Cardiovascular Science

Applicants are advised to visit the course webpage for further information about supervisors associated with this course.

You are provided with a co-ordinated programme of post-graduate teaching in your first year and the possibility of experiencing research in more than one laboratory. This is followed by a three-year research project, under the supervision of a named supervisor. You will gain a greater understanding of the cardiovascular research field and can bring a broader perspective to your research project than is possible under the standard three-year DPhil.

The taught components in the first year should cover:

• myocardial, vascular and respiratory biology
• infection and immunity
• molecular medicine
• neuroscience
• signalling in health and disease.

You may take first- and second-year BM courses in pathology, immunology, pharmacology and integrated systems physiology. You will have the opportunity to write an extended essay at the end of each period of advanced study.

You will have access to a wide range of training in generic research skills provided through seminars and short courses. Examples of the courses that may be available to you include:

• proteomic methodologies
• genomics and bioinformatics
• confocal microscopy and image analysis
• statistics and experimental design
• information technology/computing skills
• written and oral presentation skills
• laboratory experience

You will experience research in more than one laboratory during your first year, to expose you to techniques and research modalities. You will be expected to design and execute experimental protocols, critically appraise research methods and experimental results, and communicate research results and their implications to a wide audience.

You will be encouraged to develop DPhil projects that bridge the work of two separate laboratories or that involve two complementary experimental approaches. The first year of your graduate studies will be overseen by an academic mentor who will monitor your academic progress and be available to offer advice and support throughout the course of your graduate studies. The department aims for you to be associated with one host laboratory for the first nine months of your graduate studies under the supervision of a laboratory mentor who will ensure you receive appropriate training in laboratory methods and in planning, executing and analysing experiments.

You will attend graduate tutorials, to present your latest results and discuss a range of research methods as well as journal clubs where you can discuss papers directly relevant to current lab projects. These regular small group meetings and social interactions help foster a distinct cadre of graduate students who share a common interest in, and enthusiasm for, cardiovascular science.

From the second year onwards, you will spend the remainder of the programme carrying out a research project.

You are expected to attend regular lab meetings and take part in all departmental graduate student training and assessment sessions. Your first year is monitored by presentations on your laboratory rotations, typically in the ninth week of each term, ie three times in the first year.

Your progress in the laboratory will be monitored formally via supervisor feedback forms submitted three times per year. You will discuss the report with your supervisor and draw up a list of research goals for the next three or four months.

Applicants are normally expected to be predicted or have achieved a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualifications), as a minimum, in a relevant Biological Science subject.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.5 out of 4.0.

If you hold non-UK qualifications and wish to check how your qualifications match these requirements, you can contact the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC).

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

• Official transcript(s)
• CV/résumé
• Statement of purpose: Up to one page
• References/letters of recommendation: Three overall, all of which must be academic

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Higher level

About your course: Proposed field and title of research project

Please give one or more areas of cardiovascular research from the list below which you would like to study:

• atherosclerosis, diabetes and inflammation (academic lead Charis Antoniades)
• cardiac biology and imaging (academic lead Craig Lygate )
• cardiac signalling and metabolism (academic lead Manuela Zaccolo)
• developmental biology and regenerative medicine (academic lead Nicola Smart)
• endothelial cell and vascular biology (academic lead Kim Dora)
• epidemiology, genetics and big data (academic lead Colin Baigent)
• target discovery and therapeutics (academic lead Shoumo Bhattacharya)

There are around 60 Principal Investigators eligible to supervise rotation projects and DPhil projects. Details of potential DPhil projects can be found on the course webpage. This is not necessarily the project that will be available to you for your DPhil research project during years two to four of the course.

About your course: Proposed supervisor name

Please leave this field blank.

Funding: Departmental studentship applications

Answer 'no' to the question of whether you are applying to a specific studentship. 

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

• Global Education
• Hill Foundation Scholarships