Medicines optimisation PhD | Pharmacy PhD

As a Medicines Optimisation PhD or Pharmacy PhD student at the University of Brighton, you will be a member of our specialist Medicines Optimisation Research and Enterprise Group.

We supervise students across medical and pharmaceutical research into medicinal provision and also research into the education and support for medicine use.

You will join the medicines optimisation research group in achieving our three clear goals to improve our understanding of how use medicines safely and effectively:

The science of medicines: world-class research that utilises basic science research expertise and techniques to increase our understanding of medicines. Areas of research expertise include: pharmacokinetics, pharmacology and microbiology; pharmaceutical formulation; clinical bioanalysis; pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics.

The clinical use of medicines: Develop world-class research that examines human behaviours and psychology in health and disease. Areas of research expertise include: behavioural medicine, health psychology, and paediatrics.

Medicines-related education, training and support: Identify and test new approaches to educate and assess the current and future workforce with regards to medicines optimisation, and medicines optimisation research.

Apply to 'Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences' in the portal

Programme overview

We conduct research within the broad areas of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences and Chemistry. We are open to enquiries relating to any of these wider fields, but also have particular strengths in research in the fields of biomaterials, chemistry, chronic disease, ecology and conservation, paediatrics, sensory neuroscience, microbiology, biochemistry, regenerative medicine, ageing, diabetes, drug delivery, drug stability, and cancer. Our diverse research provides an excellent environment to tackle global problems using multidisciplinary research approaches. A thriving postgraduate community of over 30 PhD students is supervised by subject specialists from across the life and physical sciences. Research is supported by postdoctoral researchers, visiting fellows and technical staff.

Academic environment

Research within the School of Applied Sciences incorporates the biological, biomedical, chemical and pharmaceutical sciences co-located in the Cockcroft and Huxley Buildings. This allows experts in numerous fields of research to collaborate on projects both within their disciplines and in truly cross-disciplinary research.

Consequently research projects can encompass the use of electrochemistry in biomedical research, bacterial responses to biomaterials, genomic analysis of gut microflora through to computational modelling of drug delivery systems and carbon capture by inorganic complexes.

Research themes within the framework of a PhD in Medicine optimisation include:

biomaterials
chemistry
chronic disease
ecology and conservation
paediatrics
sensory neuroscience

You will be based in one of our Centres of Research and Enterprise Excellence (COREs):

Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices

Centre for Lifelong Health

Some of our supervisors

Dr Joao Inacio Silva

I am happy to collaborate in projects and supervise post-graduate students in the broad field of medical and pharmaceutical microbiology, with a particular emphasis for projects involving clinically-relevant fungi and involving other healthcare-associated and non-academic industrial partners.

Prof Bhavik Patel

My supervisory interests are:

Development of composite electrodes for bioanalytical monitoring;
Exploring the signalling mechanisms of the bowel and bladder epithelium
Development of innovative e-learning tools

Prof Mark Yeoman

My research is interested in how age-related changes in serotonergic signalling pathways contributes to dementia, age-related motor dysfunction and faecal incontinence. My groups work uses a systems biology approach to study the effects of increased age on the release of serotonin from both central neurons and peripheral enterochromaffin cells and through the use of a range of functional assays explores how these changes link with impairments in learning and memory, motor and bowel function.

For further supervisory staff including cross-disciplinary options, please visit research staff on our research website.

Making an application

Once you have prepared a first-rate application you can apply to the University of Brighton through our online application portal. When you do, you will require a research proposal, references, a personal statement and a record of your education.

You will be asked whether you have discussed your research proposal and your suitability for doctoral study with a member of the University of Brighton staff. We strongly recommend that all applications are made with the collaboration of at least one potential supervisor. Approaches to potential supervisors can be made directly through the details available online. If you are unsure, please do contact the Doctoral College for advice.

Please visit our How to apply for a PhD page for detailed information.

Fees and funding

Funding

Undertaking research study will require university fees as well as support for your research activities and plans for subsistence during full or part-time study.

Funding sources include self-funding, funding by an employer or industrial partners; there are competitive funding opportunities available in most disciplines through, for example, our own university studentships or national (UK) research councils. International students may have options from either their home-based research funding organisations or may be eligible for some UK funds.

Learn more about the funding opportunities available to you.

Tuition fees academic year 2024–25

Standard fees are listed below, but may vary depending on subject area. Some subject areas may charge bench fees/consumables; this will be decided as part of any offer made. Fees for UK and international/EU students on full-time and part-time courses are likely to incur a small inflation rise each year of a research programme.

MPhil/PhD
	Full-time	Part-time
UK	£4,786	£2,393
International (including EU)	£15,900	N/A
International students registered in the School of Humanities and Social Science or in the School of Business and Law	£14,500	N/A

PhD by Publication
Full-time	Part-time
N/A	£2,393

Contact Brighton Doctoral College

To contact the Doctoral College at the University of Brighton we request an email in the first instance. Please visit our contact the Brighton Doctoral College page.

For supervisory contact, please see individual profile pages.