transform patients' lives. However, it currently takes 10 - 15 years between the discovery of a new drug molecule and its translation into a medicine. If medicines development can be accelerated, there will be profound improvements to the lives of individual patients, in addition to associated economic and societal benefits.

AMD&D CDT graduates will be expert practitioners at integrating laboratory and digital research, crucial to accelerate medicines development. They will develop skills to effectively communicate, work within, and lead research teams. UCL and UoN will work hand in glove with our external partners, such that the training and research undertaken in the CDT is directly relevant to the most significant challenges in medicines development and embedded in an industrial and clinical environment, with direct patient involvement. This will allow us to directly contribute to the acceleration of medicines development, and ultimately will deliver major benefits to patients as new medicines reach clinic.  

Professor Gareth Williams, the UCL CDT Director, said “I am delighted that EPSRC has recognised the importance of doctoral training in medicines development and funded our CDT. We look forward to welcoming our first cohort of students in 2025”.

Prof Snow Stolnik, CDT Co-Director at UoN added “This EPSRC funding will educate a new generation of researchers equipped to lead future translation of potential new drugs into medicines accessible to patients.”

Dr Andrew Lewis, Chief Scientific Officer of Quotient Sciences, one of the AMD&D industry partners, said “We are delighted to support the CDT. We believe it’s essential to continually look for ways to develop medicines faster and treat patients sooner. This is something we have pioneered here at Quotient, so we look forward to training the next generation of scientists to continue this mission.”

Further Information

CDT Partners include

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