Decoding the immunometabolic signals responsible for causing inflammatory bowel disease – towards novel treatment paradigms

Project abstract: Inflammatory bowel disease is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease affecting 1% of the UK population, and millions of patients across the globe. It is characterised by disabling symptoms and severe complications, such as cancer. Inappropriate immune responses are at the heart of IBD and new insights into what drives these exaggerated immune responses are urgently needed. We know that the composition of the billions of bacteria that live in our intestines are disordered in IBD patients. This project seeks to identify what molecules and metabolites produced by these bacteria are responsible for subverting immune cell activity.

The backbone of this PhD studentship is an established clinical study of carefully characterised IBD patients we are leading in collaboration with Astra Zeneca.

Year 1: Profiling metabolites in biofluids of hundreds of patients, using state of the art platforms

Year 2: Defining the functional role of implicated metabolites on key cells of interest, and defining which receptors they engage

Year 3: Defining the pathogenic role of implicated metabolites in IBD disease models and human biopsy culture experiments

This project offers a unique opportunity for a highly motivated PhD to become an expert in multiple cutting-edge techniques and big data analyses. Our collaboration with Astra Zeneca offers exciting opportunities to accelerate discovery science to clinical implementation, offering a unique “molecule to clinic” experience.

The studentship will principally be based at Imperial College, Hammersmith campus, with a placement at AstraZeneca in Cambridge for a minimum of 3 months. Supervisors will be Prof. Nick Powell from Imperial College London, and Dr Kyle Bednar from AstraZeneca. 

The studentship will start no later than October 2025

Application and Selection Process

To make an application, you will be required to submit an initial online application form. 

This page provides important information about how to prepare and submit your application, as well as what will happen when you submit it. How to apply nearmejobs.eu Faculty of Medicine nearmejobs.eu Imperial College London

Eligibility Criteria

MultiSci iCASE Studentships are only available for studies which have not yet commenced. Please ensure you read these eligibility criteria before making an application. Eligibility criteria nearmejobs.eu Faculty of Medicine nearmejobs.eu Imperial College London

All Imperial College London PhD entry requirements must be met and the successful applicant will subsequently need to apply online.

Applicants should hold (or obtain by October 2025) a first or upper-second-class honours degree, and Master’s degree.

Applicants must also meet Imperial College’s English language requirements – further details can be found at  https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/requirements/english/.

We look forward to receiving applications from all candidates and will select those who display the potential to become world-leading researchers of the future based on their application and performance at an interview.

For any queries not covered on these pages, please email the Postgraduate Education Team within the Education Office at feopostgradtm@imperial.ac.uk.