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Falk Hildebrand

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PhD Studentship: Evolutionary and Ecological Impact of the Western Lifestyle on the Gut Microbiome University of East Anglia in United Kingdom

Degree Level

PhD

Field of study

Computer Science

Funding

Available

Deadline

Nov 30, 2026

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Country

United Kingdom

University

University of East Anglia

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Keywords

Computer Science
Evolutionary Biology
Environmental Science
Biology
Sequencing Technology
Bacterial Physiology
Microbiome Research
Gut Microbiota
Statistics
Bioinformatic

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About this position

[4-year studentship including payment of tuition fees, a stipend of £21,805 for 2026/27, and a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000 per year.]

This PhD studentship at the University of East Anglia explores the evolutionary and ecological impact of the Western lifestyle on the human gut microbiome. The project sits within the Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership and is supervised by Prof Falk Hildebrand and Dr Wilfried Haerty, bringing together expertise from the Quadram Institute and Earlham Institute.

The research focuses on how diet, host factors, transmission, and industrialisation shape gut bacterial communities. Using more than 6,000 gut metagenomes and state-of-the-art strain-resolved metagenomics, the project will investigate ecological and evolutionary signatures associated with Westernised and less-industrialised populations, how bacterial populations adapt over time and across hosts and environments, and how metabolic niches vary globally.

The successful candidate will receive advanced training in evolutionary theory, microbial ecology, high-resolution metagenomics, sequencing technologies, statistics, and computational analysis. Prior exposure to statistics or programming is useful, but specialist methods will be taught through mentorship and collaboration. The studentship offers an interdisciplinary environment spanning microbial ecology, evolutionary genomics, computational biology, and microbial physiology.

Funding includes payment of tuition fees, a stipend for living expenses at the 2026/27 rate of £21,805, and a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000 per year. The project is offered as a 4-year PhD DTP studentship and also includes opportunities for a research visit with collaborators in Poland, international conferences, training courses, and a 3-month industrial placement.

This opportunity is ideal for candidates interested in microbiome science, bacterial evolution, computational biology, and large-scale metagenomic analysis. The application deadline is 30 November 2026.

Funding details

Available

What's required

Applicants should have, or expect to receive, a relevant degree for PhD study. Previous exposure to statistics or programming is useful, but specialist methods will be taught through mentorship and collaboration. The project is suitable for candidates interested in evolutionary theory, microbial ecology, metagenomics, sequencing technologies, computational analysis, and bioinformatics.

How to apply

Apply through the University of East Anglia postgraduate research application portal. Prepare your PhD application and submit it before the deadline. Use the provided application link for the online process.

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