The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is pleased to invite applications for a three-year full-time PhD studentship, starting in January 2027, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. Only those applicants who meet all the eligibility criteria outlined below can be considered for this studentship.
The research training environment
Students, academics, and professionals come to LSHTM from all over the world because of its international presence, collaborative ethos, research excellence and prestigious study programmes in public and global health. Find out details of the School’s rankings and awards as well as current research in action.
The studentship will be based in the Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health (EPH).
General information about the MPhil/PhD programme structure at LSHTM can be found on the Research Degrees and Doctoral College pages. Students will be mentored by supervisors at LSHTM, and can be guided by an Advisory Committee consisting of at least two other experienced researchers who may be external to LSHTM. Students are expected to take part in the academic life of their department and can also be members of Academic Centres. All research seminars and journal clubs are open to PhD students from across LSHTM. Students are able to take up to four Master’s level Study Modules per academic year, subject to approval from their supervisor. The PhD programme also facilitates national and international conference attendance by students.
Support for research students’ future career development is covered through the supervision process, through the Transferable Skills Programme (in the School and the Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network) and the LSHTM’s Careers Service.
The successful applicant will have unprecedented opportunities to network and establish professional contacts through formal and informal interactions with members of staff at LSHTM and other students.
Doctoral research project
The Modelling for UK Measles Transmission Scholarship is available to applicants interested in pursuing a PhD project in Mathematical Modelling.
The research project will be supervised by one of the following staff:
- Nicholas Davies - [email protected]
- Alexis Robert - [email protected]
- Rosalind Eggo - [email protected]
Project details
The transmission of measles virus in the United Kingdom.
Measles is one of the most transmissible viruses ever seen. Before a measles vaccine became available in the late 1960s, measles infected nearly everyone in early childhood, causing millions of deaths globally each year. In 2016, the UK achieved the hard-won status of measles elimination, meaning that there was no sustained transmission of measles virus in the country. More recently, decreases in vaccine coverage have led to the UK losing its measles elimination status, and over 5,000 cases have occurred in an ongoing outbreak that started late in 2023. Globally, measles is a major scourge, causing around 100,000 deaths per year, primarily in children and especially in lower-income countries.
Despite the burden of this disease, we do not fully understand measles transmission in the UK. Much of our information comes from studies conducted in the pre-vaccine era, and we do not know how changes in human behaviour may have altered the transmissibility of the virus since then. Mathematical modelling can be used to plan strategies for preventing and responding to measles outbreaks, but our current models are hampered by an incomplete understanding of measles transmission.
We are seeking to recruit a PhD candidate to study the transmission of measles in the UK using mathematical modelling and data science. The student will have access to detailed UK Health Security Agency data from measles case investigation and contact tracing. The student’s primary research will involve constructing a next-generation measles model using the latest behavioural, genetic, and vaccine uptake data for the UK. Ultimately, the goal will be to advance our understanding of measles transmission and epidemiology.
The PhD project will be tailored to the interests of the successful candidate. Some potential research questions include:
- How have changes in human behaviour shaped patterns of transmissibility (i.e., the basic reproduction number) of measles virus in the UK?
- What are the long-term effects of measles infection in children on school attendance?
- How does measles virus spread in classrooms, in households, and in communities?
- Where should the UK focus its efforts on improving measles vaccine uptake?
- What factors contribute to low measles vaccine uptake in the UK?
Financial support
The studentship award covers:
- tuition fees (at the LSHTM Home fee rate);
- a tax-free stipend at the UKRI Studentship rate (£23,805.00 for 2026/27)
Research support and training costs are available within the NIHR HPRU grant; access to these funds will be subject to approval by your Supervisor.
Eligibility criteria
All applicants must meet minimum LSHTM entry requirements.
This PhD Studentship award is only available to candidates who meet the eligibility requirements for the Home fee rate. Please see the LSHTM fee assessment policy in particular the ’criteria‘ section, for further details. Further information about fee status assessment can be found on the UKCISA website.
Please note that due to the high volume of enquiries we receive, we will not be able to respond to emails from applicants who do not meet these eligibility criteria.
How to apply
Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their proposed primary supervisor for an informal discussion before applying.
To apply, submit a completed research degree application online using the LSHTM application portal by the scholarship deadline of 23:59 (BST) on Sunday 23rd August 2026.
Applicants must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria before contacting their proposed primary supervisor. When contacting their proposed supervisor, applicants are encouraged to write a short paragraph about their experience and research interests, including ideas for the PhD and explaining how these match the proposed supervisor’s expertise.
Proposed primary supervisors may be able to comment on one draft proposal, or offer other suggestions to strengthen the application: applicants are therefore encouraged to get in touch at an early stage.
Applicants must only contact one proposed supervisor.
Applicants must ensure all information and standard required documents outlined on the LSHTM ‘before you apply’ page is included/uploaded with the application, including:
- academic transcripts (official transcripts for all completed study; interim transcripts for any ongoing programmes of study);
- a research proposal (the research proposal should identify a specific research question or hypothesis, expanding on one of the topics listed on the website, summarise the relevant background information (with no more than five key references) and should outline an appropriate research methodology by which the question can be addressed); and
- References.
In addition, applicants for this scholarship must upload the following documents:
- A writing sample (this may consist of your dissertation, an essay, a blog post or other piece of long-form writing and should be around 5,000-10,000 words long).
Applicants must indicate that they wish to apply for this funding by adding “Modelling for UK Measles Transmission” in the ‘Funding’ section of the admissions portal.
Incomplete applications will not be considered for this studentship. This includes any applications missing supporting/supplementary documents (e.g. transcripts or references) at the deadline. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete and therefore applications should be submitted as early as possible to give referees time to submit their references prior to the deadline.
By submitting an application for this funding applicants agree to its Terms & Conditions.
Applicants short-listed for funding will be invited for interview. Interviews will likely be held remotely (via Teams or Zoom).