AZ Funded Non-Clinical PhD Studentship in Nanoparticle Targeting of Senescent Alveolar Epithelium

About the role

A 4-year PhD studentship is offered at the Cambridge Institute of Medical Research (CIMR) and the new AstraZeneca Discovery Centre at Cambridge, funded by AstraZeneca. The project is jointly supervised by Dr Jennifer Dickens in CIMR and Dr James Garnett and Dr Catherine Overed-Sayer at AstraZeneca, with the chance to work across both sites. It focuses on developing a platform to assess and optimise nanoparticle delivery of senomodulatory therapeutics in the lung.

Key responsibilities

• Develop a platform to assess and optimise nanoparticle approaches to senomodulatory drugs in the lung.
• Engineer senescent-cell targeting nanoparticles and load them with exemplar senomodulatory drugs, working with Prof. Ljiljana Fruk in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.
• Deliver the nanoparticles to alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells using human alveolar organoids as the primary in vitro model.
• With the AstraZeneca team, optimise drug selection and develop an automated screening platform for proof-of-concept studies assessing the efficacy of nanoparticle-mediated senolytic delivery to AT2 cells.

Required profile

• First or upper second-class degree from a UK university, or an equivalent standard from an overseas university, in a relevant subject for cell biology research.
• Applicants should be able to obtain the degree soon; the position is open to UK citizens and overseas students meeting UK residency requirements, or those who can fund the fee difference through scholarships.
• Self-funding is not permitted to supplement fees.
• Highly motivated, enthusiastic and able to think and work independently.

What we offer

• Full funding covering maintenance fees of £21,500 per year and the University Composition Fee, effective from 1 October 2027.
• Close supervision by a primary and secondary PhD supervisor and a personal mentor.
• Access to CIMR seminars, the AstraZeneca students symposium, the University Core Skills Training Programme and the Postgraduate School of Life Sciences.

Applications are made through the University postgraduate application portal, quoting reference SA51375. The deadline is 8 December 2026; interviews are scheduled for December 2026 or January 2027.