London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) · Imperial College London · UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
Applications are now open for two fully funded PhD studentships in real-time infectious disease modelling, offered through the NIHR-funded Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Health Analytics, Epidemic Modelling and Health Economics. This is a unique opportunity to train at the intersection of academia and public health practice, supervised by leading experts across three world-class institutions.
About the Studentships
- Start date: April or September 2026
- Duration: 3.5 years
- Funding:
- Tax-free stipend of £22,780 per year
- Home-rate tuition fees fully covered
- Location: Based at LSHTM (Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health) with joint supervision from LSHTM, Imperial College London, and UKHSA
The HPRU brings together internationally renowned teams in epidemiology, data science, mathematical modelling, health economics, and public health, offering an exceptional research environment and cross-institutional training.
Research Environment & Training
- Joint supervision by academic and public health specialists across all three institutions
- Access to major research centres, including:
- Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases (LSHTM)
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis & WHO Collaborating Centre (Imperial)
- Participation in seminars, journal clubs, and NIHR HPRU activities
- Opportunity to take Master’s-level modules (subject to approval)
- Strong support for career development, transferable skills training, and networking
- Funding-supported attendance at national and international conferences
Available PhD Projects
1. Improving Infectious Disease Forecasting through Novel Data Integration and Ensemble Methods
Supervisors:
- LSHTM: Sebastian Funk
- Imperial College London: Anne Cori
- UKHSA: Edwin van Leeuwen
Project focus:
This project aims to advance infectious disease forecasting by:
- Moving beyond static assumptions (e.g. constant reproduction numbers)
- Integrating diverse data sources such as wastewater surveillance, genomics, mobility, and healthcare-seeking behaviour
- Combining mechanistic models with ML/AI approaches
- Developing decision-focused evaluation metrics (e.g. peak timing, magnitude, thresholds)
Applications will include case studies such as COVID-19, influenza, mpox, and other infectious diseases, with a strong emphasis on real-world public health utility.
2. Real-Time Analysis of Household Transmission Studies for Epidemic Preparedness
Supervisors:
- LSHTM: Sebastian Funk
- Imperial College London: Anne Cori
- UKHSA: Christopher Overton
Project focus:
This project will develop analytical methods to extract key epidemiological parameters from household transmission studies in real time, including:
- Secondary attack rates
- Delay distributions (incubation period, serial interval)
- Reproduction numbers and transmission chains
The research will address biases in real-time analysis, test methods on simulated and historical COVID-19 data, and apply them prospectively to new multi-pathogen household studies—directly supporting pandemic preparedness.
Eligibility
- A relevant Master’s degree (completed or imminent) with strong grades, or equivalent qualifications and experience
- Background ideally in quantitative disciplines such as biostatistics, mathematics, statistics, computer science, physics, bioinformatics, or epidemiology
- Coding experience (e.g. R, Julia, or similar languages)
- Applicants must be eligible for UK home-fee status, as defined by LSHTM and UK Government regulations
How to Apply
- Apply for research degree study at LSHTM via the online portal
- In the funding section, write:
“PhD Studentships Health Analytics and Modelling HPRU” - Clearly indicate which project(s) you are applying for
- Submit a research statement (max. 2 pages) outlining:
- Motivation and background
- How you would approach the chosen research project
- Proposed methodology
- Contact the project supervisors in advance for an informal discussion (strongly encouraged)
Application Deadline
🕛 23:59 (GMT), 12 January 2026
All complete applications submitted by the deadline will be considered equally. Only applications in the correct format will be reviewed.
This programme offers an exceptional pathway for aspiring researchers seeking to shape the future of infectious disease analytics, forecasting, and epidemic preparedness at the highest international level.
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