Imperial College London
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Imperial departmental PhD scholarship
PhD Scholarship in AI-Driven Antibody and Protein Design Imperial College London in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Funded PhD project open to students worldwide. Covers full tuition fees and provides a tax-free maintenance contribution of £25,000 per annum for 42 months.
Deadline
Feb 28, 2027
Country
United Kingdom
University
Imperial College London
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About this position
PhD Scholarship: AI-Driven Antibody and Protein Design, from Algorithm to Experiment at Imperial College London, Department of Chemical Engineering, with Dr Pietro Sormanni.
The Sormanni Lab develops data-driven technologies for rational antibody design and protein design, combining artificial intelligence, laboratory directed evolution, and biophysics to create new or improved antibodies and proteins. The project offers two complementary directions: (1) methods development focused on computational AI/ML approaches in Python, including repertoire- and structure-aware models, multi-agent workflows, multi-objective optimisation, active learning, and interpretable models; and (2) applications that combine computational design with wet-lab validation, including in vitro display selection, expression and purification, biophysical characterisation, and developability assessment.
This is a funded PhD project open to students worldwide. Funding covers full tuition fees plus a tax-free maintenance contribution of £25,000 per annum for 42 months. The post is based in London, United Kingdom.
Applicants for computational work should enjoy coding in Python and quantitative thinking; prior ML experience is welcome but not essential. Applicants for lab-based work should have experience in or strong interest in molecular biology and protein work, plus enthusiasm for data analysis and basic programming. The group welcomes students who want to propose a disease or target area of interest, and will help build collaborations around the chosen biological context.
How to apply: submit an application through Imperial’s postgraduate doctoral portal, select the Department of Chemical Engineering, list Pietro Sormanni as supervisor, and enter “departmental PhD scholarship” as the scholarship name. In your cover letter or relevant text field, indicate which direction you prefer. The project is accepting applications all year round, with selection rounds on 31 October 2026, 31 December 2026, and 28 February 2027 (subject to scholarship availability).
Funding details
Funded PhD project open to students worldwide. Covers full tuition fees and provides a tax-free maintenance contribution of £25,000 per annum for 42 months.
What's required
Applicants should have strong interest in proteins and antibodies. For computational projects, enjoyment of coding in Python and quantitative thinking is expected; prior machine learning experience is welcome but not essential. For lab-based projects, experience in or strong interest in molecular biology and protein work is expected, along with enthusiasm for data analysis and basic programming. All applicants should be curious, rigorous, communicate clearly, be willing to work outside their comfort zone, and aim to become independent scientists in a multidisciplinary group.
How to apply
Apply through Imperial’s postgraduate doctoral application portal. Select the Department of Chemical Engineering, list Pietro Sormanni as supervisor, enter “departmental PhD scholarship” as the scholarship name, choose “Imperial” in the scholarship dropdown, and select “not sure” for award amount. Mention which of the two research directions you prefer in your cover letter or relevant text field, and submit the documents requested on the Imperial application page.
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