The CRUK CoL Centre PhD Programme
Applications for the CRUK CoL Centre PhD programme starting in September 2027 are open
This is a unique multidisciplinary and collaborative training opportunity for graduates with a background in biological, biomedical or other relevant sciences, who are interested in carrying out research in cancer biotherapeutics.
Students accepted onto the programme will follow the four-year version of our PhD programme, benefitting from high quality multidisciplinary scientific & transferable skills training, and cohort-building & networking activities. In addition, you will develop a customised training plan together with your supervisor tailored to your background and project requirements.
We are looking for talented and motivated candidates, who are passionate about research and have a strong academic track record. You will be based in your primary supervisor’s research group, and you will have the opportunity to work across the Centre, for example when carrying out research placements or accessing the Centre’s infrastructure cores. These are full-time research positions fully funded for four years.
Eligibility criteria
Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an area appropriate to the skills requirements of the Centre.
Applicants do not need to submit information relating to English language skills during the CoL Centre application process. If you are offered a PhD studentship you might require an English language qualification to apply at the host university.
The funding for this fellowship covers students with Home tuition fee status only. For more information on Home tuition fee status please visit the UKCISA website. Please note that we will only be able to offer studentships to candidates that have Home tuition fee status or provide evidence that they can fund the international portion of the tuition fee from external sources (i.e. not self-funded).
Funding
Studentships are sponsored fully for 4 years commencing September 2027. Funding covers:
- A non-taxable annual stipend of £25,074 (incremental increase per year of 1.75%, current CRUK rate)
- Tuition fees for Home status only (see section Eligibility criteria)
- Generous consumable budget
- Training & travel budget
Applications
Before beginning an application, you should read the information on this page and the “completing the application form” page. You should also find out about the projects being offered to start in September 2027 and their supervisors via the specific project pages below.
Key dates
- Your application must be submitted by the deadline: 4 November 2026, noon
- We should receive your references by 11 November 2026, noon. Your application may still be considered if references are not received by this deadline. However, no applicant will be invited to interview unless references have been received.
- You will find out if you have been invited to interview for the programme before: 4 January 2027
- Supervisors may contact you during the shortlisting period (late mid November to mid December), to find out more about you and your interest in their project.
- Information session for interviewees: 4 January 2027, noon
- Panel interviews will take place: w/c 11 January 2027
- Programme start date: September 2027
Interviews
During the interview, candidates will be interviewed by a panel of CRUK CoL Centre academics from across the Centre’s partners. Please note that not all projects will be funded and studentships will be awarded to the best applicants based on information submitted on the application form, references and performance during the interview.
PhD Projects available
Project 1: Roles of liver metabolism in breast cancer development and response to therapy
Primary supervisor: Dimitrios Anastasiou, UCL Co-supervisors: Ilaria Malanchi, Francis Crick Institute
Project 2: Adipocytes and breast cancer: a dangerous liaison
Primary supervisor: Katiuscia Bianchi, Queen Mary University of London Co-supervisor: Cheema Umber, UCL
Project 3: How does the PKCa-D463H oncogenic mutation drive epigenetic reprogramming and cancer?
Primary supervisor: Angus Cameron, Queen Mary University of London Co-supervisors: Neil McDonald, Francis Crick Institute
Project 4: Impact of mutant immune infiltrates on response to cancer immunotherapy
Primary supervisor: Francesca Ciccarelli, Queen Mary University of London Co-supervisor: Dominique Bonnet, Francis Crick Institute
Primary supervisor: Özgen Deniz, Queen Mary University of London Co-supervisors: Richard Dillon, King’s College London
Primary supervisor: Gilbert Fruhwirt, King’s College London Co-supervisor: Oscar Maiques, Queen Mary University of London
Primary supervisor: Crispin Hiley, UCL Co-supervisor: Charlie McTernan, Francis Crick Institute; Sergio Quezada, UCL
Primary supervisor: Sam Janes, UCL Co-supervisor: Stuart McDonald, Queen Mary University of London
Primary supervisor: Tommy Kaplan, Queen Mary University of London Co-supervisor: Simone Zaccaria, UCL
Project 10: Engineering shielded, bone marrow homing regulatory T cells for hypoplastic myelodysplastic neoplasms
Primary supervisor: Shahram Kordasti, King’s College London Co-supervisor: Sara Ghorashian, UCL
Project 11: How cancer telomere lengthening pathways shape chromosomal instability and tumour evolution
Primary supervisor: Sarah McClelland, Queen Mary University of London Co-supervisors: Simon Boulton, Francis Crick Institute
Project 12: Targeting noncanonical epitopes to develop novel immunotherapies for leukaemia
Primary supervisor: Michele Mishto, King’s College London Co-supervisor: Rob Sellar, UCL
Project 13: Dissecting the role of the choroid plexus in gliomagenesis
Primary supervisor: Simona Parinello, UCL Co-supervisors: Ilaria Malanchi, Francis Crick Institute; Laura Pellegrini, King’s College London
Project 14: Targeting tumour-specific T cell dysregulation to intercept lung cancer
Primary supervisor: James Reading, UCL Co-supervisor: Timothy Tree, King’s College London
Primary supervisor: Peter Sasieni, Queen Mary University of London Co-supervisor: Mieke Van Hemelrijck, King’s College London
Primary supervisor: Sheila Singh, King’s College London Co-supervisor: John Anderson, UCL
Primary supervisor: Chris Tape, UCL Co-supervisor: Graeme Hewitt, King’s College London
Project 18: Developing Novel Immunotherapies for Paediatric Diffuse Midline Glioma
Primary supervisor: Richard Vile, King’s College London Co-supervisor: John Marshall, Queen Mary University of London
Project 19: Reprogramming vascular-immune interactions in human glioblastoma
Primary supervisor: Thomas Wälchli, UCL Co-supervisor: Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke, Queen Mary University of London
For general enquiries regarding the CoL Centre training programme please email: iris.lueke@crick.ac.uk