Join Us

The IPLS offers a world-class environment for research in the physics of living systems. We are a highly intercollegiate, interdisciplinary and inclusive organisation that welcomes new members with an active interest in the physics of living systems from across London.

Our research is world-leading, we have excellent facilities and our friendly culture enables you to become 'part of the family’. We are open to undergraduate and graduate students, post-docs, permanent staff and long-term visitors in one of the participating organisations.

General Membership

Subscribe to the IPLS mailing list to join and be kept up-to-date with our busy events programme, training opportunities, job vacancies and other news.

Become a Member

We welcome all researchers at UCL who are interested in topics related to biological physics to join our events and be a part of our community.  If you have any specific suggestions on speakers to invite or other ways in which IPLS can help advance collaborative research at the interface between biology and physics at UCL, please contact Guillaume Charras (g.charras@ucl.ac.uk), Director of IPLS.

Current Vacancies

IPLS group leaders are always keen to hear from talented scientists in pursuing a research career in the relevant field. Enquiries can be made direct to Group leaders. All UCL vacancies are advertised through the University’s website. Queries can be directed to the contact provided within the job vacancy.

PhD Studentships (General)

MRC LMCB 4 Year PhD Programme in Molecular Cell Biology

The LMCB is an MRC-funded institute dedicated to research aimed at understanding the fundamental basis of cell behaviour relevant to human disease.

They provide a course specifically designed to offer a broad training in cellular and molecular aspects of biomedical science, as well as an opportunity to carry out cutting-edge research in an internationally competitive environment.

In the first year, students rotate through three laboratories of their choice, selected from projects offered by the 30 or so laboratories participating in the Programme. Students then choose any one of these many laboratories for their three-year thesis project. The first year of the Programme also includes weekly tutorials run by experts in various fields of cell and molecular biology, as well as discussion sessions and debates on wider issues in science. This crucial first year allows students to broaden their understanding of biomedical science and, most important, to sample different laboratories in order to make an informed choice of thesis area and mentor.

More information can be found on the UCL website.

BBSRC London Interdisciplinary Biosciences PhD Consortium

The London Interdisciplinary Biosciences Consortium is one of the largest BBSRC-funded Doctoral Training Partnerships in the UK. Representing an exciting collaboration between six of London's world-class universities and specialist institutions, the consortium provides students with a unique opportunity to pursue innovative interdisciplinary research projects in the heart of one of the world's most vibrant cities.

This BBSRC programme delivers research training that supports the new cross-disciplinary landscape; providing mathematical and computational skills to understand and model biological processes and function, while maintaining at the core, training in world-class bioscience that underpins all living systems.

More information can be found on the LIDo website.

PhD Studentships at London Centre for Nanotechnology

Research at the LCN is exceptionally broad.  It covers all aspects of core nanotechnology, and also topics in many related areas of fundamental science that might not be classified as nanotechnology in other institutions. These include condensed matter physics, healthcare, energy research, photonics, materials science, neutron and x-ray scattering, security science, complex systems and molecular modelling.

The Centre invites applications from recent graduate students in any scientific discipline, from any country. You need to be able to demonstrate a high level of academic achievement as well as strong motivation for doing a PhD at the LCN.

More information can be found on the LCN website.