Pharmacology PhD / MPhil / MD

Research themes

Our research themes include:

• Basic studies which define the biological effects of therapeutics in humans
• Non-human or non-clinical studies conducted with the intent to advance therapies to the clinic or develop principles for application of therapeutics to human disease
• Investigations in humans which define the biology of disease and provide the scientific foundation for the development of new or improved therapies for human disease
• Any clinical trial of a therapy that was initiated based on the above
• The biology-chemistry “bridge”.

Training

PhD students can take taught modules - on either a formal basis with exams taken and a record of completion generated or less formally. Commonly, students use the opportunity to upskill in areas like bioinformatics and statistics, but modules on defined areas of biology are also available. A wide variety of further development opportunities are available from the PGR Development Hub. 

Research interests

• Drug Safety Science Adverse reactions are a significant problem for patients, healthcare systems and the pharmaceutical industry. Recognizing its excellence in the field of drug safety science, the MRC awarded the department a Centre grant. The MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science is the only Centre of its kind in Europe. We carry out clinical and basic research into the causes, characteristics and consequences of adverse drug reactions and focus on the mechanisms and genetic predisposition of adverse reactions to drugs. Our mission is to improve diagnosis and clinical handling of these reactions.

• Personalised Medicine – Personalized medicine has the power to revolutionize the way in which serious diseases are treated in the UK and beyond. Working from the Wolfson Centre for Personalised Medicine, the Departments research focuses on identifying predictive genetic markers for drug responses associated with clinical areas including cardiovascular disease, asthma and epilepsy. Clinical and basic scientists are dedicated to detecting genes and pathways that can determine a patient’s response to a drug. The ultimate aim of our research is to translate laboratory findings into clinical care for the benefit of patients and healthcare systems. 

• Infection and Inflammation – We are committed to understanding the relationship between pharmacokinetics and dynamics for both licensed medicines and new nanotechnology-enabled medicines. Our research impacts on those people who need it most, extending from the laboratory to the clinic through to application at the population level. The Department is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including molecular and cell biology suites and bioanalytical platforms. These allow us to define the key mechanistic processes of infectious diseases by using evidence synthesis, pre-clinical and clinical evaluations, and therefore truly bridge the gap between the lab and the real world. We are renowned for our research in HIV and Hepatitis C. 

• Neuropharmacology – Covering everything from basic to clinical we work across three key areas: epilepsy, pain and mental health and behavior. We are leading some of the largest clinical trials in the world and our programme addresses some of the most significant issues in therapeutics. We are evaluating the use of immunomodulatory drugs for unexplained chronic pain conditions. Finally, we use molecular genetics and biochemistry, integrated with clinical, psychological and psychiatric data to investigate CNS dysfunction.

Facilities

The Institute of Translational Medicine is equipped with a wide range of the latest microscopy capabilities for modern biomedical research. Our imaging platforms enable continuous correlative imaging studies from nanometer resolution through to whole animal imaging. We provide support ranging from initial project discussion and planning through to training, application of techniques and assistance with data interpretation.

• Biomedical Imaging
• Centre for Antimicrobial Pharmacodynamics
• Centre for Drug Safety Science
• Health Data Science Network
• Centre for Preclinical Imaging
• Clinical Trials Research Centre
• Harris-Wellbeing Preterm Birth Research Centre
• Liverpool Bio-Innovation Hub (LBIH) Biobank
• Liverpool Cancer Trials Unit
• MRC North West Hub for Trials Methodology Research
• North West Cancer Research Centre – University of Liverpool
• Pancreas Biomedical Research Unit
• UK Experimental Arthritis Treatment Centre for Children
• Wolfson Centre for Personalised Medicine.

Postgraduate researchers also benefit from flexible access to world-class equipment and expertise through the Shared Research Facilities provided.

The fees below reflect one year of study during the 2024/25 academic year

The fees stated in the table above exclude potential research support fees also known as ‘bench fees’. You will be notified of any fee which may apply in your offer letter.

* Please note that if you are undertaking a PhD within the Faculty of Science and Engineering the fee you pay, Band A or Band B, will reflect the nature of your research project. Some research projects incur a higher fee than others e.g. if you are required to undertake laboratory work. You will be informed of the fee for your programme in your offer letter.

^ Self-funded, full-time international students studying a PhD programme classified as Band A will receive a £2,000 reduction in their fees for the first year only.