The Life Sciences Department at Brunel is a vibrant, multidisciplinary community of scholars addressing key issues and global challenges for humankind. The Department brings together academics in Biosciences, Environmental Sciences, Psychology, and Sport, Health & Exercise Sciences, working together to carry out world-leading research with the potential to improve human health and well-being. We are making discoveries in a wide range of areas including: mechanisms of disease and novel therapeutic approaches; fundamental and applied research into brain function; how environmental toxins impact health; how genes and chromosomes behave; analysis of “Big Data” to explore determinants of health and disease; how our immune system works to protect us, or causes harm; determinants of human physical performance and rehabilitation; how culture and evolution shape our psychology and how to support welfare, health and wellbeing in our societies. Together, we work towards integrating academic and scientific rigour with the needs of health care providers, governments, industry, and the not-for-profit sector, aiming to deliver creative solutions to global challenges and, thereby, bring health, economic, social, and cultural benefits to societies. Research opportunities for students Research students are welcomed to Brunel as valued members of our thriving, research-intensive community. Browse PhD opportunities below and find out about the funding available for students. Doctoral research information How to apply for a PhD View list of PhDs in this area Research in Life Sciences Find people, projects, groups and publications in Life Sciences and read more about related research to this area. Meet our experts Browse academics in Biosciences, Environmental Sciences, Psychology, and Sport, Health & Exercise Sciences Life Sciences Research Archive Browse our collection of research outputs including PhD theses Independent assessment of our research quality (REF 2021) View REF 2021 details for Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy (UoA 03) Helping policymakers stub out smoking REF 2021 Research groups and centres Applied Respiratory Research Group Applied respiratory research meeting the needs of respiratory-related healthcare Arts Health and Social Change This Research Group is dedicated to fostering art-based initiatives that drive social change towards inclusivity and equality in healthcare. Brunel Partners Academic Centre for Health Sciences Focusing on allied health, nursing, social care and medicine, the centre supports ambitious plans to educate the health and care workforce, supporting the delivery of radically transformed integrated physical and mental health and care provision. Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research Group Understanding the biological, social, physiological aspects of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and producing knowledge to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health. Culture and Evolution Evolution and culture are the two most fundamental and powerful influences on human behaviour, and their effects are what we study at the Centre for Culture and Evolution. Embodiment in Academic and Professional Practice Development of an enhanced awareness of bodies as sensors of crucial information about ourselves and our reality; Enhancing our performance as human beings, practitioners, researchers and educators. Experimental Techniques Centre A highly regarded cross-disciplinary characterisation facility, with specialist staff that have expertise from various scientific disciplines, e.g. biology, metallurgy, geology and engineering. Genome Engineering and Maintenance Diverse research network focused on molecular, cellular, organismal and computational aspects of genome biology. Health and Wellbeing Across the Lifecourse Inequalities in health and wellbeing in the UK and internationally; welfare, health and wellbeing; ageing studies; health economics. Health Behaviour Change Development and evaluation of theory- and evidence-based health behaviour change interventions, across communicable and non-communicable diseases; evidence synthesis of behaviour change interventions. Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents The generation, promotion and integration of new, multi-disciplinary research that is particular to the British nuclear test veteran community, their genomic health and the impact of uncertainty on health more broadly. Inflammation Research and Translational Medicine Driving scientific innovation and discovery for diagnosis, treatment, and management of cardiovascular disease, inflammatory and immune disorders, microbial resistance, and cancer. Institute of Communities and Society The Institute focuses on the social, community, and cultural aspects of pressing contemporary issues including migration and movement, social unrest, intersectional inequalities, and institutionalised poverty. Institute of Health, Medicine and Environments Our challenge-led work in health and wellbeing focuses on understanding the relationships between biological, social, natural, and built environments and health and wellbeing outcomes. LEAP-Lab: Learning, Expertise, Action, Perception Three innovative spaces, which collectively support a thriving research culture in which staff and students work collaboratively to produce high-quality research on the topics of Learning, Expertise, Action, and Perception. Organ-on-a-Chip The group’s main research focus is on women’s health and developing four main organ-on-a-chip (OOC) models: the breast, vagina, ovary, and placenta. Physical Activity in Health and Disease The centre conducts interdisciplinary research to improve human health and performance through regular physical activity and exercise, and by limiting sedentary behaviour. Pollution Research and Policy Predictive approaches in toxicology, including combined chemical exposures and development of new frameworks for non-animal approaches for predicting toxicity; Endocrine disruptor research with an emphasis on mechanisms of disease and test method development; Pollution monitoring, clean-up technologies and chemical analytics. Smart Technology Advancements in Health and Rehabilitation Data science/wearable technology and Rehabilitation; Haptic feedback, multi-sensory interfacing and Robotics in Health; Immersion and Engagement in Virtual Rehabilitation; TeleHealth/TeleRehab; Data: using AI and Machine learning to improve health. Browse our research projects View all View all Governing immersive biomedical tech, health and human rights in the Metaverse Ongoing Innovate photonic devices for digital histopathology Ongoing Understanding the role of temperature on muscle function in older adults Ongoing Post-Covid lifestyle and mental wellbeing Completed Modelling internal bone marrow dose from Radium-223 Completed Using creative engagement to support healthcare workers Completed The mechanisms underlying adverse effects of pharmaceuticals Completed Understanding the effects of cyclo-oxygenase inhibition in the zebrafish Completed Understanding the effects of inflammation on brain and behaviour Completed Evaluation of oligonucleotides for therapy of Friedreich ataxia Completed Identifying the most potent and effective treatment of Friedreich ataxia Completed Parenting across cultures in contemporary England Ongoing Faith, difference and diversity in Muslim male prisoner rehabilitation Completed Rapid evidence scoping review: Creativity and Pathways to Subjective Wellbeing Ongoing LIVEND: Live music inclusion at venues and events for neurodivergent people Ongoing Can SmartSocks™ help deliver care to people with dementia living in care homes? Ongoing Side effects of gene therapy vectors Completed Evolution of religious and secular medical treatments Completed Cancer and physical activity Completed The maintenance of genome integrity Completed The role of CDCA2 molecule in neuroblastoma Completed How do cells divide? Completed Genetic and cytogenetic family trio study Completed Physical activity and McArdle disease Completed Towards a therapy for Friedreich’s Ataxia Ongoing Investigating the role of bioactive sphingolipids in Friedreich’s ataxia Completed Elucidation of the metabolic signature of Friedreich's ataxia Completed Metabolic reprogramming for improved BCG vaccine efficacy Completed Early growth protein molecules and preventing autoimmune disease and cancer Completed When reading misfires: the case for letter confusability Completed Vagina-on-a-Chip Completed Predicting online radicalisation Completed Low-cost portable molecular diagnostic platform Completed Innovative techniques for precise, atraumatic placement of cochlear implant Completed Analysis of the nature of loneliness using natural language programming Completed Modelling infant leukaemia using gene editing technology Completed COVID-19 and relationships study Completed Protect mental health COVID-19 study Completed Using mindfulness to reduce schizophrenia vulnerability Completed Air pollution, brain health and wellbeing in India Completed Recovering sense of smell and taste Completed Childhood maltreatment: emotional consequences and potential intervention Completed The effects of sonification on motor imagery ability Completed Road cycling behaviour of young adults Completed Mitigating plastic waste in Indonesia Ongoing Risk factors for cognitive decline in LGBT+ older people Ongoing Assessment of injury risk factors and mechanisms in elite netball Completed Understanding the causes of atheism in Mauritius Ongoing Muscle response to exercise in cerebral palsy Completed Reactivation of herpesviruses in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Ongoing Physiology of singing and implications for singing for lung health Completed Novel approaches for testing metabolism disrupting chemicals Ongoing Common genetic variants that increase the risk of cancer Completed Does CRISPR-Cas9 treatment cause DNA damage in cancer cells? Completed Human endogenous factors in the control of mycobacterial infection Completed Host-pathogen interactions in tuberculosis Completed A new cell and gene therapy approach for Friedreich's ataxia Completed Modelling adenoid cystic carcinoma in a mouse Completed Oncoprotein MYB in the head and neck cancer adenoid cystic carcinoma Completed Visual and emotional processing in early Parkinson's disease Completed Radiation exposure and heritable genetic effects Completed Culture, sport and wellbeing evidence review Completed Culture, sport and wellbeing: social diversity and context matters Completed Cell signalling aimed at regulating cell proliferation Completed Multifactorial impacts on early breast carcinogenesis Completed Use of liquid biopsies as cancer biomarkers Completed Factors influencing pain and physical activity in children Completed Aberrant genome organisation in female cancers Completed Making the beautiful game fair play REF 2021 Stealth marketing and physical activity Completed Social movement approach to physical activity in Southall Ongoing Evaluation of a complex community sport intervention Completed Sport, culture, communities and wellbeing Completed Diabetes UK: Understanding physical activity Completed Community sport and inequalities Completed Physical activity in the workplace Completed Hidden curriculum of Occupational Therapy practice education Ongoing Reducing sitting behaviour in people with Type 2 diabetes Completed Improving health in older adults by reducing sitting time Completed Understanding and manipulating our immune system to protect against ageing Ongoing Investigating cerebral microvasculature dysfunction in stroke Completed Creating digital stories to understand living with multimorbidity Completed Respiratory physiology, human performance and health Completed Virtual reality for NHS staff wellbeing Completed Muscle heat shock proteins with passive heating Completed Acute cardiovascular responses to slow and deep breathing Completed Addressing educational inequities through co-production of inclusive learning Completed Pharmacological strategies for resolution of inflammation Completed Promoting inflammation resolution in sickle cell disease Ongoing Investigating thrombo-inflammation associated with cardiovascular diseases Completed Explaining the causes of atheism and non-belief Ongoing Gender differences in multitasking Completed A psychophysiology study of sensory processing in meditators Completed See Less: How to help a billion breakups REF 2021 Effects of dehydration and hyperthermia on brain and muscle blood flow Completed Arts interventions to prevent young people becoming involved in crime Ongoing Anticipation in soccer Completed The impact of task complexity, cognitive load and anxiety on driving Completed Exploring the effectiveness of anti-doping interventions Completed Innate immunity in bovine tuberculosis Completed Gestalt grouping and perceptual averaging to boost memory capacity Completed Big Tissue and Society Completed Decision making in Gaelic football Completed Pause Courses Ageing Studies PhD Biomedical Engineering PhD Biosciences PhD Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience PhD Environment and Health PhD Health Sciences Integrated PhD Human Performance, Exercise and Rehabilitation PhD Life Sciences Integrated PhD Psychology PhD Public Health and Health Promotion PhD Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences PhD Synthetic Biology PhD Welfare, Health and Wellbeing PhD View all courses Fully-funded studentships Funding for the Executive Dean’s PhD Studentship in Experience-based codesign for effective physical activity interventions with working age adults living with multiple long-term conditions Funding for the Executive Dean’s PhD Studentship: Lineage tracing of blood stem cell development in embryo-like gastruloids Funding for the Executive Dean’s PhD Studentship. A Comprehensive Characterisation of Mentally-Disordered Offenders and Prediction of Treatment Outcomes Mechanisms of Interoception and Stress in Medically Unexplained Symptoms Our funded studentships become available at different times of the year. Please keep checking our page regularly to see the latest funded opportunities. We also advertise all our funded studentships as soon as they become available on the @BrunelResearch twitter account. View all studentships