The University of Birmingham, through its Department of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, is offering two fully funded Intercalating PhD Studentships (MBPhD) in Oncology as part of the Birmingham Cancer Research UK Clinical Academic Training Programme. This prestigious three-year programme is designed for early career clinical trainees seeking to develop their research skills in a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment focused on cancer research.

The studentships provide comprehensive financial support, including full PhD tuition fees, laboratory consumables (approximately £14,000 per year), a living stipend (£21,000 per year), and coverage of undergraduate tuition fees up to £45,000. While overseas students are welcome to apply, they must self-fund the difference between the home and international tuition fee rates.

Applicants should have completed at least two years of the University of Birmingham MBChB programme (or one year if on the Graduate Entry Medicine course) and must have completed or be completing an intercalating degree. For GEM students, an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject is required. The anticipated start date for the studentships is by June 2026.

The research focus of the programme is on understanding oncogenesis and tumour immunobiology, with the aim of providing the scientific basis for novel targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and patient stratification approaches. The three core research themes are:

• Cancer Immunology: Investigating the regulation of anti-tumour immunity, the immunobiology of the tumour microenvironment, and the interplay of tumour genetics, oncogenic signalling, and microbiota. The theme includes characterising new axes of cancer immunosuppression and developing innovative immunotherapeutic strategies.
• Cancer Genomics: Exploring how DNA damage and repair defects influence cancer predisposition, the role of epigenetic reprogramming in tumourigenesis, and the identification of new therapeutic opportunities through clinical trials on epigenetic modifiers. Genomics studies also focus on how mutational and epigenetic signatures affect patient outcomes and treatment responses.
• Tumour Microenvironment & Metabolism: Collaborating with the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research to understand how the tumour microenvironment impacts prognosis and treatment response, and to develop novel therapeutic approaches or treatment combinations.

Applicants are encouraged to contact the programme for details of example projects or to discuss their own project ideas, provided they have a clear oncology focus. The application deadline is 2 February 2026. For further information or to apply, contact Fayeon Fyfield-Calder ([email protected]).