Tag: Doctoral Students

Website support needed at the Grantham Institute (apply by 27 June)

The Education team at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment is looking for a postgraduate student to help us refresh and condense our web pages, at 1-2 hours weekly for 6-8 weeks. This will involve simplifying the structure, editing content and some creation of new content (with guidance from the Education team). This role will be paid at £24.51 per hour via the casual worker system.

Please email Alex Gibbs if you are interested, explaining your experience with websites and digital comms, by Friday 27 June.

 

GTA Opportunity – Paid LaTeX development opportunity

The Research Computing and Data Science team are in the process of commissioning and collating a series of exemplar programming projects known as ReCoDE. These projects are designed to demonstrate good programming practice in research to help other students learn by example and include extensive annotation to explain their function and the design choices made.

We generally welcome any submission, but we are looking to commission a particular submission in the form of a LaTeX template for an Imperial doctoral thesis. This template should match all of Imperial’s thesis requirements and should not be overly complicated, such that a relatively inexperienced LaTeX user would have the background to understand it. The basic skeleton of the thesis and the formatting required to meet Imperial’s requirements should be the focus, but other useful pieces of LaTeX may also be demonstrated.  This template does not need extensive research content, but could include some if it helps to demonstrate the formatting tools used.

If you are interested in working on this exemplar, more information on contributing can be found here. Click on the “Pitch an exemplar here” button at the bottom of that page to submit a proposal. The next round of exemplars will be selected in the autumn, and we will review all proposals before reaching out to selected applicants to complete the exemplar over three months in the autumn term.

Authors of exemplar are paid as GTAs (or Casual Workers) for 45 hours of work at a rate of £35.78/hour, including holiday pay.

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Judges needed for the Early Career Researcher Showcase (02 July 2025)

We would like to invite all students and staff to join the official judging team for the Early Career Researcher Showcase!

This inaugural event takes place on Wednesday 02 July 2025 at the South Kensington Campus and is a celebration of the research being carried out by the ECR community at Imperial.

The event features a competition where participants communicate their research via a three-minute presentation pitch aimed at a layperson. 

Judges will be assessing participants on:

  • the ability to explain their research in a way that can be shared with the public.
  • the visual impact & creativity of the presentation pitch.

Judges will be allocated approximately four presenters to visit and assess their three-minute presentation pitches. There are two judging time slots to pick from: Judging Slot 1 (11.00-12.00) or  Judging Slot 2 (11:30-12.30).

This is a fantastic opportunity to hear more about the sorts of research taking place across Imperial.

Please complete the following form to volunteer.

If you have any questions about being a judge, please contact us.

Find out more 

MedTechOne Early Careers Network Summer Meeting (19 June)

We are excited to invite you to the next MedTechOne Early Career Researchers Network meeting on the 19th June 2025, 17:00-19:00 at SALC 10 (Sherfield Building, South Kensington). Our invited speaker, Dr. Maria Leiloglou, will share her experience as a medtech innovator and leader in AI-fuelled hyperspectral imaging for biomedical applications.

Dr Maria Leiloglou is the founder and CEO of EnAcuity. Maria is a MedTech innovator with expertise in development and clinical translation of imaging technology. During her PhD and MSc at Imperial College London, she brought three surgical imaging devices to first-in-human trials. With EnAcuity, Maria’s vision is to empower surgeons to enhance patient care with the world’s first AI-driven hyperspectral imaging solution.

All postgraduate students, early career researchers, fellows, and members of the business school with an interest in medical technology and entrepreneurship are encouraged to attend. Feel free to share it with colleagues who might be interested!

Register your attendance: Fill in this form

Meeting details:

📅 Date: 19th June
🕓 Time: 17:00 – 19:00
📍 Location: SALC 10, Sherfield Building (Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus)

🔊 Speaker: Maria Leiloglou, CEO at EnAcuity and RAEng Enterprise Fellow

About the MedTechONE ECR Network:

The MedTechOne Early Career Network is a forum aimed at addressing the pressing challenges in medtech commercialization, and fostering collaboration and innovation among researchers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs passionate about medtech commercialisation. Our goal is to create a thriving community to engage with like-minded peers, hear from inspiring leaders, and explore how the intersection of research and entrepreneurship can drive impactful medtech solutions.

This networks integrates within the wider MedTechOne  Centre of Excellence at Imperial College London, dedicated to supporting medtech entrepreneurs by addressing challenges such as regulatory hurdles, high development costs, and NHS adoption. MedTechONE also streamlines resources to fast-track medical technologies from research to real-world applications.

Want to join the network?

Email Dr Miguel Paez-Perez at m.paez-perez16@imperial.ac.uk

We look forward to seeing you there.

Kind Regards,

Miguel Paez-Perez, Zejian Cui, Nazia Bharde, Ivet Angelova & the MedTechOne Team

Imperial Fungal Science Network – Seminar – Keynote by Prof. Sophien Kamoun (3 July)

We warmly invite you to attend the Imperial Fungal Science Network – Seminar – Keynote by Prof. Sophien Kamoun on

🗓️ Thursday 3 July, 15:30 – 16:30

📍 G47 Flowers Building, South Kensington Campus, Armstrong Road, London SW7 2AZ

No registration required

Click here – to see full event information

In-person (walk in; refreshments from 3pm) or online (via Teams; see live link above)

The programme explores host-pathogen interactions and we welcome speakers from across our fungal research themes.
Prof. Sophien Kamoun (The Sainsbury Laboratory)
Think. Evolutionary. Transitions.
In recent years, my lab — or perhaps it’s just me — has become increasingly obsessed with evolutionary transitions: the idea that every gene has an origin and an evolutionary journey marked by gain, loss, or shifts in function. In this talk, I will explore how this perspective applies to the study of filamentous plant pathogens — fungi and oomycetes. Though phylogenetically distant, they share striking similarities in morphology and lifestyle: both are filamentous, heterotrophic, and notoriously adaptable. Their ability to evade plant immunity and shift hosts makes them ideal models for studying the evolutionary arms race between pathogens and plants. I’ll also highlight how plant-pathogen coevolution has shaped — and continues to reshape —mechanisms of plant immunity.Bio  Sophien Kamoun grew up in Tunisia where he developed a passion and curiosity about nature. He studied genetics in Paris and Davis, California, before working in Wageningen, Ohio and Norwich, where he is currently a Senior Scientist at The Sainsbury Laboratory and Professor of Biology at The University of East Anglia. He is known for his seminal contributions to our understanding of plant diseases and plant immunity having pioneered genomics and molecular biology methods to reveal fundamental insights into the biology and evolution of eukaryotic plant pathogens. His inventive work in plant pathology has resulted in new approaches to mitigate some of the world’s most serious crop diseases. He is well-known as a champion of open science, including open data, transparent peer review, and preprints to promote rapid dissemination of science. Professor Kamoun has received many awards and recognitions, notably the Kuwait Prize and The Linnean Medal. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2018.
Cristina Vuolo (Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London)
Dissecting recognition of fungal virulence factors by plant cell-surface immune receptors
I am a first year PhD student in Dr Tolga Bozkurt’s lab, which focuses on dissecting the many intricacies of plant-pathogen interactions. My research interests centre on how plants recognise invading pathogens and trigger defence responses. In this talk, I will present current work investigating the mechanisms by which plant cell-surface receptors mediate immunity against fungal plant pathogens. 
Dr Tom Williams (Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London)
Investigating Fungal Airway Disease Through the Use of Murine Repeat Challenge Models
I am an early career researcher at Imperial College, working with Prof. Darius Armstrong-James whose group focuses on the biological properties and immune responses to the opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus.  My primary research area of interest is in understanding how the fungi that we are exposed to everyday impact our immune system. In this talk I will outline repeat challenge models of fungal exposure highlighting the immunological and transcriptomics responses. Finally, I will demonstrate how these models can be employed to investigate immunological pathways, respiratory disease and co-infection.

Sir Ernst Chain Annual Lecture: A tale of two antibodies (2 July)

Imperial College London’s Department of Life Sciences invites you to attend the Sir Ernst Chain Annual Lecture. The lecture will be delivered by Sir Gregory Winter, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, winner of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

A tale of two antibodies

Date: Wednesday 2 July 2025

Time: 17.30 – 18.30 BST

Lecture venue: Lecture Theatre 200, City and Guilds Building, Imperial College London, South Kensington, SW7 2AE. (see square B2 on the map)

Live stream: Please note that there is no live stream provision for this lecture.

 

Please register to attend the lecture here

 

We have limited spaces available, so please ensure you register for this lecture in advance via the link above.

The lecture will be followed by a public reception until 19.30.

Abstract

In recent years we have seen a revolution in the development of monoclonal antibodies as game-changing pharmaceutical drugs. As one of its ringleaders, Sir Gregory Winter will take us on a journey through the development of two antibodies, alemtuzumab and adalimumab, telling us the story of the interplay of technology, intellectual property, business and politics that shaped this amazing breakthrough.

Biography

Sir Gregory Winter CBE FRS FMedSci is a Nobel Prize-winning English molecular biologist best known for his work on the therapeutic use of monoclonal antibodies. His research career has been based almost entirely at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and the MRC Centre for Protein Engineering, in Cambridge, England.

He is credited with having invented techniques to both humanize and, later, to fully humanize using phage display, antibodies for therapeutic uses. Previously, antibodies had been derived from mice, which made them difficult to use in human therapeutics because the human immune system had anti-mouse reactions to them. For these developments Winter was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with George Smith and Frances Arnold.

Sir Ernst Chain Lecture

The Sir Ernst Chain Lecture is an annual event held by Imperial’s Department of Life Sciences, commemorating the achievements of Sir Ernst Chain for humankind. In 1945 Ernst Chain, Alexander Fleming and Howard Florey received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for the discovery and isolation of penicillin. Fleming made the original famous observation of the production of an “anti-bacterial agent” at St Mary’s, but it was Ernst Chain who developed the process to isolate penicillin.

Further details will be sent out in the joining instructions ahead of the event. If you have any questions in the meantime, please email rsvp@imperial.ac.uk

UKRI Policy Internships scheme – call for applicants (deadline: 08 Sept 2025)

As part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s postgraduate training portfolio, the UKRI Policy Internships scheme provides an opportunity for UKRI-funded doctoral students to undertake a three-month placement at one of a selected group of influential policy organisations.

Funding opportunity closing date: 08 September 2025

Find out more & apply

Student Awards for Outstanding Achievement (nominations deadline: 15 June)

Do you know a student with an outstanding achievement?

Whether it is exceptional charity work, a sporting success, outstanding leadership roles, creative arts endeavours or contributions to societal causes, we want to spotlight the work of our incredible students!

Nominations are now open for the Student Awards for Outstanding Achievement.

You are invited to nominate students for consideration for this award. Undergraduate and postgraduate students are eligible for nomination, and you are welcome to nominate as many students as you wish for consideration. Nominees must be enrolled as students on the deadline date to be eligible.

These awards are to recognise and commend outstanding achievement beyond the academic subject area. Academic achievement is not relevant and will not be considered. The aim of the award is to recognise students who have made a singular substantial contribution to an activity outside of their studies / research. Examples of past winners can be found on the awards’ webpage.

To nominate a student, complete the form by no later than 17.00 on Sunday 15 June 2025.

 

Global Young Scientists Summit 2026 – Call for Expressions of Interest (Deadline 30 June)

Imperial has been asked to nominate up to five researchers to attend the National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF) Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) in Singapore from 6-10 January 2026.

Since 2013, the GYSS has been bridging the gap between aspiring researchers and the foremost scientists and technologists of various fields. All attendees – whether on-site or online – will have the opportunity to engage and connect with distinguished speakers, which include recipients of the Nobel Prize, Fields Medal, Turing Award and Millennium Technology Prize.
The Summit offers a series of activities, including live plenary lectures, panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and networking platforms. Participants will also stand a chance to:

  1. Be part of small group informal sessions with their pre-selected speaker(s);
  2. Present their research on stage or through poster sessions; and
  3. Visit institutes of higher learning and other prominent landmarks in Singapore.

Access this link to view the highlights from past Summits, and visit our website for additional info.

Important Notes
Please note that the GYSS 2026 does not cover flights and transport to the hotel, these will have to be arranged at your own cost or through alternative funding.

Participant Eligibility
Applications should be:

  • Post-doctoral researchers or equivalent (≤5 years after obtaining PhD degree at the time of the Summit)
  • PhD students

All applications should meet the following criteria:

  • Show a genuine interest in science and research;
  • Show a strong commitment to their principal field of study and to interdisciplinary work;
  • Received the endorsement of Imperial College London (i.e. nominated through this invitation process);
  • Be fluent in English to actively participate in discussions;
  • Not have participated on-site in previous GYSS, with the exception for GYSS 2021 and 2022 (online editions); and
  • Not have a permanent position (in general, scientists with permanent positions, in particular the professor/tenure level, will not be admitted to the Summit).

We strongly encourage applications from a wide distribution of genders.

For clarity, the Summit or ECRI will NOT cover:

  • International travel arrangements / costs to and from Singapore;
  • Hotel accommodation for locally-based Participants.

SUBMIT YOUR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

DEADLINE: Please submit your expression of interest by 5:00 PM on Monday 30 June.

Survey: Insights into EU Researchers in the UK (deadline: 20 June)

CONNECTS-UK is conducting a survey to better understand the experiences, needs, and opinions of EU researchers currently based in the UK

This survey aims to characterise the EU research community in the UK and gather data on EU researchers’ needs, experiences, and opinions. The findings will inform a public policy report that contributes to policy discussions on EU–UK scientific relations post-Brexit, focusing on themes such as research collaboration, mobility, funding, higher education, and professional networks.

The survey covers the following topics:

  • Mobility and migration

  • Participation in EU research programmes, networks, and funding

  • Research collaborations

  • Higher education and research employment

  • Impacts of post-Brexit policy

  • Linguistic dynamics

CONNECTS-UK invites EU researchers currently based in the UK, at all career stages and in all disciplines, to complete the survey. Broad participation will ensure the data reflects the diversity and realities of the community and will help shape the future of EU researchers in the UK through collective input.

The data will be used to produce an evidence-based report to support policy dialogue. CONNECTS-UK is in contact with policy stakeholders in both the UK and the EU, who have expressed interest in the results and the insights the community can offer.

All responses are anonymous and collected in compliance with GDPR (click here to see how data is handled). No identifying information is requested, and data will be reported only in aggregated form.

Participate in the survey by clicking here