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Biology and Biomedical Sciences MPhil/PhD

Learn about the course below
Start
October 2021
January 2022
Attendance
Full-time
Part-time
Fees
£5,100 per year (UK)*
£14,400 per year (EU/INT)*

Ready to take your learning to the next level? With an MPhil or PhD degree from Middlesex University, you'll make a positive impact on society, healthcare and engineering and the economy through rigorous investigation and research.

Why study MPhil/PhD Biology and Biomedical Sciences at Middlesex University?

A Director of Studies and at least one (second) supervisor from the University will conduct your research supervision. Often, an external supervisor is also involved.

Your supervisors will act as personal tutors, helping you to clarify your initial objectives, structure your research and develop supplementary skills. They also advise on subject reading, relevant taught courses, research seminars and workshops.

Academic support and guidance is constantly available, whether you work individually or as part of a team. There are regular research tutorials, plus seminars and meetings with research students, staff and guest speakers.

Collaborations with external partners

If you're working in partnership with an external organisation, you may be jointly supervised by academics from Middlesex University and the collaborating partner.

Where collaboration is involved, you should ensure that from the outset the responsibilities for provision of fees, equipment and any other resources are fully understood and accepted by the partners.

What will you study on MPhil/PhD Biology and Biomedical Sciences?

We offer the following programmes:

MPhil and PhD research with our Cancer Centre

MPhil and PhD research with our Biophysics and Bioengineering

This programme includes projects such as:

  • Nanoparticles and there application for cancer therapies and biosensors
  • Imaging and the mathematics of reconstruction algorithms for lung and brain
  • Biosensors for Dementia, wound and other applications
  • Neuromodulator including deep brain stimulation and modelling
  • Stem cells in bone repair

MPhil and PhD research with our Diagnostic Biomarkers

This programme includes projects such as:

MPhil and PhD research with our Immunology group

This programme includes projects such as:

  • Vaccine production
  • Nanoparticle delivery

MPhil and PhD research with our Vitro Cancer Models group

This programme includes projects such as:

  • 3D tissue models (skin and bone)
  • hCGβ role in cancer formation
  • Arsenic trioxide effects on cancers, and viruses
  • Cancer causing viruses
  • Cancer sensitivity to cytotoxic drugs
  • Novel therapy development

MPhil and PhD research with our biology group

This programme includes projects such as:

  • Ecological and evolutionary genomics and genetics (Anne Ropiquet, Martijn Timmermans)
  • Evolutionary and conservation biology (Steve Kett, Anne Ropiquet)
  • Freshwater ecology and fish biology (Steve Kett)
  • Antibiotic resistant microorgansims in the environment and food, and health aspects of water and sanitation systems (Hemda Garelick)
  • Sustainable biotechnology – bioremediation of recalcitrant pollutants and applications of microbial bioresources (Diane Purchase)
  • Real-time monitoring of markers for health, disease and environmental quality – biomarkers and enzyme biosensors (Dirk Wildeboer)

Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

You may undertake a programme of research in which your own work – such as a report – forms, as a point of origin or reference, a significant part of the intellectual enquiry and is presented for examination.

The length of the thesis is reduced accordingly:

  • For the mixed mode version, you'll need an appropriate presentation of visual research and a text of up to 20,000 words (MPhil) or 40,000 (PhD).
  • For text only, the figures are 40,000 and 80,000 maximum.

The work is always undertaken as part of the registered research programme – and the standards are the same as those applied where the work is totally by thesis.

Please note that all of our PhD students initially enroll on an MPhil and then transfer to a PhD degree.

How is the MPhil/PhD Biology and Biomedical Sciences taught?

A Director of Studies and at least one (second) supervisor from the University will conduct your research supervision. Often, an external supervisor is also involved.

Your supervisors will act as personal tutors, helping you to clarify your initial objectives, structure your research and develop supplementary skills. They also advise on subject reading, relevant taught courses, research seminars and workshops.

Academic support and guidance is constantly available, whether you work individually or as part of a team. There are regular research tutorials, plus seminars and meetings with research students, staff and guest speakers.

Collaborations with external partners

If you're working in partnership with an external organisation, you may be jointly supervised by academics from Middlesex University and the collaborating partner.

Where collaboration is involved, you should ensure that from the outset the responsibilities for provision of fees, equipment and any other resources are fully understood and accepted by the partners.h

  1. UK & EU
  2. International
  1. UK
  2. EU/International

Helen Owen
Senior lecturer

Dr Owen coordinates a research track investigating the epigenetic regulation of aberrant cellular behaviour and subsequent skeletal tissue morbidity. She has a particular interest in the role of epigenetics and autophagy in the regulation of osteosarcoma metastasis and chemoresistance.


We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.

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