Deadline: 31 October
Applications are invited for a 4-year PhD studentship based in the Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge and the new AstraZeneca Discovery Centre at Cambridge.
The student will be working on a collaborative project jointly supervised by Dr Cathy Wilson and Prof Laura Itzhaki in the Department of Pharmacology & Gurdon Institute and Dr James Hunt at AstraZeneca, and they will have opportunity to work across all sites.
Conventional approaches to cancer drug discovery have proven incapable of tackling many key targets, hence new strategies are urgently required. Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD) is one such strategy, growing at a remarkable rate but severely constrained by the limited availability of small-molecule ligands. Biologic-based PROTACs (bioPROTACs) are especially valuable because peptide- and protein-based ligands are available for many targets that are currently intractable to a small molecule approach and can be readily engineered to create novel degraders. Our research has established key principles to drive the discovery of bioPROTACs against such targets. It is now crucial to harness the capabilities of our novel bioPROTACs as a therapeutic approach, and the development of novel delivery methods is the goal of this PhD project.
Candidate - We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual capable of thinking and working independently. Applicants should have or shortly expect to obtain a first or upper second-class degree from a UK university, or an equivalent standard from an overseas university, in a relevant subject such as biochemistry, biology or chemistry.
These positions are open to UK citizens or overseas students who meet the UK residency requirements (home fees) or are able to augment the funds to cover the extra costs associated with international student fees through scholarships or funding schemes. Students will not be allowed to supplement fees via self funding. Full details of the University's entrance requirements and scholarships are specified on the following link: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/
Funding- Full funding covering maintenance fees at £21,500 per annum and the University Composition Fee is provided for the studentship, with effect from 1 October 2026.
Application Process - All applications will need to be made through the University Application Portal: www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/blphpdphc/apply
Quote the project title and supervisor (Delivering biological proximity-inducing degraders-a comparative analysis of viral, RNA and protein therapeutics, Dr Cathy Wilson and Prof Laura Itzhaki) and select Michaelmas Term 2026 (October 2026). Please note that the course code for PhD applications to Pharmacology is BLPH22
Your online application will need to include: 1) Two academic references, to be submitted by the application deadline 31/10/2025. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the references are in place by the application deadline, otherwise the application will not be processed. 2) Academic transcripts 3) CV 4) Statement of interest (max 400 words). Please ensure you explain why you wish to pursue a PhD in this area, outline your research interests and background, and describe the skills and research experiences you will bring to the role within your statement of interest
The application portal will also ask for a research proposal, however, since the project is already defined, you may copy the project details from this advert.
Deadline Application deadline is the 31st of October 2025. Interviews will be held week commencing the 17th of November. Outcomes will be announced by early December.
Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Dr Catherine Wilson chw39@cam.ac.uk and Prof Laura Itzhaki lsi1@cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PL47444 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.