Teaching
Year 1: Training
The first year of the programme provides foundational training and research immersion designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives needed for interdisciplinary research in cardiovascular disease prevention.
During this year, students will undertake a combination of training and exploratory research activities. This includes participation in programme-wide workshops, seminars and optional selected taught modules (e.g., drawn from existing Master's-level programmes) that provide grounding in the programme’s core domains: population health, systems biology and data science/AI. Students will also develop broader research and professional skills, including scientific communication, leadership, open science and responsible research practices.
A key feature of the first year is the requirement to undertake two research rotations, in terms 1 and 2. These rotations allow students to work with different research groups and explore a range of approaches, datasets and scientific questions across the consortium. The rotations help students develop interdisciplinary confidence while informing the selection of their PhD research project.
Between months four and nine of the programme, students will work with potential supervisors to develop and refine their doctoral research project. The final PhD project and supervisory team will be agreed and formally confirmed during the first year.
Years 2–4: PhD Research and Specialisation
From the second year onwards, students will focus primarily on their PhD research project. Projects will typically be co-supervised by researchers from different disciplines and may involve collaboration across institutions within the consortium.
During this phase, students will develop deep expertise in their chosen research area while continuing to engage with the wider programme through seminars, workshops and cohort activities. Students will be encouraged to present their work at scientific conferences, publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and contribute to collaborative research initiatives.
Students may also have opportunities to undertake research placements with partner organisations, including industry, research institutes or collaborating academic groups. These placements provide additional experience in translational research environments and help students develop professional networks beyond their host institution.
Together, these elements are designed to support students in developing into independent researchers capable of advancing innovative approaches to cardiovascular disease prevention.
| One to one supervision |
1 hour per week. The University of Cambridge publishes and annual Code of Practice which sets out the University's expectations regarding supervision. All students have a departmental mentor in addition to their core supervisory team and College tutor. |
|---|---|
| Seminars & classes |
6-12 hours per week in year 1. Students are encouraged to attend training modules, internal departmental seminars (e.g. the Bradford Hill Seminar series) and those organised within the University. |
| Lectures |
The PhD has no formal lectures but (space permitting) students are able to attend specific modules from the MPhil in Population Health Sciences course if they require additional training in a particular area. |
| Journal clubs |
1 hour per week. |
| Posters and Presentations |
Students are encouraged to present their research locally, nationally and internationally when an appropriate opportunity arises. Students in years 1-3 are required to present at the annual department presentation event. |
| Taught/Research Balance |
Entirely Research
|
Placements
Students will have the option to undertake optional short-term placements with academic partner universities (Edinburgh, Imperial, Oxford), research institutes (e.g., Wellcome Sanger Institute, EMBL-EBI), or industry collaborators (e.g., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Novo Nordisk). These placements are typically 3–6 months in duration and may be taken either during Years 2–4 of the PhD or as a separately funded opportunity during an intermission period. The purpose of these placements is to broaden training, provide exposure to different scientific environments, and strengthen cross-institutional collaboration.
Feedback
Principal supervisors will submit termly reports on students' progress, which will be made available via an online system. Students also have an annual opportunity to submit a self-evaluation report, on which their principal supervisor may comment.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
The PhD is assessed by submission of a thesis and oral examination.
The thesis should not exceed 60,000 words (or 80,000 by special permission of the Degree Committee). These limits exclude figures, photographs, tables, appendices and bibliography.
The content and format of the thesis should be discussed with your supervisor.
Other
All PhD students are probationary in their first year and are required to undergo formal assessment (by written report and viva) at the end of their first year (or part-time equivalent) which they must pass.
If successful, the student moves from being 'probationary' to being formally registered for the PhD and can proceed with their project.
There is also an informal assessment to check on the student's progress at the end of the second year. All year 1-3 PhD students are encouraged to present their work at the Department's annual PhD presentation days in June.